Mini Mac & Cheese Bites

After two weeks of Playoff games, our friends, Charlie and Julie, invited us to their party to watch our New England Patriots try to redeem themselves against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.  I put the bat signal out to my friends for something new and different to make for our contribution.  Wouldn't you know, my friend Martha came through again with another fantastic recipe.  These mini macaroni and cheese bites were a great "picky" type of food to pop in your mouth, and super delicious.  The recipe she sent me called for just cheddar and American cheeses, but I added some mozzarella... just because.  I also added a whole egg, instead of just egg yolk, and omitted the paprika that was in the original recipe.

Super Bowl Sunday has come ... and gone.  The Patriots sure know how to get my blood pressure up.  Alas, my boys of winter, were again defeated by the New York Giants, in a heartbreaking loss.  But, there's always next year.  In addition to feeling very sad for my team, I'm also feeling a little bit at a loss as I don't have any more tailgating parties to cook for.

• ½ lb. elbow macaroni
• 1 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• ¾ cup milk
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
• 2 oz. sliced American cheese, chopped
• 2 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese, chopped
• 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
   
2. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente.  Drain, shaking off the excess water.
   
3. Brush non-stick mini muffin tins with butter.
   (for one batch, I used two of Pampered Chef's Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pans that each create 24 pieces, for a total of 48 pieces)
4. Sprinkle each cup with 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese, tapping out the excess.
   
5. In a large saucepan, melt the butter.
6. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for about a minute.
7. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking continuously, until boiling, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the cheeses (cheddar, American, and mozzarella) whisking until melted.
9. Off the heat, whisk in the egg.
10. Fold in the macaroni until well blended.
     
11. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin
    cups, packing them gently.
    (I used the Pampered Chef Small Scoop, which created perfectly sized portions)
12. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of grated cheese on top(I didn't measure this out... I just sprinkled on top of each piece)
    
    
13. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10
    minutes, until golden and sizzling.
14. Let cool at least 10 minutes.
    (Original recipe said 5 minutes, and the first couple were falling apart as I took out because they were still too hot.)
15. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.
    (I actually made mine the day before and put them in an aluminum pan that I wrapped in foil.  I reheated the next day when ready to eat, at about 350° for about 5-10 minutes.
    
    The recipe also states that you can prepare through Step 10, refrigerate overnight, and then continue with the baking instructions the next day.)