Macaroni Gratin
マカロニグラタン
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Macaroni gratin is a yoshoku (Western-style Japanese) classic, and it is one of the dishes children look forward to most on the lunch menu. Tender chicken, sweet sautéed onion and soft macaroni are folded into a mild white sauce, then baked until the panko on top turns golden. The sauce is made right in the same pot as the chicken and onion, using skim milk powder dissolved in lukewarm water, so there is no separate béchamel to fuss over - a practical trick from the preschool kitchen that also keeps the flavor gentle enough for little ones.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 27 gchicken thigh
- 40.5 gonion
- 7.5 gmacaroni
Seasonings
- 3.8 gunsalted butter
- 4.5 gflour
- 7.5 gskim milk powderMilk with the fat and water removed. Substitute: No skim milk powder? Leave it out and use milk in place of the water it is dissolved in, in the same amount (for example, 30 g skim milk powder + 130 g water becomes 130 g milk). Milk still contains milk, so this swap is not for a milk allergy.
- 63 mlwater
- 0.2 gsalt
- 0.2 gconsommé bouillon (granules or cube)Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
- 1.5 gpanko
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- skim milk powder (スキムミルク)
- Milk with the fat and water removed. Substitute: No skim milk powder? Leave it out and use milk in place of the water it is dissolved in, in the same amount (for example, 30 g skim milk powder + 130 g water becomes 130 g milk). Milk still contains milk, so this swap is not for a milk allergy.
- consommé bouillon (granules or cube) (コンソメ)
- Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
Directions
Video is in Japanese and may show a different version of this dish (other ingredients or steps). Follow the ingredients and steps on this page, especially when cooking for allergies.
- 1
Cut the chicken into 1 cm cubes. Thinly slice the onion, then cut the slices in half so they are short. Boil the macaroni.
- 2
Melt the butter in a pot, add the onion and sauté well until soft and wilted. Add the chicken and sauté.
- 3
Turn off the heat, sprinkle in the flour and stir. Once no dry flour remains, return the pot to low heat and stir in the skim milk powder dissolved in lukewarm water.
- 4
When the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat and stir in the macaroni. Add the salt and consommé.
- 5
Pour the mixture into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle panko over the top and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 163.5 kcal | 327 kcal | 163.5 kcal |
| Protein | 8.9 g | 17.7 g | 8.9 g |
| Fat | 7.4 g | 14.7 g | 7.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.5 g | 35.1 g | 17.5 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 94.5 mg | 189 mg | 94.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 298.5 mg | 597 mg | 298.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 163.5 kcal | 8.9 g | 7.4 g | 17.5 g | 1.4 g | 0.5 g | 94.5 mg | 0.5 mg | 298.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 327 kcal | 17.7 g | 14.7 g | 35.1 g | 2.7 g | 0.9 g | 189 mg | 0.9 mg | 597 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
