Baked Mac and Cheese Bites

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Soul Food

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 30

Resting Time: 15

Total Time: 50

Servings: muffins

Calories: 139kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Classic mac & cheese made with cheddar and parmesan and baked into handheld portions perfect for your party menu

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Equipment

Ingredients

water
1 pound uncooked macaroni shells
2 ½ cups sharp cheddar
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons mustard
sea salt to taste
white pepper to taste
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. In a deep pot or saucepan, bring water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook just shy of al dente (about 6-7 minutes) and drain
Optional: Save about ½ cup of pasta liquid to use later.
water, 1 pound uncooked macaroni shells
Prep the Cheese: Meanwhile, use hand grater or food processor to shred the cheese. Separate ½ cup of the cheese and set aside.
2 ½ cups sharp cheddar
Make the Cheese Sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour to form a roux and cook for about one minute. Slowly whisk in milk until incorporated. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about five minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
6 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 cups milk
Stir in mustard and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in parmesan cheese and 2 cups of cheddar cheese until sauce is smooth then fold in the cooked shells.
2 teaspoons mustard, sea salt, white pepper, 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Bake the Bites: Fill prepared muffin tin with half of the cheesy macaroni mixture and sprinkle half of remaining cheese over the top of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden and bubbly.
Let muffins sit in pan for 10-15 minutes in order to cool slightly before handling. Otherwise, they will fall apart.
Repeat baking process with remaining mac & cheese mixture and shredded cheese. Should make 24 muffins in total.

Notes

Preparation

I highly recommend shredding your cheese at home instead of buying bags of pre-shredded cheese, which typically contain additives to prevent clumping. This also impacts the texture of the sauce.

Variations

Using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water to cook the pasta will result in a more savory taste. It's one of my must-dos when I have broth available.

If you want to create more of a baked breaded mac and cheese bites vibe without the deep fryer, toss bread crumbs in melted butter, then sprinkle them liberally over top before baking.

You are free to mix up the cheese varieties to suit your taste, as long as they match the total amount of cheese indicated in the recipe card below! Smoked Gouda, spicy Jack cheese, and mild white cheddar are great options.

Macaroni elbows, shells, ditalini, and cavatappi pastas are all fabulous options I keep in rotation for my mac dishes. And mixing and matching different pasta shapes and sizes is totally fine, too!

Storage

To store, remove the baked mac muffins from the pan and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to five days.

To freeze muffin tin macaroni and cheese, wrap each one in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them into an airtight, freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Keeps for up to three months.

Nutrition