This Macaroni Pie from Barbados is the ultimate comfort food. Barbados has made macaroni and cheese their own by adding evaporated milk, ketchup, and mustard to the dish. This baked casserole is creamy, savory, and slightly sweet, with a perfectly cheesy center.
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I have always had a love affair with macaroni and cheese. What’s not to love about noodles drenched in lots of cheese?
My preference has always been for real gooey sauce, not baked (that dries out the noodles in my opinion).
This Macaroni Pie Recipe from Barbados breaks that rule and still somehow manages to be incredibly delicious and creamy.
Despite being baked it is still so oh-so-gooey. The combination of evaporated milk, ketchup, and mustard may seem strange at first but the flavor is so, so good. It’s a touch sweet, but also tangy and savory.
If you’re looking for a slightly new twist on macaroni and cheese, this dish will not disappoint. It’s full of flavor, cream, and the perfect texture and will make an amazing main dish for dinner or an easy lunch.
Recipe Origin
Macaroni Pie is one of the most popular dishes in Barbados, often served as part of a Sunday lunch or dinner.
Bajan cuisine is inspired by the many different cultures that have come to the island since its beginning. It was colonized by the British in the 1600s, who brought slaves from Africa to help cultivate sugar cane and rum. Slaves were emancipated in the 1800s but still treated poorly for centuries.
The British brought ingredients from all over the world to the small island. Macaroni pie may have been a take on American macaroni and cheese, though others say it originated in Barbados and spread to the United States from there.
Bajan Macaroni Pie is, of course, very different from the macaroni and cheese you may be used to. This dish is made flavored with ketchup and mustard, and filled with 5 cups of cheese melted into evaporated milk! This creates a thick and uniquely flavored pasta casserole that can be cut into slices with small pockets of cheese in each bite.
Macaroni pie has become so popular in Barbados that it is more often simply called “pie.” Each family has their own variation of making the dish at home, but you can also find it in restaurants all over the island.
Why Make This Recipe
- New Spin on an Old Classic: I’ve never had a problem with blue-box mac and cheese, but this version of an old favorite is worth a try!
- Easy Recipe: There are no intimidating ingredients in this dish, just noodles and cheese in a slightly unique cheese sauce
- Taste of Barbados: You’re in for a treat if you have never had a dish from Barbados before. This classic comfort food is a great place to start!
What Do I Need To Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Elbow Macaroni: Long, tubed macaroni noodles are a traditional option. These noodles are the most hearty and can withstand being baked.
- Yellow Onion: Grated so that it will flavor the Macaroni Pie Recipe without the texture being detected.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded. Anchor brand is a popular choice in Barbados. It’s a very sharp cheddar cheese that melts beautifully. Choose any aged cheddar you like.
- Mustard: It is also popular to use ground mustard, but in this recipe I am using prepared mustard. If using ground mustard, reduce the quantity.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, ground thyme and complete seasoning with garlic powder and onion powder. You could also add some marjoram and oregano if you like!
Tools
- Large Pot
- 9×9 Baking Dish: Greased with nonstick spray!
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Cook your Pasta
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Boil and salt water, and cook the noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain the noodles.
Step Two: Prepare the Sauce
In the pot, melt butter. Then add the onion. Saute for about 5 minutes until softened.
Once the onion is softened, add the flour and mix until a paste forms.
Add the evaporated milk over medium-high heat and whisk until it comes to a boil and begins to thicken up. Your milk is ready when it can thickly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Turn off the heat, then add 4 cups of the cheddar cheese to your milk mixture and whisk until the cheese fully melts into the milk.
Then add the rest of the ingredients into the cheese mixture (ketchup, mustard, and seasonings). Mix to combine again.
Step Three: Combine and Bake
Finally, add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce, and give it a good stir so that the noodles are fully coated.
Grease a 9×9 pan and put the macaroni mixture into the dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Bake the macaroni pie recipe for about 35-40 minutes until heated all the way through and the cheese is melted on top. Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- My recipe does not call for marjoram or oregano because I chose to keep it simple, but some families do add these seasonings! If you choose to add them, I would add about a teaspoon of each.
- Bajan Seasoning is another popular spice to add when this is being made in Barbados. You can order it online or make your own. It adds a bit of spice to the dish.
- It’s a good idea to reserve a little bit of pasta water in case you need to adjust the thickness of your sauce.
- When I ordered this dish in Barbados, I noticed the Bajan version was often white, rather than orange. To get this color you could use white cheddar.
- You can use just about any kind of mustard in this dish. You can use a teaspoon of dried ground mustard, or try it with dijon. I’ve even seen some chefs use honey mustard for a little extra sweetness.
