Ahhhh mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food! Personally, I'll take my mac anyway I can get it, but my family has fallen head over heels for this baked mac and cheese recipe. Try these Mini Mac and Cheese Cups from Nicole Hunn's latest book Gluten-Free Small Bites.
I've been whipping up batches of these decadent little handheld nibbles for a few months now and they never disappoint. We pack them in lunches, keep them in the fridge for quick snacks, and demolish them for dinner almost as soon as they hit the table. This baked mac and cheese recipe is loved by everyone!
You guys know I am a huge fan of Nicole's cookbooks and her site Gluten Free on a Shoestring, but I honestly think this new book is my favorite! The pages are filled with recipes for both sweet and savory handheld treats that make on-the-go living and entertaining easier and tastier than ever!
Cheesy Potato Pierogi: We haven't had pierogi in over 5 years, so it is at the top of my must make list!
Spanakopita Bites: Oh yes, Nicole developed a recipe for gluten free Phyllo Dough!! I just cannot even tell you how badly I want to plan an entire party menu around her Phyllo Dough.
Bear Claws: Do I even need to say anymore?
If you’ve tried this Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below. I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours!
PrintGluten-Free Small Bites: Mini Mac and Cheese Cups
- Yield: 24 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried gluten-free elbow pasta
- 1 to 2 tablespoons (14-28g) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ( 28 g) unsalted butter, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Basic Gum Free Gluten-Free Flour, recipe follows
- 6 fluid ounces (½ can) evaporated milk
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups milk, at room temperature
- 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces sharp yellow Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg (50g, weighed out of shell), at room temperature, beaten
Basic Gum Free Gluten-Free Flour
- Makes 1 cup
- 93 grams (about 9 ⅓ tablespoons) superfine white rice flour
- 32 grams (about 3 ½ tablespoons) potato starch
- 15 grams (about 5 teaspoons) tapioca starch/flour
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in a large pasta pot until al dente texture, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and toss it with olive oil to prevent it from sticking together. Cover the pot and set it aside.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Generously grease the wells of two12-cup mini muffin tins, and set them aside.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt the chopped butter in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth after it cooks for a minute or so. This is the roux that will thicken the cheese sauce, Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color, about 2 minutes. Add the evaporated milk to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add 1 cup of milk, and whisk to combine well. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened and reduced by about one-quarter, about 7 minutes. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the shredded cheese, salt, and pepper, and mix to combine. The cheese sauce should be very thickly pourable. Add the beaten egg to the remaining milk, and pour the mixture into the cheese sauce, mixing constantly. Pour the hot cheese sauce over the cooked pasta, and stir carefully to coat all pf the pasta in the cheese sauce without breaking up the pasta at all.
- Fill the prepared wells of the miniature muffin tins just past the top with the macaroni and cheese mixture, and press down carefully but firmly to pack the mixture into the well. Place the muffin tins, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin tins for 5 minutes before running a toothpick around the edge of each muffin well to loosen the cup and popping them out. Serve warm.
To make the Basic Gum Free Gluten-Free Flour
- Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine. Store any unused flour in an airtight container.
Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? It’s easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, or PINTEREST to see cooking demos and peeks into our day to day life.
Leave a Reply