Trinidad Macaroni Pie – This is baked mac and cheese the Caribbean Way, with loads of flavor. Add a little spice to your life, my friend. Comfort food has never tasted so good!
You know what happens when you have kids? You start cooking meals you’ve never tried before. Sometimes, you just get tired of whipping up the boxed stuff, especially after you read the label. Sure, it’s a speedy way to make mac and cheese, but the results aren’t that appealing.
Or maybe I should rephrase that and say it’s not appealing to me. My sous chef (son) would eat the boxed stuff every day. If you ask me, I think there might be crack in those boxes; I kid you not. They get so addicted to the stuff and want nothing else.
But this homemade Trinidad macaroni pie is a whole other story for me. It may be because Trinidad and Tobago food has a definite African influence. Besides, how can you say no to a big pan of ooey, gooey, cheesy deliciousness?
Trinidad Macaroni Pie vs. Mac and Cheese
The allure of this Trinidad macaroni and cheese pie is the spice combination: hot pepper, onions, garlic, thyme, and Creole spices. It all comes together to make the ultimate comfort food, a perfect Trinidadian treat.
Plus, this recipe is not too firm or too creamy. It’s beautifully gooey when it comes out of the oven but firm enough to slice when it cools down. 😋
Recipe Ingredients
- Macaroni – I like to use macaroni for this pie because, as I mentioned, I’ve got a kid in the house. My sous chef son demands mac and cheese, not penne and cheese or some such thing. For more adult sensibilities, any pasta will do. 😜
- Dairy – Get together your butter, evaporated milk, and cheese. I use cheddar and mozzarella.
- Seasonings – Here’s where we get our island vibe. You’ll need garlic, jalapeno, diced onion, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, white pepper, and dry mustard.
- Thickeners – A tablespoon of flour and an egg give the cheese sauce a lovely thick consistency that’s a must in macaroni pie.
How to Make Trinidad Macaroni Pie
Prep Ingredients
- Prep the Pasta – Cook the macaroni per package directions. Be sure to salt the water before cooking.
- Start the Sauce – While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the garlic, thyme, jalapeno pepper, and smoked paprika for about a minute.
- Aromatics – Add the onions and continue cooking for about a minute more.
- Sauce – Next, add the flour and whisk until blended. Gradually add the milk and bring it to a boil, simmering and stirring until the mixture thickens.
- Temper Eggs – Remove about ¼ cup of the mixture. Let it cool for a few minutes before slowly whisking in the egg so it doesn’t curdle.
- Finish Sauce – Dump the tempered egg back into the pan and mix well to incorporate all ingredients. Stir in more than half of the cheese, leaving some to sprinkle on top.
Assemble
- Drain the macaroni, add it to the sauce, and stir until coated.
- Season – Add the mustard and white pepper. Taste it and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Assemble – Transfer everything to a greased 2-quart baking dish or a 13 “x9” baking dish.
- Bake – Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350℉ (180℃) for 20 -30 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Variations
- Make it extra creamy. Add an extra ½ cup of whole milk for a creamier sauce.
- Enjoy some added heat. Top your macaroni pie with extra jalapeño peppers and hot sauce if you love to bring the heat. ❤️🔥
- East Indian flavors. Add a dash of turmeric, cumin, and black pepper to create an Indian fusion for your Trinidad macaroni pie.
- Cheese swap. Feel free to use any cheeses you love for this; just make sure you include at least one cheese that is nice and melty when warm.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook the pasta. You want your pasta al dente because you’ll be baking it. Overcooked macaroni pie isn’t very tasty. So set a timer for this one, amigo. ⏲️
- Pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents that make them less melty. If there was ever a time to grate the cheese yourself, this is it!
- If your pasta is done before the sauce, drain it in a colander and toss it with just a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together or swelling. Leave it in the colander until your cheese sauce is ready so any extra liquid can drain off.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Feel free to make this Trinidad macaroni pie recipe a day or two ahead of time. Simply follow the recipe instructions up to the assembly steps, but stop before the baking part.
Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for up to two days. When ready to bake and serve it, let it warm back up to room temperature for about 30 minutes; otherwise, you may need to give it a few extra minutes in the oven.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve Trinidad macaroni pie nice and hot, while the cheese is still melty.
Refrigerate leftover macaroni pie in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Or pop the whole dish back in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
What Goes With Trinidad Macaroni Pie
For a complete Caribbean meal, serve this macaroni pie with Jamaican jerk chicken and Caribbean potato salad. Or try it with buss up shut, crab and dumplings, and stewed meats, like split pea soup, brown stew chicken, and okra stew. 😉
More Creamy Recipes for Cheesy Perfection
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Southern Cheese Straws
- Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Chili Cheese Fries
- Cheese Grits
- Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
This blog post was originally published in February 2015 and has been updated with additional tips and photos
Trinidad Macaroni Pie
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226g) macaroni, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- 1-2 tablespoon jalapenos, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon (3g) minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon (1g) thyme
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon (9g) flour
- 1 cup (240ml) evaporated milk
- 1 egg
- 4 ounces (113g) mozzarella cheese, grated
- 4 ounces (113g)
sharp cheddar cheese ,
grated - 1 teaspoon (7g) salt (I used Creole salt)
- ½ teaspoon (2g) white pepper
- ½ teaspoons (2g) dry mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni per package directions. Be sure to salt the water before cooking.
