blue cheese macaroni bites with buffalo dipping sauce

Bite sized bits of tangy blue cheese and pasta served with a subtly spicy classic Buffalo dipping sauce. These addictive little bites will be what I bring to the potluck this year.

I hear there is a football game this weekend. Football and snacks are intrinsically connected- this could be a scathing commentary on the sport or merely a reflection of the season in which it is played. Winter is comfort. Macaroni and Cheese is comfort. Football is football. Here’s the thing to get your superbowl snack on.

blue cheese macaroni bites with buffalo dipping sauce

makes 36-48 macaroni bites depending on the size of your muffin tins (I have two different sizes and ended up with 36)

American cheese?!?! If you want velvety sauce the easiest most foolproof way is a slice or two of velveeta (though I at least get the ones from the refrigerator section) it was the ‘secret’ ingredient in the five cheese mac and cheese that everyone raved about in a restaurant I worked at and I’ve used it ever since.

blue cheese macaroni bites

adapted from mac and cheese canapés from Leite’s Culinaria

ingredients

• 4 cups cooked macaroni
• 2 Tablespoons butter- plus more to grease muffin tins
• 2 Tablespoons AP flour
• 1 cup milk- warmed
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese- about one cup (I used half extra sharp and half medium cheddar)
• 3 slices processed cheese, American or otherwise cut into ½ inch pieces (approximately 2 ounces)
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (reserve one ounce for garnish, if desired)
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup shredded parmesan (or other hard cheese)
• black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced poached garlic (see Buffalo dipping sauce recipe)

directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425F
2. Prepare the muffin tins and Panko Cheese mixture- in a small sauté pan over medium heat combine the crumbs a about a teaspoon of oil or butter stirring constantly until the panko just begins to add color, add the garlic and cook for another minute or two more until the panko is a light golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool before tossing with the parmesan and black pepper. Lightly oil or butter the muffin tins and coat with the Panko- I did this by putting the muffin tins on a cookie sheet and sprinkling with the panko mixture and then dumping any excess on to the cookie sheet.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, still stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until the mixture just begins to brown and is bubbly. Increase the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the warm milk. Bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the cheeses beginning with the American cheese, adding the blue cheese last, stirring until each cheese melts before making another addition. Once the cheeses are all melted remove from the heat, add the pasta, and stir until well combined.
4. Beat the egg yolk with the cream and stir it into the pasta.
5. Press the mixture into the prepared mini-muffin cups, topping each with a sprinkle of the remaining panko mixture and a few crumbles of blue cheese.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese sauce bubbles and you can see that the bottoms of the muffins have begun to brown.
7. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a platter or cooling rack.
8. Serve warm with a bowl of the Buffalo for dipping.
9. The blue cheese macaroni bites can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 375F oven until warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes.

blue cheese macaroni bites with buffalo dipping sauce

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 32 mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups cooked macaroni
• 2 Tablespoons butter- plus more to grease muffin tins
• 2 Tablespoons AP flour
• 1 cup milk- warmed
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese- about one cup I used half extra sharp and half medium cheddar
• 3 slices processed cheese American or otherwise cut into ½ inch pieces (approximately 2 ounces)
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese reserve one ounce for garnish, if desired
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup shredded parmesan or other hard cheese
• black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced poached garlic see Buffalo dipping sauce recipe

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat oven to 425F
• Prepare the muffin tins and Panko Cheese mixture- in a small sauté pan over medium heat combine the crumbs a about a teaspoon of oil or butter stirring constantly until the panko just begins to add color, add the garlic and cook for another minute or two more until the panko is a light golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool before tossing with the parmesan and black pepper. Lightly oil or butter the muffin tins and coat with the Panko- I did this by putting the muffin tins on a cookie sheet and sprinkling with the panko mixture and then dumping any excess on to the cookie sheet.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, still stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until the mixture just begins to brown and is bubbly. Increase the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the warm milk. Bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the cheeses beginning with the American cheese, adding the blue cheese last, stirring until each cheese melts before making another addition. Once the cheeses are all melted remove from the heat, add the pasta, and stir until well combined.
• Beat the egg yolk with the cream and stir it into the pasta.
• Press the mixture into the prepared mini-muffin cups, topping each with a sprinkle of the remaining panko mixture and a few crumbles of blue cheese.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese sauce bubbles and you can see that the bottoms of the muffins have begun to brown.
• Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a platter or cooling rack.
• Serve warm with a bowl of the Buffalo for dipping.
• The blue cheese macaroni bites can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 375ºF (190ºC) until warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes.

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