Hey Amy!

When I think of comfort food a few things come to mind–grilled cheese, tomato soup, slippery pot pie and mac n’ cheese.  Lately I have been seeing fried macaroni n’ cheese and mac n’ cheese bites on a lot of menus.  Seems it is the new trendy item like the cupcake. I searched for a good recipe and found this one on the AP wire.  Yes, that AP wire.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. milk
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 oz. deli-sliced American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp.  paprika

Preheat oven to 425.  In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.  Spray thoroughly nonstick mini muffin tins with butter.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Whisk in flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes.  Whisk in milk and cook, whisking constantly, until boiling, about 5 minutes.  Add cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted.  Remove from heat and whisk in yolk and paprika.  Fold in macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni mix into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbsp. of Parmigiano on top.  Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

First time I tried this recipe, I was not patient.  I know shocking!  But seriously, I was not patient and the mac fell apart when I removed it from the pan.  Allow the 5 minutes to pass so they ‘gel’.  They will lift easily once you allow this time to pass.  These are perfect finger foods for a cocktail party, a nice snack for kids, or great for football Sunday!

xo–me

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