Oven Baked Mac and Cheese Bites
Golden, crispy on the outside and creamy inside, these oven baked mac and cheese bites are the ultimate easy party appetizer.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 12-15 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: oven cook and bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup macaroni
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 10% cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- sprig of thyme
- 1-ounce Parmesan
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
- Non-stick cooking spray.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the macaroni al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the cream and stir. Reduce the heat to low and add salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Slowly stir in the Cheddar cheese. Cook until the cheese is melted.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce. Stir to combine.
- Spray mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully fill the tins 2/3 full with the macaroni and cheese. Press firmly into the muffin tins.
- Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the bites with Parmesan cheese. Bake the muffins until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool almost completely. Carefully run a knife around the edge and remove the cheese muffins. Serve with cherry tomatoes and spring onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- A mixture of two or three cheeses can be used for a deeper flavor.
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you can add garlic powder, red pepper flakes, thyme, paprika, or a pinch of mustard.
- adding some bits of bacon or ham will also up lift these bites.
- using some full cream will add a rich flavor.
- an egg in the mixture will bind the ingredients in the muffin pan.