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Roasted Vegetable Macaroni & Cheese Cups

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni & Cheese Cups

Around here, we’re all about comfort food, and if you aren’t aware that macaroni and cheese is synonymous with comfort food… well, let me educate you.

Macaroni and cheese equals all that is good in this world. It’s a hug in a bowl, a bit of solace after a long day, and always easy and quick to prepare for even the most inexperienced cook. But there’s no better way to dress it up – or sneak in a good serving of veggies – than by topping it with a colorful, delicious medley of roasted broccoli and plump tomatoes!

Mac and Cheese Cups

These are so ridiculously easy, you won’t even believe it. And the quicker you can have this out of the oven and into your mouth, the better. Am I right?

Macaroni and Cheese Cups

Just boil some pasta – use whatever you like, but I’m an elbows devotee – then toss it with some Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. No need to make a sauce. Press the mixture into your muffin pan molds, top with cut-up broccoli and tomatoes, and a little sprinkle of breadcrumbs, and voila! A quick snack for yourself or kids, an elegant party appetizer, or a simple yet stunning side dish.

Macaroni and Cheese Cups Recipe

You can also use small-diced asparagus, zucchini, carrots, peas, bell peppers, squash or any vegetable you like. Also, make these ahead of time for a party and refrigerate up to two days. Pop them in the oven again for 10 minutes, and they’ll be toasty warm and ready for serving!

I know you’ll enjoy making these and gobbling them up just as much as I did, so give them a try for yourself. Your comfort food craving tummy will thank you!

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Print Recipe

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni & Cheese Cups

Yield: Makes 6 cups

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (I used panko)

6 ounces small pasta, such as shells or elbows

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes or small diced plum/Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped broccoli, blanched*

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 6 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Coat inside of each muffin cup with bread crumbs, reserving any excess.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring, 8- 10 minutes. Drain pasta, add back to pot, and stir in Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon pasta mixture into muffin cups, filling almost to the top and pressing gently to set. Top each cup with tomato and broccoli. Sprinkle a pinch of remaining bread crumbs on each.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes and carefully unmold with a butter knife.

Enjoy!

 

* Tip: To blanch vegetables, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes. Using a small strainer, remove the vegetables and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water. Drain and use.

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

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102 Comments

Comments

  5. Oh this is just brilliant – genius! Why have I never thought of making individual mac’s ‘n cheese before and I love everything individual! Lovely recipe and such a pretty result too.
    :-) Mandy

  6. I love that you combined the comfort of macaroni and cheese with veggies into a cute little cup! I totally would eat these up. Cute, miniaturized food is always more pleasing for some reason :)

  7. Absolutely loved the idea of making those in muffin tins – adorable indeed, and a great way to do portion control (as long as I don’t allow myself to wolf down 12 of them.. ;-)

    I also like mac and cheese with veggies in it, sometimes the pure version feels a bit too “monochromatic” as far as taste is concerned

    great post!

  9. Lovely pictures and this looks fantastic!! Thanks so much for sharing, I love mac and cheese and I love vegetables so I can totally see this happening!

  17. These are just fantastic. Such a clever idea and roasting the vegetables on top as it bakes really works for me. I love this.

  20. I am always on the hunt for more savory as well as healthier appetizers! Looks like I landed in the right place. Perfect for a snack or for entertaining. Love the vibrant colors and the individual servings. Saving this one-great post!

  22. Georgia! This looks fabulous! I agree with you. To me…mac and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods! But I’m happy to sneak in a few veggies, too! I love how these cups get all crunchy brown on the top. And better yet…they are little portable cups of comfort! Definitely have this bookmarked! Hope you have a great week! : )

  24. I didn’t grow up eating mac & cheese so I actually tried it in recent years as my kids love to eat. There are even fancy mac & cheese specialty restaurants in Bay Area too. I love your idea – this is wonderful food for kids play date and parties. I’m definitely trying this recipe!

  30. Oh yummy, I just made mac and cheese and I wish I had used the muffin tin method. Love the idea of adding veggies. Makes me feel better about the mac and cheese portion. Love the colors.

  32. Oh my gosh! These looks amazing! Your photography is fabulous. I’m subscribing now and I’ve gotta pick out something to make – which is NOT going to be easy. Glad you found me and I am thrilled to have found you!

  46. These look amazingly delish and I’m sure my kids would love it! I look forward to looking around your blog and reading more! Have a great week!

  48. Oh my goodness… these little “muffins” are too cute for words! I love a gooey, cheesy mac n’ cheese, and based on the gorgeous strings of melty cheese in the photo, this is definitely a winner (plus I can feel less guilty, because there’s healthy veggies in there… score!). This is totally going on the must-try list.

  58. Georgia..very nice to meet you – speaking of gorgeous blogs, that is. I need to self-host soon aka put on my makeup l) These macaroni and cheese cups look so incredibly good, the veggies not only add nutrion and all that good stuff, but they turn them into little, colorful beauties. I will definitely try these. Stunning photos! Looking forward to reading through your blog and everything that comes after :)

  68. These cups are super cute and healthy – a meal on the go :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    Latest: Giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Peanut Butter M&M Cookie For One

  69. My kids will love these! I’ve seen variations around the internet but love yours the best for the stacked veggies. Plus, your gorgeous photos could sell me on making just about anything!

  72. So cute! I always have trouble coming up with appetizer ideas, and this looks like a great one to keep in mind! :)

  80. Would this work if I wanted to make regular size servings? If so, what would the baking time be and what would the size of the pan be? Thanks, they look delicious!

  81. Hi Anonymous – Not sure what you mean by “regular size servings,” could you clarify? These are made in a standard size muffin tins, not mini. If you mean to say you just want a full pot of mac & cheese, just roast the vegetables quickly and toss them in.

  82. Has anyone tried freezing these? I love the idea of just pulling one out of the freezer and popping it in the microwave, but I’m curious to know how the tomatoes will hold up (obviously, I could omit but my 2 year old loves them).

  84. My goodness, I can’t wait to try these. This is also going on my “must have” party menu. Thank you

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