Macaroni casserole is a dish of baked pasta. It is especially known as a staple in

northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

an home cooking. It is a dish of cooked macaroni and a mixture of

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

and milk with additional ingredients like meats, vegetables or fish. It is commonly made with

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

or breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. The dish is reminiscent of a

frittata Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche or scrambled eggs, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables. The word ''frittata'' is Italian and roughly translates to "fried". H ...

, with the main difference being that it is baked entirely in the oven. It is usually eaten with ketchup.

Variants by country

Finland

In Finland, the dish is called ''makaronilaatikko'' ( Finnish) or ''makaronilåda'' (

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

), , and is one of the most popular traditional dishes. According to a survey conducted in 2010 with 1,100 respondents, it is the second most popular everyday dish for dinner in Finland. Nowadays, the dish is most commonly made with minced meat, but is traditionally made without meat or cheese. When prepared without meat, it was often used as a replacement for potatoes in the meal and later on, it became a part of the dish that is known today. Macaroni casseroles are readily available in Finnish grocery stores as pre-packaged meals.

Sweden

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, the dish is called ''makaronipudding'' or ''makaronilåda''. The Swedish version is usually made with ham,

leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

, and cheese.

Malta

In Malta, a baked dish called ''imqarrun'' is made with macaroni, bolognese style meat sauce and egg. Other versions add chicken livers, hard boiled eggs, peas and bacon. The macaroni is usually topped with a layer of grated cheese or besciamella (béchamel) that will melt during the baking process and help to bind and set the pasta. This is not to be confused with

timpana Pastitsio ( el, παστίτσιο, ''pastítsio'') is a Greek baked pasta dish with ground meat and béchamel sauce, with variations of the dish found in other countries of the Mediterranean Sea. Name and origin Pastitsio takes its name from t ...

, which has an outer pastry casing.

North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, the dish is called ''makaroni vo tava'', and is made with macaroni, minced meat and a bolognese-style meat sauce. The macaroni casserole is topped with grated cheese or crumbled white cheese when baking. Can sometimes also include egg, like the Maltese version.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, the dish is sometimes known as makaroni schotel or makaroni schaal. This dish was introduced by the Dutch during the occupation in Indonesia. Therefore, 'Schotel' or 'schaal' (meaning 'dish'), borrowed from Dutch language, refers to the container used to make this food. The Indonesian version is usually made with cheese and meat (

smoked beef Smoked meat is the result of a method of preparing red meat, white meat In culinary terms, white meat is meat which is pale in color before and after cooking. In traditional gastronomy, ''white meat'' also includes rabbit, the flesh of milk- ...

is widely used, alternatively sausage or tuna. Potato is sometimes also used).

Sources

External links

Glossary of Finnish Dishes
{{Pasta dishes Macaroni dishes Casserole dishes Finnish cuisine Indonesian cuisine Macedonian cuisine Maltese cuisine Swedish cuisine Milk dishes