Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites are the ultimate party snack. These miniature morsels are the perfect combination of comfort and party-friendly finger food. Baked to perfection in a mini muffin pan, each bite delivers a crispy exterior that gives way to a creamy, cheesy center that will have everyone coming back for more.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Once the macaroni is cooked, combine the ingredients, add to your mini muffin pan, and bake to perfection.
- Make-ahead Friendly: These mac & cheese bites can be prepared in advance and reheated. They’re even better reheated!
- Crowd-Pleasing: Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? These morsels are perfect for parties, game days, or as an after-school snack.
- Customizable: Easily adapt this recipe with different cheese blends or add-ins like crispy bacon.
Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need
- Macaroni: They wouldn’t be macaroni bites without macaroni, right? I opted for the traditional elbow macaroni, cooked al dente in salted boiling water.
- The Three Cheeses To elevate the creaminess and taste, I used three kinds of cheese: Cream cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese.
- The Bindings: To help hold everything together, I included unsalted butter, milk, and an egg.
- The Seasonings: The seasonings were simple – dry mustard, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Added Crunch: I used Panko bread crumbs combined with olive oil for an added crunch.
Here’s How to Make Ultimate Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites
- I started by cooking the dry elbow macaroni in boiling salted water in a large saucepan until it was al dente or seven minutes. Then, I drained the macaroni in a wire mesh strainer but didn’t rinse it.
- I returned the hot, drained macaroni to the same saucepan. Then, I added the cream cheese and butter and stirred the mixture until the cream cheese and butter had melted and coated the macaroni.
- Next, I added milk, a lightly beaten egg, dry mustard, salt, and pepper to the saucepan. I stirred everything together until well combined.
- Finally, I added the cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese to the macaroni mixture. I stirred everything together until well combined.
- At this point, I added Panko bread crumbs and olive oil to a small bowl and stirred the mixture until combined.
- I added about ½ teaspoon of the Panko mixture to the cups of my mini-muffin pan that I had sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, I added the macaroni mixture to each mini muffin pan cup.
- I finished the mac and cheese bites off with a sprinkling of additional cheddar cheese and Panko bread crumbs.
- I baked the mac and cheese bites in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes until the cheese was melted and the tops were golden brown.
- I removed the Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
These Ultimate Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese Bites are amazing!
Whether you’re hosting a party, looking for a new family favorite, or simply craving a cheesy indulgence, these bites are a whole new way to experience the ultimate macaroni and cheese in an irresistible bite-size package. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The recipe should make 12 in a regular-size muffin pan. However, adjust the baking time accordingly for larger bites.
Feel free to experiment with one or more melty cheeses of your choice. For example, you can use cheddar cheese alone, substitute gruyère for the Monterey Jack cheese, or use Colby Jack or Pepper Jack cheese.
One of the beauties of this recipe is that it works well if the mac and cheese bites are made in advance. Allow the bites to come to room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to crisp them up. Alternatively, these bites can be frozen for up to three months.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- For the best melting and flavor, I prefer to shred my cheese rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
- Letting the bites cool slightly before removing them from the pan is important to maintain their shape. Before removing the mac and cheese bites from the mini muffin pan, I like using a toothpick to loosen the edges and a small bamboo appetizer fork to remove them. This helps to minimize scratching the surface of the mini muffin pan.
- I sometimes sprinkle cooked, drained, and crumbled bacon on top of the mini bites for added flavor. A dipping sauce like marinara or ranch also adds extra flavor.
Other Game Day Favorites
These Ultimate Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites are perfect for game-day gatherings. For other favorites, check out these recipes:
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Ultimate Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese Bites
Equipment
- 24 cup mini-muffin pan
- 2 Tablespoon ice cream scoop
- Nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 ounces) dry elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (8 ounces) milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray the cups of a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Add one tablespoon of Kosher salt to a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil; add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, for seven minutes. Drain the macaroni in a wire mesh strainer or colander.
- Return the hot, drained macaroni to the saucepan; add the cream cheese and butter. Stir until the cream cheese and butter are melted and coat the macaroni.
- Add the milk, dry mustard, ¼ teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese; stir to combine.
- Combine the Panko bread crumbs and olive oil in a small bowl. Add about ½ teaspoon of the bread crumbs to the prepared mini muffin pan cups.
- Using a 2-tablespoon ice cream scoop, add the macaroni mixture to each cup of the mini muffin pan. Top each cup with reserved cheddar cheese and ½ teaspoon of the Panko bread crumbs. (See Tip 1
- Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the tops are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven; allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the mac & cheese bites.
- If desired, garnish with minced parsley or chives.
- Yield: 24 three-cheese mac & cheese bites. (See Tips 2 and 3)
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Tips/Notes
- After filling the mini muffin cups, you will likely have about a cup of the macaroni mixture left over. Use for another purpose.
- Allow leftovers to come to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
- To reheat, allow the mac & cheese bits to come to room temperature and then bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes. They can also be reheated in the microwave, but will not retain their crispiness.
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