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Baked Mac and Cheese Cups

11 Comments

Macaroni and cheese cups! These Mac and Cheese Cups are baked in the oven and almost too cute to eat! The kids will love these for every meal! 

Mac and Cheese Cups

Healthier Mac and Cheese Cups

Macaroni and cheese is a kid staple!  So let’s make them into cupcakes by baking them in muffin tins!  This will reinvent the meal for your kids and make it easy for you to have them eat it on the go or pack it as a snack in their lunch bag. They’re so cute you’ll want to serve them at your next dinner party though! These definitely aren’t just for kids.

Mac and Cheese Cups

Baked Mac and Cheese

It’s important to let these bake long enough!  When the macaroni gets baked it melts the cheese again and binds each noodle together in the form of these cute cupcakes! That’s why they also need to rest in the muffin tins when they come out of the oven.  Just let them rest for 5 minutes so they don’t lose their shape when you pop them out! If you’re planning to pack these in lunches, I would recommend using cupcake liners, but if they’re just for dinner then grease the pans and call it good!

Mac and Cheese Cups

Making Mac and Cheese Cups

My favorite kitchen tools are my food scoops! I use them for cupcakes, cookies and Mac and Cheese Cups! They help to make your baked goods all the same size and it rounds out your cookie dough balls automatically.  Yay! (I love the yellow handled for cupcakes and the black for cookies) I used crushed up Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies to top my Mac and Cheese Cups before they hit the oven.  This ingredient is optional but it gives them a fun look and a little added texture.  I also sprinkled some chives on top to give them a pop of color!

How to make Mac and Cheese Cups

I piled mine suuuuuper high!

Mac and Cheese Cups
Mac and Cheese Cups

Homemade is Best

There are a few different reasons we love cooking food at home from scratch for our families.  You might be surprised at some of the reasons!

  1. Performing an act for someone, like cooking for them, is a form of altruism.  Altruism can make you feel happy and connected to your family.
  2. Home cooking tastes better!  When you are using real ingredients, spices and flavors, it blows boxed and frozen foods out of the water!
  3. Cooking can create bonds.  Especially when you do it with your kids.  This cooking bond promotes well being, positive growth and closeness within relationships.
  4. Using fresh, quality ingredients helps boost the nutrition you are feeding your family and increases your overall health.
Mac and Cheese Cups

Can’t get enough macaroni and cheese, try our Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese!

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3.2 from 34 votes

Mac and Cheese Cups

These Mac and Cheese Cups are baked in the oven and almost too cute to eat! The kids will love these for every meal! 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 1 muffin cup
Calories: 267kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to box instructions and then rinse with cold water.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick spray!
  • In a sauce pan, add butter and flour.  Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add milk and chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add salt and cheese, stir until smooth.  Add cooked pasta and stir until coated.
  • Fill muffin tins! You can pile them high because they won’t rise when they bake.  Sprinkle on crushed cheese crackers and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let set for a few minute before removing from pan.
  • Sprinkle of chopped chives and serve warm!

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 465mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
Keyword : Mac and Cheese Cups

www.superhealthykids.com

 

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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11 Comments

Can you freeze these? What would be the best reheat option if so? Also, does this muffin cup method work with some squash added in?

Yes, you can definitely freeze these! My best suggestion for reheating would be in the oven, the microwave tends to make things soggy sometimes. As for the squash, it would depend on the size of the pieces, but yes, it should!

I made these for my kids lunches and they loved it. I didn’t have the goldfish crackers though so I put on top some nutritional yeast instead.