Mac and cheese with meatballs for the ultimate portion of comfort food
Classic macaroni and cheese is already the epitome of comfort food. Add savory, pan-fried meatballs, and you have a wonderfully filling oven-baked dish perfect for those particularly hungry days. In this version, short pasta tubes combine with a velvety cheddar sauce and flavorful meat to create a satisfying meal.
- 500g mixed minced meat
- 1 No
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 EL neutrals Öl
- 400 g chicken macaroni
- 1 teaspoon of salt for the cooking water
- 40 g Butter
- 40 g flour
- 600 ml milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 Pinch Nutmeg
- 200 g Cheddar (grated)
- 100g Gouda (grated)
- 100 ml Nudelwasser
- 50 g Cheddar (grated)
- Mix ground meat, egg, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Form into about 24 small meatballs. 500 g mixed ground meat, 1 egg, 50 g breadcrumbs, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Heat the neutral oil in a large frying pan. Fry the meatballs for 8–10 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove them from the pan. 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Cook the macaroni in salted water for one minute less than indicated on the package. Reserve 100 ml of the pasta water before draining. 400 g short macaroni, 1 tsp salt for the cooking water
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and sauté for about 1 minute. 40 g butter, 40 g flour
- Gradually pour in the milk, stirring vigorously. Let the sauce simmer gently for 4–5 minutes until thickened. 600 ml milk
- Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheddar and gouda. 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 pinch nutmeg, 200 g cheddar, 100 g gouda
- Add enough pasta water until the cheese sauce flows smoothly and creamily. 100 ml pasta water
- Preheat the oven grill to 220 degrees.
- Mix the macaroni, cheese sauce, and meatballs in a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top. 50 g cheddar
- Bake the meatball mac and cheese for 8-10 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.
Meatball Mac and Cheese: creamy cheese macaroni with juicy meatballs
It's best to form the meat mixture into bite-sized, rather small balls. This way, they'll distribute evenly in the casserole dish, and you'll have the perfect mix of pasta, sauce, and meat on every forkful. Smaller portions also cook much faster in the pan. A simple seasoning of medium-hot mustard, sweet paprika, and freshly ground black pepper is all you need to create a robust flavor. When rolling the balls, it's best to be gentle. If you press the ground meat too tightly, the balls will quickly become dry and hard when frying. A looser approach guarantees a juicy result. Searing them in the pan also creates delicious roasted flavors that will give the entire dish a wonderful depth of taste.
The heart of this casserole is undoubtedly its creamy topping. A good cheese sauce is characterized by its ability to generously coat the pasta without clinging to the spoon like a tough block. The base is a classic roux. To make it, you sauté some flour in melted butter and then slowly pour in milk. This technique thickens the liquid and ensures a velvety consistency. For the cheese, you'll want a duo of Cheddar and Gouda. The Cheddar brings an intense and slightly tangy flavor, while the Gouda has excellent melting properties and gently rounds out the robust aroma.
To ensure the sauce retains its silky texture, it's best to remove the pot from the heat before stirring in the grated cheese. The residual heat is perfectly sufficient to melt everything. If the liquid boils too vigorously, the milk protein will curdle and the fat will separate, resulting in an unappetizing, crumbly mess. If the finished sauce seems a little too thick before mixing it with the pasta, you can thin it out again by stirring in a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Cook the macaroni itself in plenty of salted water for about a minute less than the package instructions recommend. It will absorb a good amount of liquid in the oven and cook until tender under the cheese crust. This way, it retains a pleasant bite and doesn't fall apart.
Such a rich casserole calls for a fresh counterpart on the plate. A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or a light cucumber salad perfectly balances the richness of the cheese sauce. If there are any leftovers in the dish after eating, you can easily reheat them the next day. Simply add a splash of milk before heating the portion in a pan or oven. This will make the sauce beautifully creamy again, and the dish will taste almost as if it were freshly prepared.
