Macarooneh W' Lahmeh Bil Fuhrun, Baked Meaty Macaroni

Baked Meaty Macaroni

Sitto would often make this Baked Meaty Macaroni, which she called Macarooneh W' Lahmeh Bil Fuhrun. We all thought it was a fabulous meal. And it fed a lot of us!

The thing I remember best about it was that my mother loved it because Sitto would finish it off by broiling the top until the macaroni got crunchy! She'd say, "Ma, burn it!" That always made us laugh. Of course, Sitto would not burn it, but she did make sure that Mom got her toasty and crunchy macaroni.  

As the years went by, I realized that so many of Sitto's tried-and-true Syrian meals were quite economical to make. I've mentioned before that the meat in many of these traditional Syrian meals is hardly the predominant ingredient. I do think those immigrant cooks knew how to stretch a meal for their large families. And today, with the pinch we are in, it’s smart to pull out those old frugal dishes and re-create them!

Baked Meaty Macaroni With Cheese Topping

This easy put-together meal uses just about a pound or less of ground lamb or beef. The noodles can be any you have on hand, and the tomato sauce will come together nicely from pantry items, herbs and a bit of Dibis, tamarind syrup. If you prefer not to broil the top of this meal, just serve it hot from the oven. At times, I’ve even added some shredded cheese to the top. Either way, I hope you'll tell me how you like it. Will you love it as much as my Mom did? I hope so!

This delicious recipe is on page 108 of the cookbook. Give it a try!