Calling all cheese lovers! These Easy Macaroni and Cheese Bites are the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Gooey, cheesy, and packed with flavor, these bite-sized treats are sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering. And the best part? They're incredibly easy to make, with just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time.
In this article, we'll provide you with two irresistible macaroni and cheese bites recipes. The first recipe is for classic mac and cheese bites, made with a creamy cheese sauce, elbow macaroni, and a crispy breadcrumb coating. The second recipe takes a unique twist on the classic, featuring a flavorful blend of three cheeses, a hint of Dijon mustard, and a crispy panko crust. Both recipes are incredibly delicious and easy to make, so you can choose the one that best suits your taste preferences.
So gather your ingredients and get ready to indulge in these delightful macaroni and cheese bites. They're the perfect finger food for parties, potlucks, or a cozy night in.
EASY MACARONI AND CHEESE BITES APPETIZER
Yum! These mac and cheese bites are cheesy, crispy, and delicious. The mix of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses makes these bites nice and cheesy. We recommend adding the Dijon mustard, it gives a slight tang to the bites. Smoky bacon is the perfect topping. By coating the tins with bread crumbs, they really do come out easy but...
Provided by sylvia bourque
Categories Cheese Appetizers
Time 20m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease mini muffin tin generously with butter or non-stick spray.
- 2. Coat insides of mini-muffin tin with bread crumbs (to help the bites hold their shape).
- 3. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook 4-5 minutes, just until softened but not cooked through. Remove from heat, drain and return to pot.
- 4. Stir in butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated.
- 5. Mix in bacon, mustard, milk, salt, and cheeses (reserving 1 cup Jack cheese).
- 6. Then spoon into muffin tin, press filling gently with fingers (to help the bites hold their shape). Top with reserved cheese.
- 7. Bake 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown.
- 8. Allow muffins to cool slightly before removing from pan. Garnish with parsley and enjoy.
MINI MAC & CHEESE BITES
Young relatives were coming for a Christmas party, so I wanted something fun for them to eat. Instead, the adults devoured my mini mac and cheese. -Kate Mainiero, Elizaville, New York
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 45m
Yield 3 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 12
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 91 calories, Fat 5g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 22mg cholesterol, Sodium 162mg sodium, Carbohydrate 8g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 4g protein.
FRIED MACARONI-AND-CHEESE BITES
Make way for little squares of heaven -- these fried morsels are sure to be voted most popular at any party. You can (and should) prepare the stovetop macaroni and cheese a few days ahead, since it will firm up in the refrigerator, for easier cutting. Then follow a two-step breading process, using panko instead of regular breadcrumbs for a crust that's crisp yet light. Don't be put off by the yield; the squares fry quickly, in three or four batches, and you can reheat replenishments over the course of the evening -- whenever the platter is wiped clean (which will be often).This recipe originally appeared in "Martha Stewart's Appetizers" (Clarkson Potter).
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Yield Makes about 10 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni until al dente according to package instructions; drain.
- In pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a nutty aroma, about 4 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk. Cook, whisking along bottom of pot, until boiling, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, and add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the mustard powder, and cheese. Stir until melted and sauce is smooth; season with salt. Add macaroni to sauce, and stir to combine.
- Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment; brush parchment lightly with oil. Spread macaroni mixture evenly in dish. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 8 hours.
- Invert set macaroni and cheese onto a cutting board and remove parchment. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife.
- Whisk eggs in a shallow dish. In a shallow dish, season panko with salt. Dip macaroni squares, a few at a time, in eggs, allowing excess to drip off into dish, then roll in panko mixture to coat completely. Transfer to a wire rack set on a baking sheet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium until shimmering. Working in batches, add coated squares in a single layer (do not crowd pan); cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined rack to drain and cool slightly. Wipe skillet clean. Repeat process with more oil and remaining squares. Serve warm.
MACARONI AND CHEESE BITES
A yummy appetizer for a party - be careful, or the kids will gobble them up first! Recipe can be doubled easily.
Provided by MarthaCooks
Categories Cheese
Time 40m
Yield 24 bites, 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain well, shaking off any excess water.
- Brush mini muffin tins (48 mini-cups total) with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan.
- In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, constantly whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Mixture will be very thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
- Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing well. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully loosen the mini macs, remove from pan to a platter, and serve.
- These can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 155.8, Fat 8.4, SaturatedFat 5, Cholesterol 45.2, Sodium 168.8, Carbohydrate 12.8, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 0.5, Protein 7.1
KIDS CAN MAKE: MAC 'N' CHEESE BITES
We miniaturized our kids' favorite meal into party-sized poppers. For big and little kids: Let them help measure the ingredients, stir them together and fill the muffin liners. You can make the snacks a day in advance, and warm them up at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories appetizer
Time 55m
Yield 36 bites
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line 2 or 3 mini-muffin pans with liners, and coat the liners generously with cooking spray.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the macaroni and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain again and shake off any excess water.
- Put the heavy cream, cream cheese, eggs, mustard, paprika and garlic in a large bowl. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer until combined (the mixture may have small lumps). Add the macaroni, Cheddar and Monterey jack, and stir until combined.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the mac 'n' cheese into the prepared muffin liners. Combine the breadcrumbs and butter with your fingers in a small bowl until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. Sprinkle the top of each mac 'n' cheese mound with the buttered breadcrumbs.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the bites are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving hot or at room temperature. Serve with hot sauce on the side, if desired.
SIMPLE MACARONI AND CHEESE
A very quick and easy fix to a tasty side-dish. Fancy, designer mac and cheese often costs forty or fifty dollars to prepare when you have so many exotic and expensive cheeses, but they aren't always the best tasting. This recipe is cheap and tasty.
Provided by g0dluvsugly
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 30m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 630.2 calories, Carbohydrate 55 g, Cholesterol 99.6 mg, Fat 33.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 26.5 g, SaturatedFat 20.9 g, Sodium 777 mg, Sugar 7.6 g
PUMPKIN MAC AND CHEESE
Our recipe for homemade mac and cheese gets a burst of fall flavor with the addition of canned pumpkin. It's ready in under an hour.
Provided by By Inspired Taste
Categories Side Dish
Time 50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package, using minimum cook time.
- Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with whisk. Remove from heat; stir in milk. Heat to simmering; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard and pumpkin. Add 1 3/4 cups of the cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.
- Add macaroni to cheese sauce and stir until coated. Pour into ungreased 3-quart casserole. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
- Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving
Tips:
- Use high-quality macaroni and cheese. This will make a big difference in the flavor of the bites.
- Be sure to cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
- If you want a crispy crust, fry the bites in hot oil until they are golden brown.
- If you prefer a softer crust, bake the bites in the oven until they are heated through.
- Serve the bites with your favorite dipping sauce, such as marinara sauce, ranch dressing, or ketchup.
Conclusion:
Macaroni and cheese bites are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer that is perfect for any occasion. They can be made ahead of time and reheated, making them a great option for busy weeknights. With a few simple ingredients, you can create a crowd-pleasing snack that everyone will love.
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