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What Can You Make With Leftover Mac and Cheese

These Leftover Mac and Cheese Cups are fun, handheld and portable recipe with any leftover macaroni and cheese. Perfect for school lunch box, play dates or parties.

Baked macaroni and cheese muffins cooling on a wire rack

It is a leftover pasta kinda day!

Leftover pasta is a common occurrence in our home. And, I always love to come up with brand new creations with them and the children don't even realize that they are eating leftovers.

Some of my favorite ideas with leftover pasta include:

Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Cups <—– Made with leftover spaghetti and meatballs

Pasta Pizza <—- Made with any leftover pasta with tomato sauce

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad <—- Made with any leftover cooked pasta

Now, Mac and Cheese Muffins made with leftover mac and cheese

The team players:

Any leftover mac and cheese – Use your favorite mac and cheese recipe. We will need 3 cups of mac and cheese to make 6 mac and cheese bites.

Egg – A binding agent

Cheese – More cheesier the better, right? Use the cheese that you used to make the recipe. Use cheddar cheese for leftover Kraft mac and cheese

Beadcrumb topping – A crispy crunchy topping is always a good idea!

What to do with leftover mac and cheese?

Here are some ideas with leftover macaroni and cheese that I found in the world wide web:

Mac and Cheese Balls – from Sweetandsavorymeals

Mac and Cheese Soup – from Thiswifecooks

 Chili Mac and Cheese – from Gracefullittlehoneybee

Mac and cheese Muffins – this recipe

How to make macaroni and cheese bites?

Step-1: Add room temperature mac and cheese into a bowl (cold pasta makes it kinda difficult to mix)

a bowl with leftover mac and cheese

Step-2: Add beaten egg and some cheese (Use the cheese / cheeses that you used to make the mac and cheese)

egg, Cheese with mac and cheese in a bowl

Step-3: Mix everything until thoroughly combined

Stirring macaroni ad cheese, egg and cheese together

Step-4: Pack into a WELL GREASED muffin pan

A muffin pan filled with leftover macaroni and cheese

Step-5: Make breadcrumb topping – Stir panko breadcrumbs, melted butter and a dash of paprika together.

A bowl with panko breadcrumbs, melted butter and paprika
stirring breadcrumbs and melted butter together

Step-6: Sprinkle on top of mac and cheese

Sprinkling panko breadcrumbs on mac and cheese cups

Step-8: Bake at 425° F, until the tops are deep golden

a muffin pan with macaroni and cheese muffins cooling on a blue cloth

Few notes on making these leftover macaroni and cheese cups:

Grease, grease and GREASE ! The mac and cheese bites tend to stick to the pan. So, grease the muffin pan really well.

To remove muffins from the pan, Run a knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen them before removing. If using paper liners, then peel them gently to release from the muffin.

Use any leftover macaroni and cheese recipe. I used this instant pot mac and cheese recipe.

Room temperature mac and cheese works well for the recipe. Cold mac and cheese makes it difficult to incorporate along with other ingredients.

Use the cheese or the combination of cheeses that was used to make the mac and cheese

Regular breadcrumbs may be used instead of panko

How to serve this leftover mac and cheese recipe?

Mac and cheese lunch box- These are great for school lunch box. What is more fun than a pasta cupcake? Check out more easy school lunch box ideas.

How fun will it be to have mac and cheese for kids parties? Grab and go/run foods are the best!

Can you freeze leftover mac and cheese cups?

Absolutely! These can be frozen in a sealed zip lock bag for up to month. Thaw at room temperature or in microwave (the paper liner will be kinda difficult to peel when hot)

Macaroni and cheese bites recipe can be easily doubled to make 12 cups

baked mac and cheese cups with leftover mac and cheese idea

More trouble shooting:

My mac and cheese muffin sticks to the paper liners – The preferred method is a well greased muffin pan. When using paper liners, then let the muffin cool completely before gently peeling the paper from the muffins.

More kid-friendly pasta recipes:

5 Ingredient Ramen Alfredo

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

5-Ingredient BBQ Ramen Noodles

Instant Pot Pasta with Tomato Cream sauce

Crazy Good Garlic butter Ramen Noodles

Or more easy weeknight pasta recipes

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups leftover Mac and Cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese, refer notes

Topping

  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 pinch paprika

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Grease (really well) 6 cups of a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. (paper liners tend to stick to the mac and cheese cups, refer notes on how to peel them). Set aside.
  2. Add leftover mac and cheese (room temperature), beaten egg and cheese into a medium bowl and mix well, until thoroughly combined.
  3. Transfer to the greased muffin cups (pack well) and sprinkle topping on top.
  4. Bake for 23-28 minutes, until the tops are deep golden.
  5. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.


To make topping - Stir all topping ingredients in a small bowl.

To remove mac and cheese cups from pan:

For greased pan - Run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen around the edges.

For paper lined muffins - The paper tends to stick to the muffins. When muffins have cooled completely, gently peel to remove the paper.

Notes

Macaroni and cheese bites recipe can be easily doubled to make 12 cups

Grease, grease and GREASE! The mac and cheese bites tend to stick to the pan. So, grease the muffin pan really well.

To remove muffins from the pan, Run a knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen them before removing. If using paper liners, thenpeel them gently to release from the muffin.

Useany leftover macaroni and cheese recipe. I used this instant pot mac and cheese recipe.

Room temperature mac and cheese works well for the recipe. Cold mac and cheese makes it difficult to incorporate along with other ingredients.

Use the cheese or the combination of cheeses that was used to make the mac and cheese.

If using leftover Kraft mac and cheese, then use shredded cheddar cheese.

Regular breadcrumbs may be used instead of panko

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 47mg Sodium: 425mg Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 4g Protein: 8g

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What Can You Make With Leftover Mac and Cheese

Source: https://www.kitchenathoskins.com/2020/07/13/leftover-mac-and-cheese-cups/