As I mentioned yesterday, these bites were a favorite from my Tiny Food Party that I recently hosted. I wanted to round out my menu with a warm, savory, app that would feel satisfying next to other lighter snacks. Though the Tiny Food Party cookbook had a fried version, I knew I wanted to make something at least a little bit healthier, (but really who am I kidding?)
These are easy to throw together, and best of all- you can have them in the muffin tins ready to go until right before your guests arrive. (In fact- I highly recommend this as chilling them helps to solidify the cups so they keep their form after you remove them from the pan.)
This recipe calls for cheddar, american and parmesan cheese, and while of course you can adapt it a bit, I don’t suggest making too many changes. The parmesan sprinkled on the bottom of the cups creates a bit of a shell that makes these stay together much better. The american cheese really gives these that creamy texture we know and love. Of course you can change those two if you want, but the flavor with this combo was pretty great.
- ½ pound elbow macaroni
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
- 4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain.
- Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano into the wells. (Just to coat the insides.)
- In a large saucepan, melt the 1½ tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over medium heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk, salt, cayenne and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
- Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
- Cover with foil and chill for at least 30 minutes or until you are almost ready to serve.
- Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 10 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.
Georgia The Comfort of Cooking says
I’ve made a variation of these before and they’re fabulous! Yours look mouthwatering! I like to add little bits of veggies in them, too… just, ya know. So I feel like I’m eating healthy. ;)
The Food Hound says
OK, these look awesome. I’m not a huge pasta fan, but homemade mac n cheese is to die for. These are perfect for a party!!
Warm Vanilla Sugar says
I can see myself eating waaaay too much of these!
Jessica_AKitchenAddiction says
These are wonderful! I love how you use different cheeses!
Bee says
I love the idea of a tiny foods party! I should have one as one of my many food-centric parties :)
Caryn says
grandkids will love these little treats!!
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
This is beyond fun. I love that you get a little bit of crispy on each one! That’s always my favorite part!
Becca Looney says
This reminds me of a turkey mac and cheese recipe I tried a few years back for Thanksgiving. They look so cute, and I can’t resist the little crunchy bits of melted cheese :)
Lesley says
Love this idea and I love tiny bites, too!
Jim says
What is the oven temp for this?
Audra says
Hey! Sorry for the mistake- bake temp is 425! :)
Jessica bowling says
How many mini macs will this recipe make?
Audra says
Hey Jessica. The “yield” information can be found on the recipe card above. It’s right below the recipe title!
Jessica bowling says
i just saw that and raced back to delete my comment! sorry about that. can i make these the night before or is that too much “chilling” time?
Audra says
No worries at all!
I think overnight would totally be fine! :)
a farmer in the dell says
Oh I love these! Such a lovely way to enjoy mac and cheese! I am so happy I found your blog!
Leslie says
Have you ever tried to make ahead and freeze the mac and cheese bites?
Leslie says
Have you ever tried to make the mac and cheeses bites ahead and freeze them?
Audra says
Hey Leslie! No I haven’t- but if you do let me know how it turns out!
Tobe Wolfe says
I made two versions – I filled all the muffin cups as instructed per the recipe. I cooked six slices of crispy bacon and crumbled, topping 24 of them with the bacon and cheese – delicious!
LadyMac says
I am helping a friend out with his wedding reception (coordinating it, actually) and his daughter is a huge mac & cheese fan. So I promised I would make her mac & cheese bites. Going to test out your recipe, but wondered if Leslie (or anyone else) had tried freezing them after baking and them warming them up.
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Angelina says
Hey :)
I want to make this recipe for my birthday party next Saturday..think it’ll be so much fun to make these with my friends! How do I convert it to 12-standard-cupcake size bites? So excited…comparing your recipe with Annie’s Eats but I think I’ll go with yours cause I can’t get Boursin cheese :) hope it turns out fantastic!
Audra says
Hey! You could just make these in a regular muffin tin- press them in really well so they hold together. You may need to bake a little longer as well- just check that the cheese on top is golden and bubbly!
Lacey says
I’m curious if I missed the cooking temp. in the recipe. I can’t seem to locate it.
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Nadine says
Very tasty, and a perfect appetizer. I changed the cheeses used, because I needed a “white” appetizer to match my theme for our annual Oscar party. I’m going with Dinsey’s Frozen. I’m also making snowball cookies and blueberry Jell-O shots. :-)
Kimmie king says
Hi making mini Mac & cheese bits when chilling over night dose the Mac & cheese need to be in the muffin tins
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