It's everyone's favorite comfort food turned into the perfect bite-sized portion! Easy to make and even easier to eat, I dare you to try and stop at just one mac and cheese cup!
Preheat oven to 425° F. Line or grease muffin tin or mini muffin tin.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain.
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, parmesan and oil. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Whisk in flour and stir about 1 minute. Add heavy cream and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking continuously until thickened (approximately 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat.
Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in egg.
Add drained pasta and toss to combine.
Scoop mac and cheese into muffin tins. Sprinkle with panko topping.
Bake 18-20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with herbs to serve.
Video
Notes
Tips and Variations
Substitute all of the milk or heavy cream for the other.
Substitute the cheeses with anything you'd like! Try Muenster, fontina, Gouda, Havarti and Monterey Jack.
Try a fun pasta shape! It doesn't have to be elbow pasta, go with anything small in shape.
Be sure to cook your pasta to a true al dente. That's because these mac and cheese cups cook for longer in the oven, no need to cook the pasta fully before that step!
How to Store
At Room Temperature - these can be left out for up to two hours room temperature while serving.
Refrigerate - These mac and cheese cups can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days, and reheated in the microwave as needed.
Freeze - mac and cheese cups freeze beautifully! Simply flash freeze in the muffin tin, prior to baking. When they are solidly frozen, place in an airtight container and store for future use.