GREEK MACARONI & HAMBURGER CASSEROLE (MAKARONIA PHOURNISTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put water, salt, olive oil and in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add macaroni, cook until well done (9-10 minutes), and drain.
• Melt butter in sauce pan, add tomato paste, stir and mix well.
• Add sugar, salt, cinnamon, oregano, orange rind, orange juice, bay leaves, and cloves, and stir well.
• Continue stirring while slowly adding warm water.
• Cover and simmer until only 2/3 of the liquid remains.
• Season beef with salt and pepper, and sauté in olive oil until meat is dry, breaking up meat while browning, so it will not be lumpy when done (8-10 minutes).
• Add onions and garlic and continue to sauté until onion is yellow (3-5 minutes).
• Pour wine over this mixture, stir well, cover tightly, and set aside.
• When only 2/3 of the liquid remains in the tomato sauce, add the ground beef mixture.
• Continue to simmer covered until sauce is thickened.
• Keep hot.
• Put layers in a baking pan in the following order: (1) macaroni (2) meat sauce (3) kephalotiri cheese.
• Keep layering until everything is used up, with the last layer being the meat/tomato sauce.
• Cover the top layer with a single layer of kaseri cheese.
• Bake until the Kasseri is melted (2-3 minutes).
• Serve hot.