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small golden macaroni-and-cheese cups with visible elbow noodles and lightly crisp edges resting in and beside a plain muffin pan
Melissa Hart

Mac and Cheese Cups

Let the cups rest before lifting them out, because the egg binder and melted cheese need a few minutes to hold the noodles together. A thin breadcrumb coating inside the muffin wells helps the edges release and gives each portion a little crunch, but these should still have tender macaroni in the middle rather than baking into dry pasta pucks.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 6 oz elbow macaroni
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for pasta
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for filling
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter softened, for muffin wells
  • 1/3 cup fine plain breadcrumbs

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Cook macaroni in a large pot of water with the tablespoon salt until just tender, then drain and toss with the melted butter. Cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Grease the 12 wells of a standard muffin pan with the softened butter and dust with breadcrumbs, shaking loose crumbs across the wells to coat their sides.
  3. Whisk egg, milk, filling salt, pepper and mustard. Fold into the warm macaroni with the cheddar.
  4. Divide evenly among the wells, pressing lightly with the back of a spoon so the noodles settle without being crushed. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers reach 160°F.
  5. Rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around each edge and lift out carefully. Serve warm; each cup counts as one serving.