Three Cheese Mini Macs

A great appetizer or side dish to any dinner/lunch. I did make ours in muffin tins instead of mini muffin tins as I wanted this as the main entree for our dinner tonight. I also cut the recipe in half for the two of us and have just a bit of leftovers for meatless Friday (LENT!!). I found this fabulous recipe from Food and Wine. The mix of cheeses and smaller portions are OMG so good. I am normally a “blue box” girl and have never really liked homemade Mac and Cheese. I know, I know crazy, but I just love the blue box. But after having this recipe, I dont think I will fall for the blue box anymore. Plus these were easy to make up ahead of time, thru step 4 and bake whenever we were ready for dinner. Nothing is better than a quick, comforting meal anytime.
Plus the mini size is perfect as an appetizer. They go great with chicken fingers, veggie trays, and fruit trays. A perfectly well rounded appetizer table!

And apparently mine fell apart once they were out of the muffin pan. Maybe the mini ones hold up better?? LOL!

ENJOY!

Ingredients: I included the entire recipe that makes 48 mini -muffin macs or 24 muffin sized portions. Here is the original recipe. Adapt as you need.
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.
Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.
In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 min­utes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

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