Macaroni Schotel Recipe: Creamy And Cheesy Dutch Mac And Cheese

Macaroni Schotel

This dish is originally from the Netherlands. It is basically the Dutch style of macaroni and cheese. And we, the Indonesians, get some influence from the Dutch in our cuisine as they used to be a Dutch colony for a few centuries. 

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The difference between mac and cheese is that macaroni schotel uses more ingredients than mac and cheese. It is also baked until the dish becomes firmly set so that you can cut it into pieces. 

Many popular schotel recipes – both in Indonesia or outside – use corned beef and/ or sausages, but the recipe I’m sharing here uses shredded chicken meat. But you’re more than welcome to swap the chicken with corned beef or any other protein that you love.

And if you want it 100% vegetarian, you can skip the animal protein altogether, just add extra cheese to give more body and richness to the dish. Yummy. 

Also, if you need a good recipe for mac and cheese, you may want to try this air fryer mac and cheese that you can quickly make in your air fryer.

The Ingredients That You Need

You only need macaroni pasta, boneless chicken, milk, cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, eggs, ground pepper, nutmeg, salt, and a little butter.

Try to get good quality macaroni pasta in a small-size cut. Because some macaroni has a bigger size so it makes the schotel a bit too pasta-ey. 

When it comes to dairy products such as milk or cheddar cheese, you can choose whichever type you like. I personally prefer whole milk and strong cheddar cheese as they make the dish creamier and more flavorsome.

As for nutmeg, we only need a pinch of it. So don’t worry if it’s not available for you. Though it does add a distinct yummy fragrance to the dish. 

And for the pepper, ideally, you use ground white pepper as its aroma suits well with nutmeg. But if the ground black pepper is all you have, you can make a delicious macaroni schotel with it. No worries.

How To Make Macaroni Schotel

Firstly, you get your shredded chicken ready. Clean the poultry and cut it into big chunks. Cook it in hot boiling water until the meat is thoroughly cooked. You can put a half-inch of ginger root in the chicken to get rid of its smell. 

Once the chicken is cooked, drain it and shred its meat into slivers. Set aside.

Then cook your macaroni pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.

Get your dish ready by greasing it with butter and preheat the oven at gas 4/ 180℃/ 350℉.

Next, you chop the onion and mince the garlic. Fry the onion in a little butter until it turns soft and translucent. Then add in the garlic and fry further until the garlic releases an aroma. Turn the heat off and place the onion-garlic in a mixing bowl. Let it cool slightly. 

Now, add the macaroni, shredded chicken, grated cheese, milk, beaten eggs, salt, and pepper to the onion-garlic mixture. Sprinkle the nutmeg if using. Stir it until all is mixed well and pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Spread it evenly and put the dish in the oven to bake for about 45 minutes until the macaroni schotel is fully cooked. A skewer should come out clean when you test it. 

Tips To Make The Yummiest Schotel

• Get good quality pasta in a small size. Though technically you can use any type of pasta for a macaroni schotel, small macaroni pasta is the best option for this schotel. 
• The more mature the cheese, the more flavorsome your macaroni schotel will be. If you don’t have cheddar cheese, the best alternatives will be the Dutch Edam or Gouda. 
• Beat the egg well until it’s fully mixed but not foamy like the one you do for cake

Ways To Enjoy Macaroni Schotel

Macaroni schotel is quite versatile to enjoy. It can be a meal as it is with a refreshing salad like this cucumber and tomato salad. Or, you can enjoy the schotel as a side dish among the food spread. 

It also makes good afternoon savoury snacks as well. Because you can cut the dish into small pieces and make them as finger foods. I often make this baked macaroni dish for the kids’ packed lunches or for our picnics. 

How To Keep The Baked Mac And Cheese

This baked cheesy macaroni keeps well in the fridge/ refrigerator for a week. Just make sure you store it in a tight-lid food container before you put it in the fridge.

You can also freeze the schotel and keep it for about 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, just pop it in the oven for about half an hour or until it’s piping hot.

If you want to reheat your macaroni after keeping it in the fridge, you can microwave it or steam it. 

More snack recipes from the Indonesian kitchen

Thank you for reading. If you like macaroni and cheese, I hope you’ll be intrigued to try this Macaroni Schotel. Because it is equally delicious as Mac and cheese, if not more.

And before you go, don’t forget to check out my other Indonesian snack recipes that you may like. 

• Indonesian chicken wontons – pangsit Ayam.
• Gado-gado Jakarta recipe.
• Ketoprak Jakarta: beansprouts, vermicelli, and tofu salad with peanut sauce.
• Lontong sayur Betawi: hard-boiled rice with vegetable curry.
• Sate Ayam – Indonesian chicken satay.

Last but not least, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen. 

Take care and all the best.

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4.89 from 9 votes

Macaroni Schotel

Macaroni Schotel literally means macaroni dish. It's a baked-cheesy dish made of macaroni and cheese. It's a savoury that is delicious to enjoy as an afternoon snack or as a starter.

Author: Devy Dar

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Snacks & Starters

Cuisine: Dutch Indonesian

Servings: 12

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Kitchen knife
• Cooking pans
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowls.
• Casserole dish.

1x2x3x

Cook ModeKeep your screen on

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 5 ounces macaroni pasta.
• ▢ 7 ounces boneless-chicken breast.
• ▢ 2 cups milk.
• ▢ 8 ½ ounces Cheddar cheese grated.
• ▢ 1 medium onion.
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic.
• ▢ 6 Eggs beaten lightly.
• ▢ Pinch of ground nutmeg.
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground white pepper preferably, or ground black pepper.
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter and more to grease the dish.

Instructions

• Get a large oval dish ready. Grease it with butter. Set aside.
• Clean the chicken and cut in big chunks. Then put hot boiling water in a pot and add in the chicken. Boil the poultry until it’s thoroughly cooked. Drain it, and when it’s a bit cooled down, shred the meat into slivers. Set aside.
• Boil and cook the macaroni until al dente, drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven at Gas 4/ 180℃/ 350℉.
• Peel and chop the onion.
• Peel and crush the garlic until it becomes a paste.
• Heat and melt the butter on a frying pan, and put your chopped onion in and fry until the onion becomes translucent and smells fragrant.
• Add in the garlic, and fry until the garlic is nicely fragrant. 
• In a mixing bowl, put the cooked macaroni in, add the shredded chicken, onion and garlic, beaten eggs, milk, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Mix and stir the macaroni mixture until all well blended and mixed.
• Pour the mixture into the dish. Spread it nicely and evenly.
• Bake the dish in the oven for about 45 minutes or until it’s fully cooked.
• Enjoy.

Notes

• Edam cheese or gouda cheese are good alternatives for cheddar cheese. Besides, this dish originated from Dutch cuisine. 
• If you love chillies, you can have your macaroni schotel with chilli sauce. Although the dish is delicious on its own. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 311mg | Sugar: 1g

Disclaimer

Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.