And now for something completely different! This macaroni and cheese lasagne combines two favourite classics into one irresistible dish! Creamy, cheesy macaroni layered with rich savoury bolognese sauce and baked to golden perfection. This family-friendly pasta bake makes frequent appearances on our dinner table!
This dish came about out of necessity when I was a single mother of 3 young children. Like many parents, I was always looking for ways to feed my family nutritious and satisfying meals on a tight budget. I needed recipes that were simple to make, easy to stretch and, most importantly, something that all 3 of them would actually eat without complaint.
I hit on a winner with this mac 'n' cheese lasagne. Of course, I didn't call it macaroni and cheese lasagne back then. In those days it was plain old macaroni and mince 🙂 (we weren't very posh!).
What I love most about this macaroni and cheese lasagne is how well it balances flavour and texture. You get the smooth, cheesy richness of a classic mac and cheese, layered with the savoury depth of a slow-simmered meat sauce. As it bakes, the top turns deliciously golden and crisp, while the inside stays creamy and indulgent. Every bite is comforting, flavourful, and surprisingly light - making it just as perfect for a busy weeknight as it is for a casual get-together.
Best of all, this is one of those rare dishes that pleased everyone around the table - no picky eaters, no separate meals. It uses everyday pantry ingredients and can easily be made in bulk, which helped stretch both time and money. Years later, it's still a firm family favourite in our house, and I hope it becomes one in yours too!
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Why you'll love this dish
This is one of my favourite dishes to make, for so many reasons:
- super economical - you can easily stretch a pound, or 450 grams, of ground beef mince to feed up to 8 people.
- so easy to make - just whip up a bolognese sauce and while it's simmering, make the mac 'n' cheese. Then layer it in a casserole dish, cover it with grated cheese and pop it into the oven.
- you can hide lots of healthy vegetables in the sauce to fool your picky eaters.
- freezes like a dream - so you can make a big batch and freeze half for another meal, saving you hours in the kitchen.
- versatile - you can use the mince in so many other dishes like this cottage pie, or spaghetti bolognese or even this cheesy garlic bread pasta bake.
- tastes amazing - the creaminess of the macaroni and cheese contrasts perfectly with the flavours of the bolognese sauce.
Recipe information
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours elapsed - but most of it is hands-off time while the bolognese sauce simmers.
Yield: This serves 4 people.
Top tip: To save time, I used to cook up a huge batch of bolognese sauce at the weekend when I had time to spare, and freeze it in meal-sized portions. Then it was just a matter of defrosting a packet of bolognese in the microwave when I was ready to make this dish.
Ingredients
I've separated the ingredients into those for the bolognese sauce and those for the macaroni and cheese. I haven't listed salt in the ingredients, but feel free to season to your own taste.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities for making this macaroni and cheese lasagne on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Bolognese sauce
- Beef mince or ground beef - try to get beef mince with as little fat as possible - 5% fat content is ideal. You could use a higher fat-content mince, but they you might have to pour away any excess fat that renders as the meat is browned.
- Carrots - I like to grate the carrots so that they cook away in the sauce, leaving only their flavour behind.
- Celery and onions - these should be finely diced to match the size of beef mince.
- Garlic - crushed. I love this garlic twister - it makes such short work of crushing garlic.
- Olive oil - for frying the beef and softening the vegetables. If you don't have olive oil you can use sunflower oil instead.
- Thyme and paprika - for extra flavour. If you prefer, you could use a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs instead.
- Tomato puree - this is thick tomato concentrate, normally sold in tubes or small cans. Not to be confused with tomato ketchup.
- Tinned tomatoes - which I TOTALLY forgot to put in the photo! You will only need half a can - freeze the other half for later use.
- Worcestershire sauce - which enriches the sauce.
- Stock - if you have beef stock you can use that, otherwise dissolve one beef stock cube in boiling water.
- Red wine - this is optional - if you prefer not to cook with wine substitute with extra stock.
Macaroni and cheese
- Cheese - I like to use a mixture of grated mozzarella (for the texture) and cheddar (for the taste). You could use any cheese that can be grated.
