Bacon Mac N Cheese Bites *As Seen On Daytime @ Nine*
Ok, the bad news.. I don't have a photo of this recipe. I made it so fast that I didn't have time to sneak in a quick pic until we featured it on air - as in Fox New's Daytime @ Nine! Yes, I have a cooking segment on the local news here in San Antonio, TX! Check it out sometime - foxsanantonio.com/daytime-at-9
The good news? We really don't need a picture of it because we know what mac n cheese looks like, right? Either way, they're going to be a hit at your super bowl party! Get ready team, because you're about to create some deliciousness!
Ingredients
1 Box of Gluten-Free Pasta (I like to use Ancient Harvest Macaroni)
2 cups of milk (I used almond milk and it worked out great)
1 lb bag of shredded cheddar cheese (bring the cheese to room temperature before coking)
1 package of bacon
1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt
Cooking spray
Green onion, diced
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bacon evenly on baking sheet. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until crispy. When bacon is done, place on paper towel to soak up the fat and set aside.
Spray a mini-muffin tin. Set aside.
Place a pot of 6 cups of hot water with a couple of pinches of Himalayan salt in a large pot.
Once the water boils, add the pasta. Follow the directions on how long the pasta needs to be cooked. Gluten-free pasta is different than regular pasta and usually doesn’t require as long of a cooking time. Be careful with gluten-free pasta as it turns to mush if it is cooked too long! I would suggest to definitely set your timer for this!
While the pasta is cooking, place a medium size sauce-pan on the stove over medium heat. Add milk to the saucepan. Once the milk comes to a boil, add most of the bag of cheese. Leave about ¼ of a cup left for the baked mac n cheese bites. Add the cheese to the milk. Stir until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat.
Once the pasta is done, drain it thru a colander and run cold water thru it. Allow the pasta to dry and cool.
Chop the bacon into bacon bit size pieces. Dice the green onion into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, cheese sauce, and bacon bits. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Stir.
Now we’re ready to make the bacon mac n cheese bites!
Take a spoonful of mac n cheese and place it into each muffin tin. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with diced green onion.
Optional Add-Ins:
Diced Jalapenos
Diced Tomatoes