Mac and Cheese Bites

This recipe might seem out of context for our blog content…read on.

Alas, I am one that loves to throw a party. Serving lots of folks gathered together for food and fun is just a thing I love to do. Recipes that help me accomplish that impressively and easily are incredibly important to my recipe collection. You’re asking for trouble if you plan a party and try all new recipes so having this in your arsenal is important.

Alas, if you’ve ever had good Mac & Cheese, you understand how a good crunchy mini bite of mac & cheese could transcend you.

Several years ago my sister made her rendition of mac and cheese bites; they were incredible. The second time we made them the flavor was just as good but they stuck to the pan and fell apart? She is a great cook and often does her own thing, tweaking recipes as she goes. Nothing wrong with embellishing a recipe but it helps to remember what you did! Yes I'm calling you out sis❤️. When I decided to make them I did a fair amount of research. There are lots of recipes out there, all a bit different. I ended up using the recipe from Chef in Training with a few “tweeks” of my own based on hints from other sites. Her recipe is solid but I wanted to include (for all my future entertaining) a full proof recipe that didn’t stick and had different flavor profiles based on the crowd I was serving. I think the secret to the recipe includes cream cheese and egg and finally a little bit of the shredded cheese in the bottom of each mini muffin cup. Of course don’t forget to grease the muffin cups really well!

NOTE: Cheese. This is a personal preference and will change based on guests. If there are children you’ll want more mild cheeses. I used mild cheddar. If it’s an adult afair the addition of Gruyere sends these over the top.

• 1 pound elbow macaroni

• 4 Tablespoons butter

• 4 Tablespoons flour

• 3 cups milk

• 4 cups shredded cheese (See Note)

• 4 ounces cream cheese

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 2 eggs beaten

• Bread Crumb Topping (panko, olive oil, minced garlic)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray really well.

• Cook pasta according to packaged directions and set aside.

• In a medium size pan combine butter and flour over medium heat. Whisk until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Slowly add milk and bring to a simmer. Add 3 1/2 cups of the cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.

• In a large mixing bowl, carefully stir pasta, cheese sauce, and egg until evenly mixed and pasta is evenly coated.

• put a bit of the remaining shredded cheese in the bottom of each muffin cup

• Spoon mac and cheese into mini muffin tins, press down and top each with a small pinch of remaining cheese and sprinkle with the panko mixture

• Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

• Allow to cool 5 minutes before gently removing the bites.

Breadcrumb Topping: Mince a garlic clove and sauté it in 1 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter. Add 3/4 cups of panko and sauté just until it smells a bit toasty and the panko is fully coated.

ENJOY! Let me know what you think!