MacCheesy Cuppie

MacCheesy Cuppie

So...what makes a cupcake a cupcake..is it size or sweetness? I wondered this when I was attempting to be creative in this month's Iron Cupcake Challenge:Cheese. I didn't want to do the typical cream cheese cupcake. So this was my idea for the "unique" cupcake entry. I added the bacon to the top for garnish of course but it sure did pair well with the mac n cheese. The kids enjoyed them. Lexi was very sceptical of these babies but I crumbled them up in a bowl and then she really liked them. Guess that speaks for the recipe and not just the looks of them huh.

MacCheey Cuppie

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup planko (seasoned bread crumbs)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin (I used mini bundt tin) with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese and stir the remaining Cheddar cheese, milk and mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture in the mini bundt tins. Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. This will allow the cheese to set and they will hold their muffin shape.

Adapted from allrecipes