Super cheesy mac and cheese muffins are baked in single serve sizes in a cupcake tin. This recipe is perfect for lunch or a really fun side dish.

Plate with two baked macaroni and cheese muffins on it.

Grabbing your own macaroni and cheese muffin comes with its own special kind of anticipation. They are loaded with cheese and pasta like you would expect but are way more fun than your standard baked macaroni and cheese.

They make a fun finger food for lunchboxes or an exciting side dish for dinner. Make some to see for yourself.

It is back to school time! With all of the extra worries that involves this year, I thought I’d help take the worry of what to give the kids for lunch off your table.

This super fun mac and cheese recipe is quick and versatile. It’s perfect whether you are packing their lunchbox or feeding them at home.

Hand holding a cupcake sized baked macaroni and cheese portion.

Two macaroni and cheese muffins on a small plate, ready to eat.

In fact you could make a batch in the evening and serve them as a fun side dish for dinner. When dinner is over, bag up the leftovers and toss them in lunches throughout the week.

They are great hot but still yummy at room temperature. Plus they can be eaten as a finger food so you don’t have to worry about silverware.

If you are eating them at home, they reheat well. About twenty seconds in the microwave is all it takes!

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Additions and Alterations

We love these muffins as they are. It is hard to beat a simple but delicious mac and cheese.

If you want to make it more of a meal, you could stir in fun add-ins. For instance, diced ham would be a perfect addition.

Maybe try peas or broccoli for added veggies. If you like the idea of adding vegetables but don’t want them to be so obvious, try shredded carrots or a little bit of acorn squash or pumpkin puree.

Muffin pan with wells filled with mixture of cooked elbow macaroni, milk, cheese, and egg, ready to go in the oven.

Muffin pan with baked macaroni and cheese muffins showing the cheese melted and everything being held together by the egg and cheese mixture.

Shredded chicken would be another fun addition. Even a little leftover bbq chicken would be amazing!

You could even jazz them up with fun toppings. Butter bread crumbs baked on top would be a classic option.

French fried onions would be fun and flavorful. Even crunched up cornflakes or crackers would be yummy on your pasta.

What’s the best cheese for mac and cheese?

There are a lot of great options for making macaroni and cheese. Cheddar, gruyere, monterey jack, colby jack, and gouda are all great options. A mix of cheeses is always nice as well.

4.71 from 17 ratings

Mac and Cheese Muffins

Author: Carlee

Servings: Muffins

Grabbing your own little macaroni and cheese muffin comes with its own special kind of anticipation. They are loaded with cheese and pasta like you would expect but are way more fun than the casserole version. They make a fun finger food for lunchboxes or an exciting side dish for dinner. Make some to see for yourself.

Prep: 10

Cook: 45

Total: 55

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 12 muffin wells.
Boil 2 cups elbow macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain.
Toss hot pasta with the 1 Tablespoon butter to melt the butter and coat the pasta.
Add the 1 egg, 2 cups shredded cheese*, 1½ cups milk, ¾ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoons ground pepper, and ¼ teaspoon paprika. Stir to combine.
Scoop into prepared pan (an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop works well for this.)
Bake 30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Notes

Use your favorite melting cheese or a mixture of cheeses. Cheddar, colby Jack, Monterey Jack, gouda, or gruyere are all good options.