Same old Labor Day barbecue? I don’t think so! These eye-catching no-fuss starters or sides will leave your guests dazzled by your ingenuity…or at least shocked by how good (& good FOR you!) mac n’ cheese can be.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as this reader (below) who ate 3 before they finished cooling!
“Oh my gosh…so good…amazing awesome-ness.” -Tom R. (aka my hubby)
Here’s what you’re going to need for 12 muffins:
- 2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni (or any other fun SMALL shapes you like, this time around I used “Madagascar” animal shaped noodles
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lite sharp Cheddar cheese –
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lite mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florettes
- 1 oven preheated to 350
1. Boil a pot of water, and cook macaroni according to package directions.
2. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners ( sticking with my animal theme, I used animal shaped cupcake liners, but feel free to use any kind).
3. Coat the bottom of each cupcake liner with bread crumbs.
4. When pasta has 5 minutes left to cook, add the broccoli.
5. When cooked, drain, add the skim milk and 1 cup each of the chedder and mozzarella cheeses.
6. Divide the broccoli mac n’ cheese into the 12 cupcake liners evenly. *I always use an icecream scooper for this to avoid a mess*
7. Cover the tops of the mac n’ cheese with the remaining shredded cheeses.
8. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned.
9. Let cool and enjoy!
It stores like regular mac n’ cheese, so it can keep for up to a week in an air tight container.
