Oma's Macaroni

Nothing goes to waste at Oma’s house. The meats used for this dish can be a combination of left over roast, sausages, silverside, steak, ham etc. or 500gram of a tasty luncheon sausage or Strasburg. Wonderful filling meal on the day but tastes even better the next day. This meal can be successfully frozen.

Ingredients

2 cups	Macaroni
2 cups	Meat, can be a combination of leftovers, sausages, silverside or steak, diced into 1cm cubes/pieces (Main)
1 jar	Tomato paste, approx 500g
1 large	Onion, finely chopped, can be cooked in microwave if preferred
2 cloves	Garlic, finely chopped, or 2 tsp mince garlic, can be cooked in microwave if preferred (optional)
½ cup	Breadcrumbs, use up to 1 cup if needed, fine dry toasted is best or use/mix with fine weat-bix crumbs - great too
1 cup	Grated cheese
1 serving	Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Optional extras

1 Tbsp	Tabasco sauce, or chilli sauce
1 can	Tomato, diced and drained, chop and freeze any soft tomatoes in readiness but they must be drained before adding to mixture.
1 serving	Cheese, crumbled or finely chopped (freeze any old cheese in readiness)
1 serving	Diced bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven 180 deg
2. To a large saucepan of boiling salted water add the macaroni elbows. Cook al dente' (firm to the bite), drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and stand aside to drain and cool.
3. Place oil in a small saucepan, heat, add onion, garlic and bacon. Stir & saute' until onion is tender and bacon cooked. Remove from heat and stand aside.
4. In a large bowl place the cooked macaroni elbows, meat, tomato paste, onion/ garlic mix, salt and pepper and optional extras if desired - mix thoroughly.
5. Transfer mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Smooth over top, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and then top with grated cheese.
6. Place in heated oven until cheese and macaroni is heated through and nicely browned .
7. Serve with a small salad of lettuce leaf cup filled with your favourite salad vegetables and dressing.