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Finnish · Scandinavian

Makaronilaatikko

Non-vegetarian

Macaroni and browned beef mince baked in a savoury egg-and-milk custard until set with a golden top. A Finnish weekday staple, usually served with ketchup.

Makaronilaatikko is a Finnish bake from Finland, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with dried pasta, ground beef and milk. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Finnish macaroni casserole with a browned top being served from the pan
Photo: Tommi Nummelin / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 5 min
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
495

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the macaroni (opens in a new tab) in salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet says, then drain.

    Pasta boiling in a pot of water
    How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Brown the beef and onion (opens in a new tab) in the butter (opens in a new tab), breaking up the mince. Season with the salt and pepper.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Mix the macaroni (opens in a new tab) and mince in a buttered baking dish (opens in a new tab). Whisk the milk (opens in a new tab) and eggs (opens in a new tab) together and pour over; the liquid should just cover the pasta. Scatter with cheese, if using.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Bake until the custard has set and the top is golden.

    Food safety: The centre should be set, not liquid, when you press it.

  5. Step 5

    Rest 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with ketchup (opens in a new tab) and a cucumber or grated carrot salad.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Finland · Commonly attributedMore food from Finland
    Dish
    Dinner · Lunch · Casseroles & bakes · Main courses · Pasta
    Cooking method
    Oven-baked, Boiled, Pan-fried
    Taste
    savoury, mild, creamy
    Diet
    No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Child-friendly · Budget-friendly · Meal-prep friendly · Uses leftovers
    Cook more with
    Dried pasta · Ground beef · Milk · Onion · Butter · White pepper
    Techniques
    Baking · Pan-frying · Boiling

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom butter, milk, cheddar
    • Contains: Eggsfrom dried pasta, egg
    • Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta
    • Contains: Glutenfrom dried pasta
    • May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup
    • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    495 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 293 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 22%
    • Carbohydrate 42%
    • Fat 35%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy495 kcal169 kcal
    Protein27.2 g9.3 g
    Carbohydrate51.4 g17.5 g
    Net carbohydrate49.1 g16.8 g
    Sugars8.5 g2.9 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre2.2 g0.8 g
    Fat19.2 g6.6 g
    Saturated fat8.3 g2.8 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol156 mg53 mg
    Sodium734 mg251 mg
    Salt equivalent1.8 g0.6 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    548 mg
    Calcium
    178 mg
    Iron
    3.9 mg
    Magnesium
    60 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    115 µg
    Vitamin C
    1 mg
    Vitamin D
    2.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    2.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    253 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: cheddar, tomato ketchup.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • The pasta keeps absorbing liquid in the oven, so undercook it at the boiling stage.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 3 days; slices freeze well.

    Reheating

    • Fry slices in butter until crisp, or microwave.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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