- Feel free to top your Macaroni Pie with bread crumbs. This is not a traditional topping, but it is delicious! For an extra crispy topping you can spray your bread crumbs with a little oil before baking.
Storing Leftovers
This Macaroni Pie will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months once completely cooled and sealed in an airtight container.
FAQs
Either! My preference is to have Macaroni Pie hot right out of the oven, but it is often served cold or at room temperature.
The cheese on top of your macaroni will help keep the sauce underneath from drying out during baking. If you still find that it is drier than you would like, you may want to make your sauce a bit thinner next time.
If your sauce is becoming thick too quickly, you may have accidentally added too much flour. It’s a good idea to reserve some pasta water to add to your sauce to achieve the right consistency. The pasta water will thin out the sauce, and the starch in the water will ensure that a sauce consistency is maintained.
The two dishes are very similar and are both macaroni and cheese delivered in a Caribbean style. One main difference is Trinidad Macaroni Pie includes pimento peppers.
If you are a fan of macaroni and cheese, you’ve got to try making this dish for yourself!
And if you enjoyed this macaroni pie recipe, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
Macaroni Pie From Barbados
Equipment
- Large Pot
- 9×9 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- ½ lb dry Elbow , or Tubed Macaroni
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, grated
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 12 oz evaporated milk
- 5 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, Anchor brand is a popular choice in Barbados
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp complete seasoning, with garlic, onion powder etc. Try to find a version without salt or adjust salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil and salt water, and cook ½ pound noodles according to the instructions package until they are al dente. Drain the noodles.
- In the pot, add 2 tbsp butter and allow it to melt. Then add the small grated onion. Saute for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Once the onion is softened, add 1 tbsp flour and mix until a paste forms.
- Add 12 oz evaporated milk over medium-high heat and whisk until it comes to a boil and begins to thicken up. Your milk is ready when it can thickly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Turn off the heat, then add 4 cups of the cheddar cheese and whisk until the cheese fully melts into the milk.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients into the cheese mixture (¼ cup ketchup, 1 tbsp mustard, and seasonings). Mix to combine again.
- Finally add the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and mix so that the noodles are fully coated.
- Grease a 9×9 pan and put the macaroni and cheese into the dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake the macaroni pie for about 35-40 minutes until heated all the way through and the cheese is melted on top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Elbow Macaroni: Long, tubed macaroni noodles are a traditional option. These noodles are the most hearty and can withstand being baked.
- Yellow Onion: Grated so that it will flavor the Macaroni Pie Recipe without the texture being detected.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded. Anchor brand is a popular choice in Barbados. It’s a very sharp cheddar cheese that melts beautifully. Choose any aged cheddar you like. I grate mine on the large setting on the cheese grater.
- Mustard: It is also popular to use ground mustard, but in this recipe I am using prepared mustard. If using ground mustard, reduce the quantity.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, ground thyme and complete seasoning with garlic powder and onion powder. You could also add some marjoram and oregano if you like!
- My recipe does not call for marjoram or oregano because I chose to keep it simple, but some families do add these seasonings! If you choose to add them, I would add about a teaspoon of each.
- Bajan Seasoning is another popular spice to add when this is being made in Barbados. You can order it online or make your own. It adds a bit of spice to the dish.
- It’s a good idea to reserve a little bit of pasta water in case you need to adjust the thickness of your sauce.
- When I ordered this dish in Barbados, I noticed the Bajan version was often white, rather than orange. To get this color you could use white cheddar.
- You can use just about any kind of mustard in this dish. You can use a teaspoon of dried ground mustard, or try it with Dijon. I’ve even seen some chefs use honey mustard for a little extra sweetness.
- Feel free to top your Macaroni Pie with bread crumbs. This is not a traditional topping, but it is delicious! For an extra crispy topping, you can spray your bread crumbs with a little oil before baking.
Lynn Kelly says
I’m dying to try this but nowhere does it say how long to cook in the oven. I don’t want to overcook it, so could someone help me out?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Lynn, I am so sorry about that, it seems that my recipe card got cut off! I just updated it so you should be good to go. You need to bake the macaroni pie for about 35 minutes 🙂
Matthew says
This looks like a great recipe but I’m really unclear about the quantity of cheese required. As cheese doesn’t fit easily into a cup, how much does 6 cups weigh? And is it 6 cups of cheese, which you then grate? Or six cups of grated cheese? Just don’t want to get it wrong. Thanks
The Foreign Fork says
Six cups of shredded cheese (the biggest setting on the cheese grater)!