- Butter, cornflour and milk - these form the base for the cheese sauce. Cornflour is also known as cornstarch and is used as a thickening agent. You could substitute this with flour.
- Pasta - use your favourite pasta shapes. I've chosen to use short macaroni, but you could use penne, ziti, elbow macaroni or even shell noodles.
Instructions
Start by making the bolognese sauce.
Step 1: Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and gently fry the onions, celery, grated carrots and garlic until they start to soften.
Step 2: Add the beef mince and stir-fry until the mince is crumbly and no longer pink. Make sure the mince is all separated with no lumps. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper (optional).
Step 3: Mix in the thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, canned tomatoes, red wine and stock. Stir well and bring to the boil
Step 4: Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat down to a simmer and leave for 1 to 1.5 hours until nicely thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. If the sauce hasn't thickened sufficiently, remove the lid for the last 10 minutes or so to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
Macaroni and cheese
While the sauce is simmering, you can make the macaroni and cheese.
Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook it for the time indicated on the packet. Drain the pasta through a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set it aside until needed.
Step 5: While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan, then remove it from the heat and stir in the cornflour. Make sure you get all the lumps out.
Step 6: Return to the heat and add the milk gradually, stirring all the time, until all the milk has been added and the sauce is thickened. The sauce should leave a trail when you draw a spoon through it.
Step 7: Add the cheese and stir until it melts into the sauce. Season with salt to taste (optional).
Step 8: Mix in the cooked macaroni.
Assemble and bake
Once all the components are ready, you can get your pasta bake into the oven.
Step 9: Arrange half the macaroni on the bottom of a 13 x 8-inch baking dish.
Step 10: Cover with the meat sauce.
Step 11: Top with the remaining macaroni cheese and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Step 12: Bake in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your macaroni and cheese lasagne always turns out perfectly:
- When browning the mince, push the vegetables to the side of the pan and break up the meat with a spatula as it is browning. Once the meat is nice and crumbly, you can mix it into the vegetables.
- The most important step in the bolognese sauce is to cook it long and slow. This allows the flavours to develop. I like to let the sauce simmer slowly for around 1.5 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can get away with leaving it for 1 hour, but take it from me, the longer it simmers, the better the texture and flavour will be.
- Don't overcook the pasta. The pasta will cook further in the oven, so take it off the heat and drain it once it has reached the 'al dente' stage.
- Don't make the sauce too thick. It will thicken further once you add the cheese. Before adding the cheese, the sauce should leave a trail that closes almost immediately if you draw a spoon through it.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve this mac'n'cheese lasagne hot, with a fresh green salad on the side.
If you are feeling particularly hungry, you might like to add a side of crispy garlic bread too.
Variations
I like to use beef mince for this recipe, but for extra flavour, you could use half beef and half pork mince.
If you prefer a bit of heat you could fry a finely chopped chilli with the onions, or add a dash of hot sauce to the bolognese mince.
For a crispier topping, combine fresh breadcrumbs with the grated cheese, or to sneak in an extra vegetable, top the dish with sliced tomatoes sprinkled lightly with oregano before adding the grated cheese.
Sneak a few extra vegetables into the bolognese sauce. For this recipe, I added a grated carrot, but grated sweet potato would work just as well. You could also try adding a grated zucchini (courgette).
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need for making this mac'n'cheese lasagne.
- 2 saucepans - one for cooking the pasta and the other for the cheese sauce.
- Large saute pan or saucepan for the bolognese sauce. Make sure the pan has a lid as the sauce has to simmer, covered, for at least an hour,
- 13" x 8" baking dish (or 33cm x 20cm if you prefer metric measurements). You could use a slightly larger dish, but don't go smaller - it won't all fit!
FAQ
Leftovers should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will be good for up to 3 days.
I find the easiest way is to reheat leftovers in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on full power (900-watt microwave).
However, you could also put them into an oven-safe dish, cover with foil and reheat them in the oven at 200C/400F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Technically, yes.
