BAKED MACARONI Filipino-Style
Tita Becky •
Oct 14, 2025
Filipino-style baked macaroni is a comfort food dish combining classic pasta with a rich and creamy Filipino twist. It typically consists of elbow macaroni mixed in a savory and slightly sweet tomato meat sauce with cheese sauce on top and baked. Often served during the holidays or special occasions.
My recipe is made with a mixture of tomato sauce, tomato paste, ground meat such as pork or beef (you can also use ground turkey or chicken) banana ketchup, dried leaves, red hot dogs, and canned mushrooms (optional), topped with a cheese sauce that consists of a blend of mozzarella, quick-melt cheese, milk and heavy cream. It is a delicious, satisfying, and nostalgic treat that will surely become a family favorite.
Ingredients (20)
Ingredients (20)
CHEESE SAUCE
Instructions
Preheat a soup pot or wok. Add cooking oil (1 Tbsp).
Add ground meat (1 lb), break it up with a wooden spatula, and cook until brown
Add garlic (4 cloves) and onion (½ small) and saute’
Season with salt (½ tsp), black pepper (½ tsp), and fish sauce (1 Tbsp). Saute’.
Add tomato paste (2 Tbsp) and liver spread and saute until they dissolve.
Add spaghetti sauce (24 oz), red hotdogs (4–5 pieces), dried bay leaves (2 leaves) and fish sauce (1 Tbsp). Saute.
Bring to a boil, cover then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning.
While waiting, cook elbow macaroni (1 lb) according to package instructions.
Taste if it needs more salt, black pepper, and fish sauce.
Add cooked elbow macaroni and toss the sauce until well coated.
Transfer to a large baking dish and spread into an even layer.
For the cheese sauce, combine milk (1 ½ cups), heavy cream (1 cup), ground nutmeg (¾ tsp), mozzarella cheese (1 cup), and quick-melt processed cheese (1 cup) in a medium-sized saucepan.
Stir over low heat until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
Pour cheese sauce on top, spreading across to cover the pasta.
Bake in a 375°F oven for 15 minutes.
Transfer to a broiler on low heat and let the top brown or get toasted
Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Notes
- Canned mushrooms are optional but highly recommended. You can also use fresh button mushrooms.
- Liver spread is my “secret” ingredient that gives the sauce more depth of flavor.
- Remove the dried bay leaves before serving. It’s used for flavor and inedible.
- The banana ketchup gives a hint of sweetness so I don’t add any more sugar or condensed milk like other recipes, but feel free to do so.
- I used ground turkey, but feel free to use beef, chicken, or pork.
- I used storebought spaghetti sauce in the jar but you can also use tomato sauce in a can.
