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Baked Mac and Cheese Bites

A close-up of baked mac and cheese bites

Servings

8

Total Cook Time

45MIN

Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

    • 8 oz. elbow macaroni
    • 2 tbsp. Cache Valley® salted butter
    • ¼ medium yellow onion, diced
    • ½ medium jalapeno, diced
    • 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
    • 1 ¼ cups whole milk
    • 4 oz. Cache Valley® Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (approximately 1 cup)
    • 2 oz. Cache Valley® Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (approximately ½ cup)
    • ½ tsp. kosher salt
    • ¼ tsp. black pepper

 

 

Topping

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons Cache Valley® salted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika

Steps

  • PREHEAT the oven to 400˚ and grease a mini muffin tin with butter or 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 Cache Valley® 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 shredded Cache Valley® Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheese along with the salt, and pepper. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted. Set aside to cool.
  • In a small bowl, COMBINE the panko bread crumbs with the melted Cache Valley® Salted Butter, garlic powder, and paprika for the topping. Stir until well combined.
  • MIX the beaten egg into the macaroni and cheese mixture 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. 

 

NOTES

Spice – Omit the jalapeno and replace the Cache Valley® Pepper Jack cheese with Cache Valley® Sharp Cheddar or Medium Cheddar for a less spicy mac and cheese.

Size – Use a regular-sized muffin tin instead of a mini muffin tin for larger portions.

Baked – Instead of bites, pour the finished mac and cheese into a greased 8×8 baking dish and top with the bread crumb topping. Bake as directed. 

Make Ahead – Assemble the bites up until baking time. Cover in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove to sit at room temperature while the oven is preheating. Cooking times may be a bit longer.

Storage – Leftovers can be kept for 3-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

Recipe by Amanda Scarlati with Scarlati Family Kitchen

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