Simply Baked Mac (Baked Macaroni)

Baked Mac had always been our alternative to spaghetti and one of our all-time favorite snack. This post is still part of Lauren's 3rd Birthday dinner menu series. The cousins so love the "Al Nasser" baked mac that it is starting to become a staple in our family gatherings. Actually, this is just a basic recipe and no special ingredient except from the love the cook puts in in all her dishes :)

Ingredients:
2 pkts (400gms/ea) macaroni cooked as per package instructions
Meat Sauce (Recipe below)
White Sauce (Recipe below)
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup grated cheese
Method:
Preheat oven about 10-15minutes.
Use a wide and shallow pyrex bowl. Line with butter.
Pour two cups of white sauce and 1 cup meat sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
Put a layer of cooked macaroni. Distribute evenly then pour in meat sauce, also evenly distributed over the macaroni noodles.
Put in another layer of macaroni, then pour in white sauce distributed ehvenly.
Then another layer of macaroni and another layer of white sauce then a layer of meat sauce. With this the Pyrex bowl would be full. 
Sprinkle grated cheese and put into the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.
Turn off and remove from the oven. Let cool for about 5 minutes or so then serve with toast or bread sticks. Enjoy!


Meat Sauce
Ingredients:
100gms minced beef
3 tbs cooking oil 
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pkts tomato sauce
1 big bottle banana ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 small can Reno liver spread (recommended option when available)
2 tbs sugar
3 tbs cream cheese
Method:
Heat stove and put sauce pan over medium heat. Put in cooking oil, when hot add the minced beef. Cook until lightly brown.
Add garlic, cook for two minutes and add onions. Cook until onions are soft and slightly translucent, stirring constantly to avoid sticking and burning.
Add soy sauce and tomato sauce and ketchup. Stir.
Simmer for 10 minutes with constant stirring.
Add the liver spread sugar and cream cheese. Stir. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and set aside. Assemble with the rest of ingredients for baking.


White Sauce
Ingredients:
100 gms minced beef
1/2 cup diced chicken franks
1/4 cup butter
1 small packet thick cream
1/4 cup cream of mushroom powder
2 cups water
1 small can sliced mushrooms
2 tbs flour
Method:
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the minced meat. Cook until lightly browned then add the chicken franks. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic, cook for two minutes then add onions. With constant stirring, cook until onions are soft and slightly translucent. Add in the mushrooms, cook for another 2-3 minutes
Add the flour. Stir briskly to avoid flour from sticking unto the pan. 
In a bowl mix, cream of mushroom and water. When powder is fully dissolved and free of lumps, pour unto the pan. Stirring constantly to avoid forming lumps.
Simmer for another 5 minutes with constant stirring. Add more water gradually depending on desired thickness of sauce.
Pour in cream and cream cheese. Stir. After two minutes, turn off heat. 
Set aside. Assemble with the rest of ingredients for baking.