Best Muffin Tin Mac And Cheese Cups Recipes

MAC AND CHEESE BITES

Steps:

• Grease a nonstick mini muffin pan very well with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, then cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package says. My elbow macaroni said to cook for 7 minutes, so I drained it after 5.
• After you've cooked and drained the pasta, return the empty pasta pot to the heat and turn the heat down to medium. Melt the butter and add the paprika. Add the flour and stir the mixture around for 2 minutes. While whisking, add the milk. The mixture will be very thick, but that's intentional. Just make sure you have stirred out any lumps. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheeses and drained pasta, stirring it all together until the cheese and sauce are well distributed.
• Portion your mac and cheese into the muffin cups, either with a spoon or a 3-tbsp cookie scoop. Pack the mac and cheese into the muffin cups with your fingers really well. If you don't pack the mac and cheese down, they won't hold their shape when you take them out after baking, and you don't want them to fall apart.
• Bake the mac and cheese cups for 15 minutes, until bubbling and gooey. Remove them to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes, then carefully run a plastic knife or toothpick (assuming you need to not destroy the nonstick coating on your pan) around the edges to loosen. Remove the mac and cheese cups from the pan and garnish with chopped chives or scallion greens. Enjoy!

MAKE-AHEAD MUFFIN TIN MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously butter cups of muffin pan. Set aside.
• Cook macaroni in salted boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain in colander. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
• Add butter and cream cheese to hot macaroni. Stir to melt butter and cream cheese and evenly coat macaroni.
• Add milk and egg; stir to evenly coat macaroni.
• Add dry mustard, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; stir to combine.
• Add 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese and 1-1/2 cups Fontina cheese; stir to combine.
• Spoon macaroni mixture into muffin pan. Top with reserved cheddar cheese and Fontina cheese.
• Mix Panko bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Panko bread crumb mixture on top of macaroni cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and bubbly, and macaroni is set.
• Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to continue cooling.
• May be served hot or cold, refrigerated and reheated, or frozen and reheated.
• Yield: 12 Make Ahead Muffin Tin Mac & Cheese.

EASY MAC AND CHEESE MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little bit firm. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir the remaining Cheddar cheese, milk and mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture over the tops.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. This will allow the cheese to set and they will hold their muffin shape.

HASH BROWN MAC AND CHEESE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
• Divide the hash browns between the muffin tin cups and firmly press into the base and up the sides of each to create a cup shape. Bake until golden around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk constantly until the milk thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the salt, cayenne and nutmeg. Slowly fold in the Gruyere and Cheddar and stir until the cheeses are melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the macaroni.
• Divide the macaroni among the hash brown cups. Bake until the tops of the cups are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and combine with the breadcrumbs.
• Remove the mac and cheese from the oven, top with the breadcrumbs and bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 5 more minutes. Top with chives.

MUFFIN-TIN MAC AND CHEESE CUPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Place foil muffin liner in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. Spray liners with cooking spray. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add flour, salt and pepper; cook and beat with whisk 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Slowly beat in milk. Heat just to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Stir in macaroni. Divide mixture evenly among cups.
• In medium microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 2 tablespoons butter uncovered on High 60 to 90 seconds or until melted. Stir in bread crumbs and parsley. Spoon on top of mixture in cups. Gently press.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until bread crumb mixture is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

MINI MAC & CHEESE BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain., Meanwhile, sprinkle 1/4 cup bread crumbs into 36 greased mini-muffin cups. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and seasonings until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese until melted., Remove from heat; stir in biscuit mix, eggs and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Add macaroni; toss to coat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons macaroni mixture into prepared mini-muffin cups; sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and bread crumbs., Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 5 minutes before serving.