Nana's Mini Mac n Cheese Bites

Have I told you about my friend Nana? Well, she loves anything that can be made into mini muffins. When she brought these Mac n Cheese Bites to a tea that we had, they were a major hit. She has since made them for other occasions and they always go fast. Many of us Lunching Ladies make things for various occasions, and usually on a weekly basis. Put this one in your queue, people. Trust me, everyone will be asking for the recipe.

As far as ingredients, the one thing that you may have trouble getting is the cheddar cheese. It was a glorious day last week when our commissary was stocked back up with it after being out for many, many months. Let's just say that as hard as the Land D'Or 'cheddar' from Carrefour tried, it just didn't cut the mustard.

The recipe is adapted from a recipe from Food and Wine Mag, November 2007.

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Mini Mac and Cheese Bites

Makes about 50

3TBsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

1.5 cups of milk

3 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese (can substitute other meltable cheese, such as American or Colby)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus some for sprinklin'

2 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes until thickened. Add cheddar and Parm cheeses and stir to melt. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks, salt and nutmeg. Stir in macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of macaroni and cheese into mini muffin pan. Each cup should be filled to the top. Pack each one down gently. Sprinkle with remaining Parm cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes until golden and sizzling. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes. Use a teaspoon and carefully loosen bites and transfer to platter.

To make ahead, bake and cool mac n cheese bites. Package and refrigerate. Place bites on baking sheet and heat at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

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These make an excellent appetizer for the holidays and will impress your guests. And you may fall in love with your mini muffin tins all over again!