Patricia Oliver says
I am a 76 year old Bajan. I was also a home ec. teacher. Our macaroni and cheese is savoury. You never add anything SWEET. We use dry mustard, freshly chopped onions and tomatoes. We also add beaten eggs to hold the pie together. What you posted above is NOT Barbadian. I will not tell you how it is made for you to sell the recipe as your own.
Denise says
Hi I am from Barbados, thanks for introducing our traditionally dish of Bajan Macaroni Pie. If you like spicy I normally substitute the Barbados hot sauce for the honey mustard, it gives it a bang!! and I also make a white sauce and add the cheese and the grated onion and the other ingredients.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Denise,
Hot sauce sounds like such a fun addition! Thank you for the suggestion!
Wes says
In Barbados we usually use “real” onion (grated or finely chopped) rather than onion powder.
The Foreign Fork says
Thanks so much for the tip, that’s great to know! Do you cook it before adding it to the pasta or just put it in there raw? I’d like to add a note with your adjustment 🙂
Natasha says
Hi. We just add it in. It cooks while it bakes 🙂 (chip finely)
Katie Jo says
This was a really yummy twist on traditional “macaroni”. I didn’t have honey mustard since we don’t use it much, so I subbed regular mustard and a bit of honey and it turned out great!
The Foreign Fork says
Hurray!! So glad you liked it!!! It’s good to know that regular mustard is just as delicious 🙂
Susan Padgett says
Only one thing needs to be changed. You have “sweetened condensed milk” written in the picture of ingredients, which is entirely different from evaporated milk, which you correctly have listed in the ingredients. Just need to change that to keep people from getting confused and inadvertently making a dessert with noodles and cheese😉
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Susan! Whoops! I think this was a tired-Alexandria-at-2am-mistake haha. Thanks so much for pointing it out. I will update the photo 🙂
Nicole Luchetta says
Hi Alexandria! I am doing a cooking around the world project, alphabetically, just like you. I came to this passion project on my own and in my research never imagined how many other people I would find on the same journey. This week is Barbados and since we are in Quarantine, Flying fish and other similar things just doesn’t seems that easy find. I stumbled upon your recipe–and then entire blog– and this seems like the perfect meal with accessible ingredients during this quarantine time. I am SO excited to meet a fellow different-country-a-week chef and can’t wait to let you know how my Barbados Cuisine night goes tonight.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Nicole! It is so great to (virtually) meet you! I feel the same… I came up with the idea on my own but had no idea how many other people would be interested in doing the same thing as myself! This is one of the most popular recipes on my site, so I hope you love it! Keep me up to date on how your adventures are going. I will check out your blog right now:)
Nicole says
Great to e-meet you as well! Cant wait to peruse your site for other awesome dishes. Im suuuuper behind on my blog posts so bear with me while I update it. I assume Ill have a lot of time in the coming weeks! haha. Thanks for checking it out and excited i found your site!
Nicole Luchetta says
Made this a few weeks ago and forgot to review immediately! What a fab dish. Really easy to find the ingredients and easy to make in a world wide food shortage and the best comfort food when you need a (food) hug during quarantine. Loved this and big hit with the boyfriend. Who wouldn’t like Mac n cheese?!
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Nicole!! This comment made me SO happy to read! Sometimes during this crazy time all we need is a nice food hug haha. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Olivia says
Can we substitute GF noodles and leave off the breadcrumbs? Looks delicious!
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Olivia!
I’ve never tested this recipe with gluten free noodles, but I can’t imagine it would change the recipe that much because the noodles are cooked separately. You can omit the breadcrumbs if you’d like, or use gluten free breadcrumbs if you can find them! If you do make the recipe with gluten free noodles, please let me know how it goes!
Katie Jo says
Hey Olivia – I haven’t used them in this recipe specifically, but I used the Aldi GF fusilli noodles in Alexandria’s Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe and they worked great!
Marilyn Machin says
My Instant pot gluten-free elbow noodles mac & cheese.
I love your recipe! I take 1 lb. of gf elbow noodles & check the box for the suggested cooking time for wheat noodles. If it’s 9 minutes for the wheat, you would divide the time in half (4.5 bumped up to 5 minutes.) Cook in just enough water to cover the noodles. When the 5 minutes is up, do a quick release & start adding the other ingredients to the elbows. A splash of soy sauce really makes this lovely! If you have any questions, I’m at tonkmom@gmail.com. Happy eating! BTW since 1 lb of elbows doesn’t make a large portion, I use my IP 3-quart cooker!
Francesco Gatti says
I really love macaroni a lot. The ingredients and recipe to make this dish are very much helpful. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
My pleasure Francesco! I’m so glad you enjoyed reading it 🙂