This recipe for Mac and Cheese is so fun to make and a delicious crowd-pleaser! Perfect for snacking, entertaining, and lunch boxes.
These muffins were a staple at all my children's birthday parties and continue to be a regular at our dinner table.
Everyone loves a luscious, delicious bite, especially with a crunchy crispy breadcrumb topping.
They are also a wonderful hold-all for vegetables! Finely chopped veggies add a sublime crunch and color.
These Mac and Cheese muffins may look small, but they are certainly quite hearty! Did I mention, they are GREAT for school/office lunches too? Pack along some cucumber and carrot sticks, and a piece of fruit, and you got yourself a delightful lunchbox!
I like to serve these muffins at home with a bunch of salad greens and my simple tomato sauce .
Make Ahead
These mac and cheese muffins can be easily made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just take them out a few minutes before serving and reheat in the microwave or your oven.
You can keep them ready in the muffin tray to bake at a later time too. Do keep in mind, they need to be cooled for at least 15-20 minutes before taking them out of the pan, to avoid breaking them up...this is experience talking!
NOTES:
- Whole-wheat pasta works very well in this recipe.
- I have used olive oil and whole-wheat flour in the cheese sauce base instead of butter and all-purpose flour. You can certainly use those if you wish.
- This recipe can be made all VEGAN by using, vegan cheese and non-dairy milk if you'd like to.
- You can add any vegetable or maybe even some bacon/ roasted chicken/fish to the mac'n cheese mixture before baking.
More Delicious Snack Recipes
I hope you’ll give these wonderful, happy little mac and cheese muffins a try. I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below and share a picture of your creation on INSTAGRAM using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods.
Mac'n Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 250 gms Macaroni
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
- 4 tbsp Wholewheat flour
- 500 ml Milk (skimmed)
- 200 gms MOTHERDAIRY Cheese Spread
- 1 Red bell pepper Finely chopped
- Parsley, small handful Finely chopped
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes Add more if you prefer
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the topping:
- 3/4 cup Fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in plenty of water. Drain and keep aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the chilli flakes and wholewheat flour.
- Cook the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add in the warm milk. Keep stirring, until it comes to a boil. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes until it is thickened.
- Once its thickened, turn off the heat and add Mother Dairy Cheese Spread. Stir well.
- Add the Italian seasoning and salt & pepper to taste.
- Now combine the pasta, bell peppers and parsley well. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease the cavities well of a 12- cup standard muffin tray.
- Spoon in this creamy pasta mixture, leaving about ½” from the top.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture liberally over each cup.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the the sauce is all bubbling and the breadcrumbs are browned on top.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before taking them out carefully. You will need to loosen them from the edges with a butter knife. Enjoy!
- You can leave the tray to cool completely in the refrigerator overnight and take the muffins out as desired in the morning for the school tiffin.
For making the topping:
- Take 3/ 4 slices of any bread of your choice, break it up and put it your mixie/food processor or coffee grinder. Pulse till its ground into crumbs. Take it out in a bowl and mix in the olive oil.
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