Mac & Cheese Bites

I wish I could tell you that I came up with these mini Mac & Cheese bites myself…I didn’t.  Most recently, I saw them on a blog that I follow, & now I’m spreading the Mac & Cheese love (with a little Laura tweak or two).  What’s not to love about Mac & Cheese, especially in the perfectly-cute bite size form?

Elbow macaroni is the classic macaroni & cheese shape.  It works great here, but don’t be afraid to experiment with different shapes for your mac & cheese recipes.  For this recipe, I have used a mini penne shape, which worked perfectly, & this time I used gobetti, a larger elbow, available in my favorite Pasta Lensi pasta brand (as well as Target’s Giada pasta line).

Because I don’t have enough mini muffin pans, the first time I made these I tried making some in the regular sized muffin pans…not so much.  They did not stay intact.  Another lesson – make sure you let these cool about 5 min before removing from the pan (otherwise they, too, will fall apart).  I also wanted to test out the ‘how to make in advance’ recommendation.  It actually worked out fine.  Complete all steps except for the last one.  Refrigerate overnight & bake as directed the next day.  I think my next guests now know what to expect as an appetizer…

Ingredients

1/2 LB short pasta
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp hickory smoked mustard, optional
3/4 cup skim milk
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk
hot sauce to taste, optional
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Spanish paprika

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain but do not rinse.
• Meanwhile, lightly grease four 12-cup mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray.  Lightly sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
• In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour & cook 2 min.  Whisk in mustard & milk & cook, whisking until boiling, about 5 min.  Slowly stir in cheese until melted.
• Remove from heat.  Whisk in egg yolk & hot sauce (if desired).  Fold in pasta.  Spoon tablespoons of the mixture into the prepared muffin pans.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining Parmesan cheese, Panko bread crumbs & paprika.  Sprinkle on top of mini macs.
• Bake mac & cheese bites on the top rack of the oven for 10 min or until bubbly.  Let cool for 5 min before gently removing with a spoon.

Enjoy!