Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Bites (Edit recipe)

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Baked mac and cheese bites are a fun appetizer or side dish. These tasty bites are made with spicy mac and cheese with jalapeno and baked in the oven with crispy golden breadcrumbs!

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PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

8 oz Elbow Macaroni Pasta
2 Tbsp Salted Butter
.25 whole Yellow Onion, medium, diced
.5 whole Jalapeño, medium, diced
2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1.25 cups Whole Milk
4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 oz Pepper Jack Cheese
.5 tsp Kosher Salt
.25 tsp Black Pepper
1 whole Egg, beaten

Topping

.5 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Salted Butter, melted
.5 tsp Garlic Powder
.25 tsp Paprika

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Process

Cook Mode

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Preheat the oven to 400˚ and generously grease a mini muffin tin with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
Cook the elbow macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium-high heat for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop with the salted butter.
Once the butter is melted, add the onions and jalapeno and saute for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onions and jalapeno and cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour is absorbed.
Slowly pour in the milk, while whisking continuously until it is all combined. Continue to simmer the mixture while whisking for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and add in the Sharp Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, salt, and pepper. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, melted salted butter, garlic powder, and paprika for the topping and stir until well combined.
Mix the beaten egg into the macaroni and cheese and then evenly distribute it into the prepared mini muffin tin.
Evenly distribute the bread crumb topping over the macaroni and cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.
Let the mac and cheese bites cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Mac & Cheese - Use leftover macaroni and cheese instead and top with the bread crumb topping. Bake as directed. Larger Portions - Use a regular-sized muffin tin. Baked - Bake mac and cheese in a greased 8x8 square baking dish with the bread crumb topping until crispy and golden brown. Non-spicy - Replace the pepper jack with sharp cheddar and omit the jalapeno. Dairy-free - Use dairy-free substitutes for butter, milk, and cheese. Gluten-free - Use gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free flour substitute. Make Ahead - Make the mac and cheese mixture up to two days ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator until assembly and baking time. Bites can be fully assembled and stored covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to two days ahead of time. Take them out of the refrigerator while the oven preheats and bake as directed. Leftovers - Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, under the broiler in the oven, or in an air fryer.

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About This Recipe

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	261
Fat:	9 g
Carbohydrates:	36 g
Protein:	8 g
Cholesterol:	25 g
Sodium:	392 mg
Fiber:	2 g
Sugars:	4 g
Sugar Alcohol:	0 g
Calculated per serving.