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Baked Mac and Cheese with a bottom layer of bolognese sauce

Layered Italian Baked Mac and Cheese

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
Deliciously creamy baked Mac and Cheese with a bottom layer of Italian bolognese meat sauce. Comfort food taken to the next level!
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 808 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the quick beef bolognese sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 450g/1 lbs lean ground beef
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2X400g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes/crushed tomatoes or passata
  • salt to taste

For the cheese sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp flour, heaped
  • 375ml/1.5 cups whole milk or 2%
  • 200g/1 cup cheddar, grated
  • 200g/1 cup mozzarella, grated
  • salt to taste

Additionally

  • 500g/1 lbs macaroni or rigatoni
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 100g/1/2 cup mozzarella, grated

Instructions
 

For the quick beef bolognese sauce

  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan, then brown the ground beef until no longer pink inside. Add crushed garlic, basil, oregano, canned tomatoes and bring to a boil, salt to taste. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Pasta

  • Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water 3 minutes less than package instructs. Drain while reserving ½ cup/125 ml pasta water. Coat macaroni with 1 tbsp of butter.

For the Cheese Sauce

  • While the pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, blend in flour with a wire whisk. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes while stirring the entire time, then add milk and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
  • Take it off the heat and stir in both cheeses gradually until they are melted and fully incorporated into the sauce. Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce with ½ cup of reserved pasta water.

To assemble baked Mac and Cheese

  • Butter a 9X13 inch rectangular casserole dish. Pour the bolognese sauce on the bottom of the dish.
  • Top with the macaroni and cheese and sprinkle with 100g/ ½ cup mozzarella cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden. If the cheese is not bubbly and golden at the end of baking time, broil it for 2 minutes.

Notes

  • Instead of making a quick beef bolognese sauce you can use ⅓ of Traditional Bolognese Recipe 
  • You can also cook a pound of ground beef with a store bought Spaghetti sauce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 808kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 49gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 1619mgPotassium: 840mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1107IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 635mgIron: 5mg
Keyword baked mac and cheese
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