Practically, I probably wouldn't freeze it as the pasta would be a bit mushy after being frozen and defrosted.
If you have made too much bolognese sauce or cooked a big batch, this freezes beautifully. Simply pack it into meal-sized freezer containers and freeze for up to 4 months. This is a great standby to keep in your freezer! It makes a great spag bol for those nights when you really don't feel like cooking.
Yes, you can make both the meat sauce and the macaroni cheese in advance and store them in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Assemble the dish and cover with grated cheese when you are ready to make it.
Save for later
If you would like to make this easy macaroni pasta bake why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my pasta recipes page for other easy meal ideas. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Macaroni and cheese lasagne
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- 13" x 8" baking dish
- Wok or frying pan
- Saucepan
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Spatula
Ingredients
Bolognese sauce
- 8 ounce (225g) beef mince or ground beef 5% fat content
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1 large stalk of celery diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying the beef and vegetables
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 7 ounce (200g) canned tomatoes (½ 14oz/400g can)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) red wine
- 1 cup beef stock or use a stock cube dissolved in boiling water
- salt to taste
Macaroni and cheese
- 1½ ounce (40g) butter
- 1 tablespoon cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup / 200 grams grated cheese mozarella and cheddar mixed - for the sauce
- ¼ cup / 50 grams grated cheese mozarella and cheddar mixed - for the topping
- 8 ounce (225g) dried pasta
- salt to taste
Instructions
Bolognese sauce
- Peel the carrots and grate coarsely. Peel the onion and wash the celery and cut them into fine dice. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.1 large carrot, 1 large stalk of celery, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and gently fry the onions, celery, grated carrots and garlic until they start to soften.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the beef mince and stirfry until the mince is crumbly and no longer pink. Make sure the mince is all separated with no lumps. Season to taste with 1 teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper (optional).8 ounce (225g) beef mince or ground beef
- Mix in the thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, canned tomatoes, red wine and stock. Stir well and bring to the boil.1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried paprika, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 7 ounce (200g) canned tomatoes, ⅓ cup (80 ml) red wine, 1 cup beef stock
- Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat down to a simmer and leave for 1 to 1½ hours until nicely thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. If the sauce hasn't thickened sufficiently, remove the lid for the last 10 minutes or so to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
Macaroni and cheese
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, season with salt (optional) and cook the pasta for the time given on the packet. Drain the pasta through a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside until needed.8 ounce (225g) dried pasta, salt
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan and then remove it from the heat and stir in the cornflour. Make sure you get all the lumps out.1½ ounce (40g) butter, 1 tablespoon cornflour / cornstarch
- Return to the heat and add the milk gradually, stirring all the time, until all the milk has been added and the sauce is thickened.1 cup milk
- Add 1 cup of grated cheese and stir until it melts into the sauce.1 cup / 200 grams grated cheese
- Check for seasoning and add salt and black pepper if necessary.
- Mix in the cooked macaroni.
Assemble and bake
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Arrange half the macaroni on the bottom of a 13 x 8 inch baking dish.
- Cover with the meat sauce
- Top with the remaining macaroni cheese and sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese.¼ cup / 50 grams grated cheese
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve with slices of garlic bread and a fresh green salad.
Notes
- When browning the mince, push the vegetables to the side of the pan and break up the meat with a spatula as it is browning. Once the meat is nice and crumbly, you can mix it into the vegetables.
- The most important step in the bolognese sauce is to cook it long and slow. This allows the flavours to develop. I like to let the sauce simmer slowly for around 1.5 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can get away with leaving it for 1 hour, but take it from me, the longer it simmers, the better the texture and flavour will be.
- Don't overcook the pasta. The pasta will cook further in the oven, so take it off the heat and drain it once it has reached the 'al dente' stage.
- Don't make the sauce too thick. It will thicken further once you add the cheese. Before adding the cheese, the sauce should leave a trail that closes almost immediately if you draw a spoon through it.
- If you don't want to cook with wine, you could substitute the red wine for extra stock.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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