Baked Mac and Cheese Cupcakes.
No, not those kind of cupcakes.
Cute, little savory cupcake-formed stacks of mac and cheese.
Healthy ones, too – made with whole wheat bread crumbs and whole wheat pasta.
Are you sold yet?
I figured this would be a good way to sneak in some veggies. Since I obviously have to cook for myself the way a mother needs to cook for a 3-year old.
When I look for vegetable recipes, I often turn to the masters of the kitchen – Giada in this case.
I also have my share of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. No, I will never give up bacon and cheese, but I figure if anyone knows how to make vegetables taste good, it has to be vegetarians.
But I’m still stuck on the theory that vegetables taste like mud when I make them and like diamond-crusted, chocolate-stuffed bacon when someone else makes them for me. In other words, can you come over and cook some veggies for me?
Let me just say that I loved the cherry tomatoes in here. They were the best part – adding a bit of sweetness to the cheesy pasta.
Another thing I love is how versatile this dish is. Different cheeses, different pastas, different veggies (or not…) can all be substituted to personalize the cupcakes.
Baked Mac and Cheese Cupcakes
from Giada
Makes about 12 cupcakes
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 zucchini, chopped
1-2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400.
Boil pasta as the box states. Set aside in a large bowl. Chop tomatoes and zucchini, and season with salt and pepper.
Spray cupcake tins with non-stick spray, and coat with breadcrumbs, shaking any excess off.
In pasta bowl, add provolone and cheddar and combine. Add 2-3 tablespoons pasta mixture to each muffin tin. Place tomatoes and zucchini throughout pasta in each muffin top. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan and breadcrumbs.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely, then gently remove with a spoon.
These would be a great weekend treat.
And you can eat a lot of them too, because you know, weekend calories don’t count.
123 Comments on “Baked Mac and Cheese Cupcakes.”
My daughter would surely love these delicious treats.
I love this recipe. Made it right away with mushrooms, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes and everyone ate them up. A new favorite. thanks for sharing :)
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Do you use regular size cupcake pan or the mini cupcake pan?
I use regular!
These are amazing! I used trader joes shredded smoked 4 cheese mix (smoked cheddar, gouda, provolone and mozzerella) instead of only cheddar and provolone and it was great!
I used bacon instead of zucchini. They were soo good!! I brought them to work for a party, and they were the first to go. Everyone loved them! The bacon was perfect too!! I’m sure zucchini is good too, I guess, but I couldn’t find any. Thanks for sharing!!
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HAD A PROJECT TO COME UP WIHT AN APP FOR A HALLOWEEN PARTY….
THESE TURNED OUT TO BE A HUGE HIT! THANK YOU FOR SHARRING!!!
I made a makeshift version of this with what i had around the house.
I used Rotini whole wheat pasta, a plum tomato and spinach with Asiago, Mozzarella and Monetary Jack cheese.
The flavor was simply delicious, the presentation sub par.
I blame it on the rotini pasta, i suggest using one that is more solid and packing the muffin tins well with the filling before baking.
i will definitely be making these again!
:)
Great idea. I made this in mini-muffin tins as a two-bite appetizer. Used mini penne (from Barilla’s “piccolini” line), omitted the veggies due to size and added a bit of cayenne pepper to the bread crumb/parmesan topping. They were a hit. Note to self: stuff the cups next time as this does shrink in baking. Thanks for the recipe.
yummy
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These look yummy! Can they be frozen?
What temp do these cook at?