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
October 25, 2012 at 1:54 pmI’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
October 25, 2012 at 3:30 pmOK, 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
October 25, 2012 at 3:45 pmI can see myself eating waaaay too much of these!
Jessica_AKitchenAddiction says
October 25, 2012 at 4:42 pmThese are wonderful! I love how you use different cheeses!
Bee says
October 25, 2012 at 5:05 pmI love the idea of a tiny foods party! I should have one as one of my many food-centric parties :)
Caryn says
October 25, 2012 at 8:04 pmgrandkids will love these little treats!!
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
October 25, 2012 at 11:43 pmThis 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
October 26, 2012 at 1:08 amThis 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
October 28, 2012 at 1:44 pmLove this idea and I love tiny bites, too!
Jim says
December 23, 2012 at 12:39 amWhat is the oven temp for this?
Audra says
December 23, 2012 at 1:02 amHey! Sorry for the mistake- bake temp is 425! :)
Jessica bowling says
January 22, 2013 at 4:17 pmHow many mini macs will this recipe make?
Audra says
January 22, 2013 at 4:20 pmHey Jessica. The “yield” information can be found on the recipe card above. It’s right below the recipe title!
Jessica bowling says
January 22, 2013 at 4:29 pmi 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
January 22, 2013 at 4:31 pmNo worries at all!
I think overnight would totally be fine! :)
a farmer in the dell says
January 28, 2013 at 11:12 pmOh I love these! Such a lovely way to enjoy mac and cheese! I am so happy I found your blog!
Leslie says
February 19, 2013 at 1:48 pmHave you ever tried to make ahead and freeze the mac and cheese bites?
Leslie says
February 19, 2013 at 1:49 pmHave you ever tried to make the mac and cheeses bites ahead and freeze them?
Audra says
February 19, 2013 at 4:28 pmHey Leslie! No I haven’t- but if you do let me know how it turns out!
Tobe Wolfe says
April 20, 2013 at 2:21 pmI 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
April 28, 2013 at 8:55 pmI 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
September 16, 2013 at 8:47 amHey :)
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
September 16, 2013 at 10:40 amHey! 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
October 17, 2013 at 8:00 pmI’m curious if I missed the cooking temp. in the recipe. I can’t seem to locate it.
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Nadine says
March 2, 2014 at 5:42 pmVery 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
March 21, 2014 at 11:08 pmHi making mini Mac & cheese bits when chilling over night dose the Mac & cheese need to be in the muffin tins
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March 21, 2014 at 11:09 pmPlease reply
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