When I started this project nearly a year and a half ago, I did a lot of preliminary exploring of the cuisines of certain regions of the world and when I hit the warmer temperatures mid-year, I thought it would be a good time to explore cuisine of the Caribbean. One trend that surprised me was the regular appearance of “macaroni pie” throughout my recipe searches. It seemed kind of odd to me that macaroni and cheese would have such a place in tropical climates, but having talked to friends who have spent a significant amount of time there (shockingly, I’ve never been!) this is definitely the case.

So I decided to make macaroni pie to represent the countries of Antigua and Barbuda. I followed the recipe to a tee, even finding the New Zealand sharp cheddar it called for at my local Trader Joe’s. After baking it’s important to let it set for a little to solidify. It’s well worth the wait. Definitely different than a traditional mac and cheese, this brought the heat and a fair amount of vegetables that made me feel the slightest bit less guilty about enjoying this throughout the week.

The recipe I used can be found here: https://www.thekitchn.com/macaroni-pie-recipe-23242171

Overall Level of Effort: 2

Skill Level: Beginner

Would Make It Again? Yes

Additional Notes: Somehow this didn’t seem as heavy as other mac and cheese I’ve had, but it’s definitely fit for a crowd. This is perfect for a party spread for people who enjoy spicy comfort foods.