- While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the garlic, thyme, jalapeno pepper, and smoked paprika for about a minute.
- Add the onions and continue cooking for about a minute more.
- Next, add the flour and whisk until blended. Gradually add the milk and bring it to a boil, simmering and stirring until the mixture thickens.
- Remove about ¼ cup of the mixture. Let it cool for a few minutes before slowly whisking in the egg so it doesn't curdle.
- Dump the tempered egg back into the pan and mix well to incorporate all ingredients. Stir in more than half of the cheese, leaving some to sprinkle on top.
- Drain the macaroni, add it to the sauce, and stir until coated.
- Add the mustard and white pepper. Taste it and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Transfer everything to a greased 2-quart baking dish or a 13"x9" baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350℉ (180℃) for 20 -30 minutes or until heated through.
Tips & Notes:
- If you would like super creamy macaroni pie, add an extra ½ cup of whole milk. I usually double the recipe and top it with more jalapeño.
- This recipe is not too firm nor too creamy. It’s just right. Gooey enough when it comes out of the oven and firm enough to slice when it cools down.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. You want your pasta al dente because you’ll be baking it. Overcooked macaroni pie isn’t very tasty.
- Pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents that make them less melty. Please take the time to grate block cheese.
- If your pasta is done before the sauce, drain it in a colander and toss it with just a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together or swelling. Leave it in the colander until your cheese sauce is ready so any extra liquid can drain off.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nicole says
This recipe looks delicious. I have family members with an egg allergy. Can I make it with out egg? Do you recommend any substitute?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes , you sure can.
Jamie says
I made this exactly as described although I used 8oz of large elbow macaroni cause that’s all I had. It’s really awesome. The flavors really melded as leftovers and it wasn’t quite as spicy, or the thyme as pungent, but it’s really good. The first day it was super potent, I loved it! It was a bit of a thinner layer in a 9×13 pan so just 20 minutes was plenty. Will definitely keep this to make “grown up mac and cheese” again!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. Glad to hear it worked out well for you Jamie
PrincessEsther says
I’m so gonna try to work with this recipe this December! My kids are gonna love it!
Thank God I found you @immaculatebites!
ImmaculateBites says
Glad to have you here PrincessEsther. Do let me know how it works out for you!
eli says
I like your most your recipes and it is more interesting. I am trying to do it tonight and let you know the taste 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for giving it a try.
Dorothy says
This was a great recipe…absolutely delicious!!!
My husband & I loved it!!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Yay!Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Diane says
Yayy I am so happy I found this recipe its so good! Definitely saving
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Blaize says
Is the Macaroni 8 ounces or 2 cups??? because 2 cups would be 16 oz…….
Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry about the confusion.It’s 8 ounce uncooked macaroni. Thanks for pointing that out. updated.
Angel says
Hi from London UK. I had a family gathering yesterday and cooked this. It was a huge hit Thank you for such a tasty dish.
ImmaculateBites says
My Pleasure! Glad to hear it was a hit.
Ivona says
Can you prepare this the night before and bake it the following day?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you can.
Tara says
Just tried this for the first time. So delicious! I love the addition of spices without being overwhelming.
ImmaculateBites says
AWESOME!!! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!
Anna Konya says
Is the macaroni pie ok to reheat? If so, what method is best – microwave? oven?
ImmaculateBites says
It’s best served the same day.However, I have tried both methods and they both do the job.Slight preference for microwave… It’s quicker(about 2 minutes ). Microwave using plastic wrap to seal it.If reheating in the oven cover tightly with foil paper to prevent it from drying out.
ImmaculateBites says
Therese ,you bake at 350 degrees .
Therese says
What temp do we bake it at?
Therese says
This looks soooo good! Can’t wait yo try this! Hope the kids love it too
mamsy says
What quantity and type of flour did you use?I sm dying to try this recipe.it looks yummy
ImmaculateBites says
1 Tablespoon All purpose flour . Mamsy, let me know how it works for you.
Lulu says
This is not how you make Trinidad macaroni pie
Susi says
I said the same…this is not how you make any type of Caribbean macaroni pie. So for those who want authentic Barbadian (the best) or Caribbean macaroni pie, please look elsewhere. That being said, I have enjoyed other recipes by Imma so perhaps this is delicious…just not authetic.
Eugene says
Agreed Suzi i have always used the Naparima girls cookbook for my authentic Trinidad Macoroni pie recipe. I gave each of my children a copy of this book when they left for University.