Ingredients
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8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked & drained according to package directions
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1 lb lean ground beef or 1 lb ground lamb (or combo)
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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3 tablespoons sweet unsalted butter
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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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3 large eggs
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2 (8 ounce) cans unseasoned tomato sauce
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
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2 1/4 cups milk
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salt, to taste
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pepper, to taste
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ground nutmeg, to taste
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2 medium onions, chopped
Instructions
- In a nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, saute the onion over medium-high heat until translucent, 2-3 minutes or so.
- Add meat to the pan and cook over medium heat until browned all the way through; drain fat.
- Add tomato sauce, garlic,just 1 tsp of the cinnamon, and some salt to taste.
- Simmer on low heat 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
- Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour, whisking until blended.
- Remove pan from heat and whisk in the milk slowly until blended.
- Return pan to heat and let simmer over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring often,or until thick and smooth.
- Remove sauce from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, beat eggs and then add small portion of the cream sauce, whisking quickly as you do.
- Whisk in a bit more of the sauce, then add all the rest and whisk well until smooth.
- (You can to be careful not to add too much at first or you will cook the eggs.) Season sauce with some salt& pepper and a dash of nutmeg to taste, mixing well.
- Grease a 9x13" casserole with deep sides well and place hot macaroni in it.
- Top with meat sauce, then sprinkle meat sauce with remaining 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Pour cream sauce over all to cover.
- You may need to shake the pan a little to make everything settle in (not too hard- you don't want sauce flying everywhere).
- You may have a little extra cream sauce left over, depending on how deep your pan is.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for approximately 40 minutes or until custard is firm (no jiggling).
- Let cool 10 minutes before serving.