Step-by-Step Pictorial:
In a medium bowl, add crushed cracker, bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp garlic, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/8 tsp salt and mix well. Keep aside. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp of butter, add all-purpose flour and stir until the flour is cooked. Lower the heat completely and add milk while stirring simultaneously. Whisk until the flour is completely incorporated with the milk. Add remaining 3/4 cup of cheese and mix until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Switch off the flame.
In a large sauce pan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, add remaining 1 Tbsp of garlic and saute till the garlic is slightly brown. Add pasta sauce or veggie puree, cooked elbow macaroni, white sauce that was made in the previous step, 1/8 tsp of salt, Italian herbs and mix until everything is well combined. Once everything is well incorporated remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.While the prepared mac n cheese is cooling, preheat oven to 400 F. Spray mini muffin pans with non stick cooking spray. Tightly pack a layer of bread crumb-cracker mixture into each of the muffin cups. Place the cracker mixture in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes and remove from the oven. Now add prepared mac n cheese into each of the muffin cups. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes. Top them with bread crumb-cracker mixture again and bake for additional 5 minutes until the top browns. Remove from heat. Let it cool for a while. Carefully remove each of the pie from the muffin cups. If the bread crumbs stick to the muffin cups add them as toppings on the pies. Enjoy!!!
Mac n Cheese Mini Pies
Ingredients
- Elbow Macaroni Cooked — 2 cups
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese — 1 cup (grated)
- Ritz Cracker — 1 cup (crushed, about 15)
- Milk — 1/4 cup
- Butter — 3 Tbsp
- Salt — 1/4 tsp
- Panko Bread Crumbs — 1 cup
- All Purpose Flour –2 Tbsp
- Garlic — 2 Tbsp finely chopped
- Italian Herbs — 1 tsp
- Pasta Sauce or Vegetable Puree — 1/2 cup
- Olive oil — 1 Tbsp
Instructions
- In a bowl add crushed cracker, bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp garlic, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/8 tsp salt and mix well. Keep aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp of butter, add all purpose flour and stir until the flour is cooked. Lower the heat completely and add milk while stirring simultaneously. Whisk until the flour is completely incorporated with the milk. Add remaining 3/4 cup of cheese and mix until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Switch off the flame.
- In a large sauce pan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, add remaining 1 Tbsp of garlic and saute till the garlic is slightly brown. Add pasta sauce or veggie puree, cooked elbow macaroni, white sauce that was made in the previous step, 1/8 tsp of salt, Italian herbs and mix until everything is well combined. Once everything is well incorporated remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- While the prepared mac n cheese is cooling, preheat oven to 400 F. Spray mini muffin pans with non stick cooking spray. Tightly pack a layer of breadcrumb-cracker mixture into each of the muffin cups. Place the cracker mixture in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes and remove from the oven. Now add prepared mac n cheese into each of the muffin cups. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes. Top them with breadcrumb-cracker mixture again and bake for additional 5 minutes until the top browns. Remove from heat. Let it cool for a while. Carefully remove each of the pie from the muffin cups. If the bread crumbs stick to the muffin cups add them as toppings on the pies. Enjoy!!!
