In Finnish called “makaroonilaatikko”, this is a staple every day dish that everybody loves. And it comes loaded with minced meat. So I went out to test this by replacing the meat with smoke flavored vegetarian bits made by Vivera. Here is the verdict.
Style: vegetarian. Taste: 95/100. Serves 6. Inspired by the basic recipe in The Nordic Cookbook.
- 500 gr (18 oz) macaroni
- 175 gr (6 oz) Vivera Plant Bacon Pieces
- 1 zucchini
- 1 paprika
- 1 onion
- 100 gr (3.5 oz) fresh spinach
- vegetable stock
- 3 eggs
- 0.5 l (17 fl oz) milk
- 250 gr (9 oz) grated cheese
- Boil macaroni in vegetable stock, leave them a bit hard since they cook later in the oven as well
- Chop the onion and fry on low heat until soft. Chop zucchini and paprika and fry together with the bacon pieces until the vegetables are a bit soft
- Mix macaroni, onion, zucchini, paprika, bacon pieces, spinach, salt and pepper in an oven dish
- In another bowl mix the eggs and milk and pour evenly into the oven dish. The egg/milk mix doesn’t need to reach to the top of the macaroni in the dish, past half way is ok
- Cook in oven at 200 C (370 F) for 10 minutes, then spread the grated cheese on top for an even layer. Cook another 5-10 minutes and check that the egg/milk mix is not runny anymore. The layer of cheese should be golden brown and crispy by now
- If you want the kids to love this too, serve it with ketchup. Done deal
Variations: I’m going to start experimenting with more spices, maybe thyme, oregano and the like. A spicy version with some chili peppers. Actually any kind of vegetables can serve as the filling, this is a easy way to get rid of leftovers. Can’t have too much veggies.
