RECIPE: Trinidad style Macaroni Pie

Trinidadian Macaroni Pie
Macaroni Pie

As unlikely as it might sound, Macaroni Pie is a staple dish of Trinidad (where my parents are from). This is my version of the caribbean classic.

While it can be served as an indulgent main for 4-6, in Trinidad it’s more commonly cooled then chopped into squares as a party/BBQ/beach snack.

While certainly no health food, it’s calcium rich so good for growing kids and breast feeding mums (in both cases, chillies optional).

For a slightly fancier version, use a homemade Béchamel sauce. I suspect evaporated milk was considered more convenient to store at home, in a country with  a hot climate and frequent power cuts…

Always a big hit, this is the ONLY way to eat macaroni – in our house at least. ;).

INGREDIENTS:

Pie
500g Macaroni
2 eggs
250g cheddar cheese (or similar), grated.
400ml tin evaporated milk (can be doubled for extra rich version)
1 onion
150g Bacon (about 6 slices)
2-4 Chillies (2 gives little kick, but more the merrier)
Olive oil

Crust
Breadcrumbs (about 2-3 slices worth, crusts removed)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoon(s) black treacle
1 teaspoon English mustard (powder)
1 tablespoon demerara sugar

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 180c.
  2. Boil macaroni VERY al dente in salted water. Drain & cool.
  3. Fry bacon in olive oil until all fat rendered. Remove bacon, retaining fat/oil in pan. Mix in the crust ingredients with the oil in pan. Finely chop bacon.
  4. In a small blender, mince onion and chillies with a little evaporated milk to loosen up mixture. Mix in lightly beaten eggs, then salt & pepper.
  5. Combine this mixture with macaroni. Stir in bacon, the rest of the evaporated milk and most of the cheese, retaining some to sprinkle on top.
  6. Pour everything into a greased oven dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, followed by crust mixture.
  7. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
  8. Leave to cool/set for at least 15-20 minutes, but best served next day cold.

Ideal accompaniments include tomato ketchup, or usually served in Trinidad with Tabasco sauce.

Trinidad Style Macaroni Pie
Mmmmm

Haggis Pie with Neeps and Tatties top

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A thing of beauty: Haggis Pie with neeps and tatties top

This Haggis Pie with neeps and tatties top is the end result of a quest to find the perfect way to eat haggis.

While scouting around for other ways to eat it, I thought about combining the neeps and tatties element with the Haggis, into a Haggis Neeps and Tatties pie. Delia had the same idea too, so I used her recipe as an inspiration, with a bit of added Nigel Slater, and a dash of me…

Serves 3

Haggis Pie with Neeps and Tatties top

Ingredients

  • 1 x 450g Haggis
  • 400g Swede
  • 400g Floury potatoes
  • 100g Spinach
  • Knob of butter
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 30g Cheddar

Method

  1. Cook Haggis as per instructions (usually about 1hr 15 mins in oven). Slice open and allow to cool.
  2. Chop swede into chunks, and boil until tender (about 15-20 mins). Then mash with an added knob of butter (this might be best done in a small food processor). Set aside.
  3. Peel potatoes (reserve the peelings) and chop into chunks. Boil potatoes with peelings (adds loads of flavour) either loose or in a muslin – until tender (about 20 mins). Drain, discard peelings, and dry the potatoes – either by leaving in pan covered with tea towel and lid, or in an oven at low heat for about 10 mins. Mash with a potato ricer and add butter or oil. Beat with a wooden spoon till light and fluffy.
  4. Tear spinach leaves, and stir into the potato mash. Set aside.
  5. In a buttered baking dish, smoothly layer with the haggis, then swede, then potato. Top with the grated cheese, and then bake in oven at 200°c (180°c fan ovens) for about 40 mins, or until top is a lovely golden brown colour.

Allow to rest for 5-10 mins, then serve with extra veg of choice, such as steamed carrots.

Savoury Mince on Toast Recipe (New Zealand Style)

Savoury mince on toast is a New Zealand staple dish, especially at cafes, and this old fashioned savoury mince recipe delivers as good as any I tasted in NZ (at our great local cafe The Wadestown Kitchen).

It’s a great family food. Ensuring my daughter has a well-balanced diet has become something of an obsession. This dish covers pretty much everything a growing girl (or boy) needs. It’s also perfect to batch cook and freeze in portions.

We’ve been lucky (so far!) to not have a fussy eater on our hands, but one of the great things about this dish for those who do is the volume & variety of hidden veg in it. Given this, I also recommend using a food processor on chopping/grating mode if you have one.

To reduce sodium levels, use low salt versions of the beef stock, and soy & Worcestershire sauce, and unsalted butter.

This is for about 8-10 adult servings, or 16-20 kiddie ones. Adults will likely need to add salt to taste.

New Zealand Savoury Mince on Toast Recipe

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New Zealand Savoury Mince on Toast

Ingredients

  • 1kg beef mince
  • 50ml Olive Oil
  • 1 large swede
  • 1 large parsnip
  • 4 carrots
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 2 onions
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1ltr beef stock
  • 2 cup warm water
  • 50ml Worcestershire sauce
  • 50ml dark soy sauce
  • 100g tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp hot English mustard
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh parsley
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 50g butter (optional)

Method

1. Peel and dice the vegetables into large pieces (the ideal is 1 cm cubes), then peel & crush garlic and finely chop onions.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, and mince, and cook until meat is browned.

3. Add the vegetables in this order: swede, parsnip, carrots, celery. Cook until much of the moisture has evaporated.

4. Add tomato paste, stock and Worcestershire sauce & dark soy to taste.

5. Mix flour with a little water to make a paste, then add to mixture and stir through well, for a rich gravy.

6. If necessary, add some water to just cover the vegetables and mince. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced.

7. With a masher, mash the mince and veg together, to thicken the dish and release the full savoury flavour.

8. Adjust seasoning and add chopped thyme & parsley. Serve a ladle full on hot buttered Vogel’s or similar toast, topped with extra herbs. Potential additional toppings include a poached egg, parmesan shavings and watercress.
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