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Healthy Mac and Cheese Bites

Healthy mac and cheese bites on white plate with fork

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These healthy mac and cheese bites are made with clean ingredients that you can feel good about, while eating the ultimate comfort food! Make ahead on Sunday for a family dinner, and reheat for work and school lunches throughout the week.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 oz. uncooked elbow noodles (whole wheat or legume)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose, spelt, whole wheat)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 2 cups Cabot Cheese (I used Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar), grated
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 2 slices whole wheat bread (or 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs), toasted and blitzed in a food processor until crumbs form
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: spices/herbs, diced veggies, crumbled bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.
  2. Cook the pasta. While the oven is preheating, cook elbow noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse with cool water.
  3. Make the cheese sauce. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add butter and allow to melt, then immediately add flour, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to the melted butter. Stir to combine (this is your roux). Slowly add the milk to the skillet, whisking constantly until the roux and milk are fully combined. Allow the milk to heat until just bubbling, then turn off heat and add the cheese. Stir until completely melted.
  4. Combine the mac and cheese, and add the egg. Fold the pasta into the cheese sauce and stir gently to coat. Allow the mac and cheese to cool for five minutes before adding in the egg and stirring until fully combined into the mac. Stir in optional spices/herbs, diced veggies, or crumbled bacon at this time.
  5. Assemble and bake. Fill each mini muffin tin cup until full, packing in the mac and cheese, and top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for ~10 minutes before removing bites from the muffin tin.

Notes

  • These instructions are for a simple mac and cheese, but feel free to add spices, herbs, veggies, or other add-ins. If using add-ins, add them at the end of Step 4.
  • You can also use regular-sized muffin tins as well! Because they're a bit heavier, it's more difficult to keep their shape. I recommend either whisking in an extra egg and/or using parchment paper muffin tin liners.