Macaroni and Cheese Muffins
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These single-portion macaroni and cheese muffins are a great healthy dinner for evenings on the go. They’re quick and easy to make.
With Little League season upon us, my family dinner schedule is turned upside down. My son needs to be on the baseball field from 5:15 until 7:30 or 8:00 two nights a week, which is a challenge for a family that usually eats dinner together around the table at 5:30.
I am determined to feed everyone real food on these crazy nights despite the scheduling challenge. On some nights, my son will need to eat in the car on the way to the field, and he’ll be hungry again for something on the way home. I have several portable meals planned, but I’d love to hear suggestions if anyone has ideas that I can add to my “in the car” meal plan.
Macaroni and Cheese Muffins
This recipe is for macaroni and cheese muffins with vegetables in the middle. It’s a meal all rolled up into one little muffin.
My husband thinks it’s a bit cruel to hide the vegetables like a prize in the middle (“Surprise! Broccoli and peas!”), but the children do enjoy them. The macaroni and cheese is adapted from the Joy of Cooking.
If you want to serve these muffins right out of the oven, I recommend lining the muffin pan with silicone muffin cups. This way, you can serve them in the silicone cups and they won’t fall apart.
Otherwise, cook these ahead of time and let them cool completely before removing them from the muffin pan. This will allow them to hold their shape. Transfer the muffins to the refrigerator or freezer, then reheat them when you’re ready to serve.
Here’s a quick video showing how I make these muffins:
Macaroni and Cheese Muffins
These single-portion macaroni and cheese muffins are a great healthy dinner for evenings on the go. ($.23 per muffin)
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Servings: 12
Calories: 201kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole grain macaroni
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or more, to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup uncooked broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup frozen peas no need to defrost
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-muffin pan or use paper liners.
- Boil the macaroni according to the package instructions.
- In a skillet, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk together over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Gradually add the milk to the butter and flour. Whisk constantly for about 5 minutes over medium heat until it begins to thicken.
- Remove the skillet from the stove and stir in most of the cheese and all the macaroni. Add salt and pepper if desired.
- Fill each muffin cup with 2 tablespoons of the macaroni and cheese mixture.
- Add a layer of broccoli or peas to each one.
- On top of the vegetables, fill in each muffin tin with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture and sprinkle paprika and the remaining cheese on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until muffins are just starting to turn brown on top.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 201kcal
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Macaroni and Cheese Muffins Price Breakdown
This recipe costs $2.81 to make, or $.23 each. Macaroni and cheese muffins are a fun lunch or dinner for kids on the go.
susy mercuri says
this sounds yummy! can i use whole wheat flour instead of the white whole wheat flour? what difference would it make?
Annemarie says
Yes, that would be fine, Suzy. Enjoy!
Michele says
Can you freeze these? How would each muffin cup hold up frozen?
Annemarie says
Michele, I haven’t actually frozen these, but I think they’d hold up well. Let me know if you try it!
Niki says
I make these for my toddler and freeze. I bake them in a silicone cup, cool completely, remove the cup and put in a flat layer in a freezer bag. Make sure they are on a flat surface in the freezer. Once they are frozen they hold up great and thaw very well in the microwave. We love these!
Annemarie says
Thanks so much for letting me know, Niki. I’m glad your toddler enjoys these. Great tip about freezing them!
Jeanne says
I had been wanting to try these for a while. They were good but a little bland, even for me, and I do not like a lot of salt. My family ate them, but I am not sure how excited they would be for a repeat. I used unsalted butter, which could be the issue and did not salt the pasta water. To make them a little more kid interesting, I may do both of the above for next time and also try to add something else to sauce to give it more zing.
Annemarie says
Thanks for the feedback, Jeanne. The type of cheese you use will definitely impact the final product, so it’s always a good idea to taste and adjust seasonings as you go.