Kitchen

[house_cat]

I'm making chili for a small crowd tomorrow and I usually serve it with rice (optional). I saw a recipe for baked mac-n-cheese made in a cupcake pan.  I'm thinking of taking a short cut and using a prepared grocery store mac-n-cheese. 

So, my question is, do I simply put the mac-n-cheese into the greased cupcake pans an bake it or is there another ingredient I need to add to hold it together?

[Kachina624]

@house_cat   I'd find a recipe online and follow that.  I don't think it would work with the boxed stuff as its too dry and not sticky enough.  I don't like mac & cheese but when I've made it, its been very sticky and gooey.  I think that's what you'd need to hold it together and keep it from becoming hard as a rock.

[Sooner]

@house_cat I think the cupcake pan would be great. But I'd make cornbread to put in it!  

[KBEANS]

Trader Joe has individual Mac and cheese bites that can be baked or air fried.  They also have a small tray of Mac and cheese that's tasty! The Big Box stores carry the bites/ balls in a large quantity. 

You could make a shallow pan of Mac and cut it in small squares too! 

What time should I come over tomorrow? 😊

[Iwantcoffee]

I would not try this first time with guest. I would use a mac and cheese recipe created to bake in muffin pan.

These cheese straws are good with chili. I don't know if the brand is offered where you live but there are probably others in your area. Biscuit or cornbread made with cheese would be good too.

[house_cat]

@Kachina624 

@Sooner 

@KBEANS 

I was planning to use a prepared mac-n-cheese from the store, but not the boxed kind.  We like Stouffer's and there's another brand at my local store that we like but I can't recall the name right now.

My son and DIL brought me a ridiculous amount of zucchini this week, and Sooner's cornbread idea made me think of a Bisquick "impossible pie" recipe that I've made at least a hundred times and we love it.  I've decided to switch from the mac-n-cheese bites to the zucchini bites.

We're only 8 people, but I'm going to have my GD overnight and need something easy that I can prepare while I'm tripping over her in the kitchen.

Here's the "Impossible Pie" recipe if anyone is interested:

Ingredients

• 3 cups zucchini
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup biscuit mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice thin and dice the zucchini and the onion.
3. Mix together the zucchini, onion, biscuit mix, eggs, oil, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper until zucchini is evenly coated.
4. Pour mixture into a buttered pie plate or casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Serve warm and enjoy!

[LizzieInSRQ]

@house_cat fantastic choice with the zucchini pie!

[Sooner]

@house_cat BRILLIANT!  I think I'll make that too!  Or plain old zucchini pancakes (like potato pancakes but with shredded zucchini!)

Thanks for the idea!

[PA Mom-mom]

@house_cat  Re your original question, I found this recipe from icecreamandeondreams dot com. I'm sure you could make regular muffin size instead of mini bites, if you want to.

HOW TO MAKE MINI MAC AND CHEESE BITES

MAC AND CHEESE BITES INGREDIENT

1 BOX OF YOUR FAVORITE MAC & CHEESE

1/4 CUP OF MILK (FEEL FREE TO USE A DAIRY ALTERNATIVE)

1/2 CUP OF BUTTER

NONSTICK COOKING SPRAY

2 CUPS OF GRATED CHEDDAR CHEESE

1 EGG (BEATEN)

HERE’S WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS…

YOU CAN PICK ANY MAC & CHEESE TO START WITH. I USED KRAFT MAC & CHEESE BECAUSE IT’S EASY AND CHEESY! YOU CAN USE ANY TYPE THOUGH. OR, IF YOU HAVE A RECIPE TO MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH, TOTALLY GO FOR IT! JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO ADD TOO MUCH MILK.

TO MAKE THE MAC & CHEESE, BRING WATER TO A BOIL IN MEDIUM SAUCEPAN. THEN, ADD THE MACARONI AND COOK FOR 7 TO 8 MINUTES, OR UNTIL TENDER. DRAIN THE PASTA AND LET IT DRY OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES.

RETURN THE MACARONI TO THE PAN AND ADD THE CHEESE PACKET, BUTTER, MILK, EGG & 1 CUP OF CHEDDAR CHEESE. MIX IT WELL SO THAT EVERYTHING IS COMBINED.

SPRAY YOUR MINI MUFFIN TIN WITH NON-STICK COOKING SPRAY.

USING A SPOON OR A SMALL COOKIE SCOOPER, FILL THE MUFFIN TINS WITH THE MACARONI MIXTURE.

SPRINKLE EACH MAC & CHEESE BITE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF GRATED CHEESE. THIS WILL HELP IT GET EXTRA CRISPY!

BAKE AT 400 F FOR 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.

LET THE BITES COOL OFF FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE REMOVING THEM FROM THE MUFFIN TIN TO SERVE.

[house_cat]

@PA Mom-mom 

Thank you. I thought that egg might be important. I'm looking forward to making them in the future, but I'd better hold off on it today. I always make more food than any of us can eat and my kids leave with bags and containers like at a to-go restaurant.