Macaroni Gratin
Cuisine: Japanese
Region: 日本全国
Servings: 4人分（耐熱皿1枚・約20×20cm）
Macaroni Gratin, also searched as Japanese macaroni casserole, folds short pasta and everyday fillings into béchamel, then bakes under cheese and breadcrumbs until golden—a school-lunch and weeknight staple in Japan.
At a glance
Time: about 50 min · Serves 4 · Difficulty: medium · ≈ 480 kcal per serving (estimate)
Macaroni Gratin, also searched as Japanese macaroni casserole, folds short pasta and everyday fillings into béchamel, then bakes under cheese and breadcrumbs until golden—a school-lunch and weeknight staple in Japan.
Ingredients
- Short macaroni 150 g
- Chicken thigh (or breast) 200 g
- Onion 1/2 (about 100 g)
- Broccoli florets 100 g (optional)
- Butter 40 g (30 g for the roux + 10 g to finish)
- Cake flour (or all-purpose) 30 g
- Milk 500 ml
- Bouillon cube 1 (about 5 g)
- Salt 1/2 tsp (not counting pasta water)
- Black pepper a pinch
- Nutmeg a pinch (optional)
- Melting cheese (shredded) 80–100 g
- Breadcrumbs 2–3 tbsp
- Neutral oil 1 tsp
Steps
- Lightly butter a baking dish and preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt lightly, and cook the macaroni 1 minute less than the package time. Drain and let steam off briefly.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Slice the onion thin; separate the broccoli into florets and blanch 2–3 minutes in lightly salted water, then drain well (broccoli is optional).
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet and sear the chicken over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Add the onion and sauté 2–3 minutes until soft; turn off the heat.
- In a separate heavy saucepan, melt 30 g butter, add the flour, and stir with a wooden spatula over low to medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes until the raw flour smell fades (white roux). Do not let the heat get high or the roux will scorch.
- Add the milk in 3–4 additions, whisking smooth each time. When the sauce is silky, dissolve in the bouillon cube and simmer gently 3–5 minutes until lightly thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (béchamel).
- Fold the sautéed chicken and onion, blanched broccoli, and drained macaroni into the béchamel. If it seems tight, loosen with 1–2 tbsp milk.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and level the top. Cover evenly with melting cheese, dust with breadcrumbs, and dot with the remaining 10 g butter in small pieces.
- Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven (200°C / 400°F) for 12–18 minutes until the top is deep golden. Tent loosely with foil if it browns too fast. Rest about 5 minutes before serving.
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Notes
Cook the macaroni slightly firm so it holds up as it absorbs sauce in the oven.
Adding all the milk at once to the roux often makes lumps—pour in a little at a time and stir well. Some cooks use a whisk or immersion blender.
Shredded melting cheese is standard; stirring in 1–2 tbsp grated Parmesan adds depth. If your cheese is salty, cut back the salt in the sauce.
Besides chicken, ham, bacon, or mixed seafood are common fillings. Blanch watery vegetables and drain well so the sauce does not thin out.
Leftover béchamel keeps 1–2 days in the fridge, or reuse it in other white-sauce dishes.
For a stronger top crust, switch to the broiler for the last 2–3 minutes (follow your oven’s guidance).
Time and temperature
Preheat 200°C / 400°F · Pasta: package time −1 min · Roux/sauce 8–12 min · Sauté fillings 5–7 min · Bake 12–18 min · Rest 5 min
Nutrition
480 kcal · Protein 24 g · Fat 26 g · Carbs 38 g
1/4 of the dish (estimate)
Substitutes
- Chicken thigh → ham, bacon, or mixed seafood
- Melting cheese → shredded cheese + 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
- Butter-flour roux → canned white sauce (adjust amount)
- Broccoli → well-drained spinach / omit
- Milk → unsweetened soy milk (flavor shifts; watch for splitting)
Storage
Cool, cover, and refrigerate up to about 2 days. Reheat at 160°C / 320°F for 10–15 minutes or microwave until hot in the center. Loosen a dry sauce with a splash of milk. Freezing softens the pasta—short term only.
FAQ
- Why is my béchamel lumpy?
- Usually the milk went in all at once or the heat was too high. Add milk in small doses and stir smooth over low heat each time.
- Top burned but center still cool?
- Preheat fully and bake mid-rack at 200°C; tent with foil if browning fast and add a few minutes.
- Can I assemble macaroni gratin ahead?
- Make the filled sauce and chill; add cheese and crumbs just before baking. Bring a chilled dish toward room temp and extend bake time slightly.
- What pasta works instead of macaroni?
- Other short shapes such as penne or shells work; a rice base turns it into rice gratin.
- Can I bake without cheese?
- Yes, though flavor is milder—use more breadcrumbs and butter for color, plus a little grated hard cheese if you have it.
Origin and history
Gratin is a home-style bake that binds fillings in béchamel (white sauce), then tops them with cheese and breadcrumbs before oven-browning. In Japan it spread with Western-style cooking from the Showa era onward, and macaroni gratin in particular became a school-lunch and weeknight staple. The basic form starts with a butter-and-flour roux thinned with milk, then folds in everyday ingredients such as chicken and onion. The contrast of a toasted top and creamy interior is the draw; one baking dish serves a crowd and reheats well for weekends or make-ahead dinners. This recipe is a classic 4-serving macaroni gratin.