This recipe provides instructions for making a macaroni casserole, which is a favorite dish of many Finnish children and adults. The casserole contains macaroni, minced beef or pork, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, and cheese. To make it, the meat is browned and seasoned, macaroni is boiled, and ingredients are layered in a buttered oven dish and baked. The finished casserole is enjoyed with a salad, rye bread, and ketchup, and is often accompanied by milk.

1. Macaroni casserole
The favorite food of most Finnish
children (and many adults, too!)

2. Ingredients
Macaroni, 300g
Minced meat, beef or mixed beef
and pork, 400g
Eggs, 2
Milk, ½ liter
Salt
Pepper
Soy sauce
Cheese, 100g
Breadcrumbs

3. Preparation
Brown the meat with a little bit
of oil if necessary (if your meat is
fat, no need for oil)
Add salt to taste, about ½ tsp

4. Cook the macaronis: pour them
in boiling water, follow the
instructions on the package.

5. Add a little salt in the water.

6. Butter the inside of an oven dish.

7. Grate the cheese.

8. Season the meat with soy sauce
(we used about 1 tbs)

9. Add some pepper to taste (we
used a mixture of black, white
and red pepper). You may also
add other spices or onion, if you
like. If you add onion, sauté it
first.

10. Beat the eggs lightly and blend in
the milk. Add salt to taste (we
added ½ tsp)

11. When the macaroni is
ready, sieve…

12. …and pour in your oven dish.

13. Add the meat

14. and mix together.

15. Add the milk and egg mixture.

16. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.

17. Top with the grated cheese

18. Oven temperature

19. Baking time

20. Ready!
Don’t burn your fingers…

21. Enjoy !
This is how we serve
MAKARONILAATIKKO to our kids
(and ourselves): with a mixed
salad and rye bread, and we like
to add tomato ketchup.
Many Finns drink milk with their
meals.
How do you like it?