Baked Macaroni Pie Baskets

Recently, I came across this post by a virtual blogger friend on how a pie made with overcooked macaroni accidentally turned out so delicious that everyone could not stop eating it. She was flooded with recipe requests and even found a good response in the community Bake Sale. Such is life! Always expect the unexpected. It has happened to me many times and thankfully always for the good. So while I went through her recipe, I decided to give it a few twists and ended up with a marvellously delicious snack, which I hardly got to eat! My 2 year old loved it so much she finished off all four baskets that I had made as an experiment! This in spite of  adding red chilli flakes and pepper powder to suit my taste. When such unexpected things happen, it only leaves you with a smile.

Ingredients

1 cup elbow macaroni

1 medium potato boiled and mashed

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp grated cheese plus for garnishing

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp pepper powder

Salt to taste

8 spring roll sheets (store bought)

Directions

Boil the macaroni as per packet instructions. Drain the water and keep aside.

In a bowl, beat the egg and add the dry spices and salt. Beat again. Now add the finely mashed boiled potatoes and mix well. Add the grated cheese and stir. However, do not over mix as the cheese will lose its texture. Lastly, add the cooked macaroni and mix everything well.

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius. Take the pastry sheets, two at a time, and make a basket out of it. Place it in a muffin tray (I did not grease it as mine is non stick; you can take your own call). Take spoonfuls of the macaroni mixture and fill up the basket to the brim. Repeat for the rest of the mixture. Garnish with some grated cheese and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes initially. Then take out the baskets from the muffin holes and bake for another 10 minutes for browning on the sides. At his point you can also brush some butter on the sides. I skipped it to make a low calorie version. Serve it hot from the oven and enjoy this guilt-free delightful snack.