Meatball Macaroni and Cheese
Baked meatball macaroni and cheese is a delicious and economical meal for a hungry family!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- large skillet, casserole, or 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
meatballs
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage meat
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp each, coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper
macaroni and cheese
- 3/4 lb elbow noodles
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 lb shredded cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch nutmeg
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until 2 minutes shy of the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Don't rinse your pasta, or add oil to it.
- Meanwhile mix together the meatball ingredients until well combined, but don't over work the meat. I like to do this in my stand mixer.
- Form small 1" meatballs and place on an oiled baking sheet. Depending on size, you should get around 30. Set your oven rack on the second from top level and broil the meatballs for about 5-6 minutes, until browned and done through. Give the pan a shake a couple of times so they brown on all sides. Watch carefully because they will cook fast. Their internal temperature should be 160F. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325F
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for a minute or so. Don't let it brown.
- Slowly add the milk, while whisking to blend well. I switch to a silicone spoon at this point so I can scrape down all areas of the pan. Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens slightly. Don't let it boil.
- Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the shredded cheese. Stir to encourage all the cheese to melt. You can put it back on the warm burner if you have trouble getting it all to melt. Season with salt, if necessary, pepper, and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
- Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well. Turn into your skillet or baking dish. Nestle the meatballs into the mac and cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until bubbling throughout. You can run it under the broiler briefly if you want more browning, but watch very carefully so it doesn't burn.
Nutrition
Calories: 627 kcal · Carbohydrates: 43 g · Protein: 34 g · Fat: 35 g · Saturated Fat: 17 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 150 mg · Sodium: 799 mg · Potassium: 434 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 729 IU · Vitamin C: 0.2 mg · Calcium: 494 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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