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Home » Uncategorized » Mac & Cheese Muffins

Mac & Cheese Muffins

October 6, 2010 · WCC Administr@tr · 13 Comments

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If there’s one dish kids know about, it’s macaroni and cheese. Even adults love this comforting dish since it’s one many of us grew up on. For my recent Pee Wee Puree Party, I knew macaroni and cheese had to be on the menu but I didn’t want to feature dishes requiring the use of utensils. With so many kids and adults coming, having finger friendly foods was the best way to go. When it came to serving up macaroni and cheese, I decided on making individual portions in my muffin pan and that’s when these Mac & Cheese Muffins came about. The best part? Not only are they a cute portion to eat, they’re packed with some nutrients and a vegetable too. Shhh… what they don’t know won’t hurt them!

My son is still a bit young to eat solids at this point, but that just gives me more time to figure out ways to sneak in vegetables in his diet later. I’ve been interested in learning more about using vegetable and fruit purees in everyday recipes that it’s been fun to sneak them in wherever I can. For the Mac & Cheese Muffins, I made a traditional mac and cheese recipe using butternut squash puree. What I like about using this puree is that it adds a little sweetness to the dish, along with a great color that blends in nicely. The kids (and adults) didn’t notice but loved the flavor nonetheless. You can also substitute the butternut squash puree with a carrot puree or even a sweet potato puree. Either of these will add a touch of sweetness and some color.

And lately, I’ve been getting a lot of use out of my muffin pan. Baking these into individual portions is great when you’re serving a crowd. If you’re a small family, you can always bake a large batch and freeze what you don’t want to eat right away since this is also a great freezer friendly meal. And when you’re hungry, just pull out as many muffins as you want.

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Mac & Cheese Muffins
recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

2 cups Small Pasta
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Flour
3/4 cups Milk
1/2 cups Butternut Squash Puree
1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/8 teaspoons Pepper
1/8  teaspoons Paprika
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs for the topping

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a muffin pan with liners; set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add pasta and cook until pasta is tender (about 7 to 10 minutes). Strain and set aside.

Melt butter over medium low heat in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisk and cook for 2 minutes. It will resemble a paste.

Slowly add milk. Whisk until combined. Next add everything thing else. Stir until combined. Add sauce to the pasta and stir.

Fill each greased/lined muffin cup with the pasta and cheese about 2/3 of the way full. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with breadcrumbs and bake in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for a few minutes before removing from the pan. Tip: the longer it sits in the muffin pan, the more it will hold its shape. These muffins can be served warm or at room temperature.

Note: If you can’t find butternut squash puree, simply cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place face down on a oven safe dish. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes at 400°. Allow to cool. Scoop the “meat” from the skin and place in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.

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Comments

  1. Eva Saguil says

    October 6, 2010 at 6:59 pm

    Thanks for posting this recipe. My grandson,who is 2 yrs.old, loves pasta. What a clever way to put in veggies in the muffins without being noticed by the consumer.I will definitely try this recipe and this will be for keeps. Can I use fideo pasta for this recipe?

    Reply
  2. What's Cookin Chicago says

    October 6, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    Thanks Eva! I wouldn't really recommend fideo pasta since it's a bit thin. Any pasta like macaroni, shells, rotini, etc would work better to maintain its shape.

    Reply
  3. Debbie says

    October 6, 2010 at 7:52 pm

    Have you tried this with cheddar cheese?

    Reply
  4. What's Cookin Chicago says

    October 6, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    Debbie – yes. You can use any cheese you'd like including cheddar… or even any mac & cheese recipe you prefer. Just bake up in the muffin cups to portion them out and feel free to omit/add the puree if you want. I will say that using only cheddar makes them a little more greasy since that cheese tends to have more oil. Monterey Jack/Colby is less oily and melts really well so I prefer that.

    Reply
  5. Unknown says

    October 6, 2010 at 8:52 pm

    Hmmm Mac and Cheese.

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth says

    October 7, 2010 at 4:03 am

    Ooh yum. I bet these have the perfect little crispy crunch!

    Reply
  7. Lisa says

    October 7, 2010 at 5:27 am

    What a great side dish.

    Reply
  8. Ildy says

    October 7, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    Hi Joelen,

    Your blog is absolutely wonderful!! I'm very glad that I've found you.

    Have a nice time,

    Ildy
    from Hungary

    Reply
  9. Karen says

    October 7, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    I can't wait to make these for my kids!

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    October 8, 2010 at 10:32 pm

    Do I have to use the purre? Is there something else I can use or just leave it out? Sounds yummy.

    Reply
  11. Unknown says

    October 24, 2010 at 2:20 pm

    Do you think that you could use the recipe for mac and cheese that you posted for this recipe without changing anything except for dishing it into muffin tins? Think it would still hold its shape?

    Diane

    Reply
  12. Mary says

    October 26, 2010 at 6:01 pm

    Yum. I made this recipe this weekend and just blogged about it and linked to your blog. Thank you!
    http://www.popsiclesandsandyfeet.blogspot.com

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    March 20, 2012 at 2:02 am

    How many muffins did your recipe yield? Thanks!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Joelen! Welcome to What's Cookin, Chicago. My goal is to share my culinary adventures in hopes to inspire you to embrace life in a delicious way.
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