When my kiddos are out of school for summer break I often find myself at a stalemate for lunch ideas. after going 9 months without having to worry about lunches for the majority of the time you need a little bit of inspiration. I don’t want to feed my babies peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every single day so it’s time to get creative. This recipe for mac ‘n cheese muffins is about as creative as one can get. I love how these yummy little treats taste. And yes, they are treats because they are super easy to make and look absolutely adorable.
If you have muffin tins you can easily make these yummy little gems.
Wow, what a lifesaver these macaroni and cheese muffins have been this summer. I’ve made about 3 batches of them and managed to freeze a bunch. Now, when I need an easy lunch option for my kids I can just pull a few out of the freezer and zap them in the microwave for a few minutes. A great and quick meal idea. and guess who else likes this “kid food”? My husband! He has been taking them to work with him for lunch. I think that’s pretty awesome. These mac ‘n cheese muffins are quite versatile and portable. I hope you like this recipe
You can’t go wrong with macaroni and cheese muffins. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 cups Barilla elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons Kerrygold butter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon Morton salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups Kraft cheese, shredded, I used half cheddar and half mozzarella mixed together
1/2 cup bacon, fried and crumbled
2/3 cup 4C bread crumbs
2 teaspoons butter, melted
McCormick Paprika
Optional: sliced tomato
Instructions:
Cook macaroni until done but still a bit firm, drain and pour macaroni back in the pot. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and beaten egg until macaroni is completely coated.
Stir in cheese, milk, and bacon, reserving 1/2 cup of cheese for the topping.
Spoon into well greased muffin tins.
Mix together bread crumbs and 2 teaspoons melted butter until crumbly.
Top muffins with reserved cheese and the crumbly bread crumbs.
Sprinkle paprika over the top.
Bake in 350º oven for 25 minutes, until tops are browned.
Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool 5 minutes before removing them from the pans.
Yield: 18 regular size muffins