Thanks to my channel, I’m often surprised by just how many variations on a dish exist across the world. Take macaroni and cheese for example – it’s the subject of my latest series and one I thought I had a pretty solid understanding of. But these submissions have proven all the amazing ways you can make macaroni and cheese. Macarrao Misturado is a great example.

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Marina, who grew up eating it every Sunday at her grandmother’s house. She shares that while plenty of people have some version of this cheesy dish, her family’s version happens to be her favorite. In fact, for Marina it’s traditionally only served when her family is together for anything from a big event to a Sunday lunch. Due to this tradition, Marina says that it doesn’t feel right to make Macarrao Misturado for herself or one other person. However, don’t let that stand between you and a plate of this amazing recipe.

Macarrao Misturado is also known as “mixed pasta” because all of the ingredients are mixed together before baking. This is a recipe that focuses on simple, yet quality ingredients like penne pasta, tomato paste, flour, milk, butter, ham, mozzarella cheese and catupiry cheese. Catupiry is a soft, spreadable cheese that’s similar to cream cheese and adds a salty flavor and creamy consistency to dishes. Once the penne pasta is boiled, the ham is diced, and the cheese is shredded, you’ll need to make a sauce with the butter, flour, cheeses, and a dash of pepper and nutmeg. The final sauce, penne, and ham are mixed together with the remaining ingredients and loaded into a baking dish. When you have a beautiful, golden brown top, you’ll be ready to serve.

Thanks in part to the tomatoes, the flavor of this macaroni and cheese feels very different from your everyday macaroni and cheese. Macarrao Misturado is robust and hearty from the ham, but still has that creamy, saucey, cheesy goodness that you’d expect in a macaroni and cheese. Plus, the penne is the ideal pasta shape for absorbing all that incredible sauce. Macarrao Misturado is a great recipe for a Sunday family lunch or anytime you need something truly delicious.