Today, Sunday Supper is celebrating Game Day foods! I made Three Cheese Macaroni Bites. The base of this Macaroni and Cheese is a delicious combination of White Cheddar (or your favorite) and Gruyere. Egg yolks are added to the sauce to thicken it enough to hold the mixture together after baking. Parmigiano-Reggiano is mixed with Panko breadcrumbs and sprinkled over the bites to add a little extra crispness.
I almost didn’t post this recipe. I could have baked the mini macaroni bites a little longer to crisp the edges further and the bottoms were slightly on the greasy side (my overzealous spraying of the pans to keep the pasta from sticking definitely didn’t help). Then I tried one. And another. And another. I absolutely loved the combination of cheeses. And as for them being slightly oily, well I think that is permitted a bit for a game day appetizer. So make sure you bake the bites until they are golden and crisp before removing from the oven and don’t overdo oiling the pans (just enough to keep the pasta and sauce from sticking).
I used mini penne pasta, but you can also use macaroni or a similar-sized noodle. You just need to make sure it is a shape that will easy fit inside a mini muffin tin.
I sprinkled the Macaroni Bites with freshly chopped parsley for a little color. Chives would also be nice.
These can be assembled up to a day before. Refrigerate the muffin tins filled with the mac and cheese, then bake right before serving.
In the future, I may mix in some cooked, chopped spinach (remove all the moisture) or other similar veggies. My husband mentioned bacon.
Check out what everyone else made for the event:
Appetizers and Sides
Atomic Buffalo Turds by Wholistic Woman
Avocado Egg Rolls by My Imperfect Kitchen
Bacon Philly Cheesesteak Sliders by Daily Dish Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Potato Wedges by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Buttermilk Battered Chicken Wings by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Cajun Okra Fries by Food Lust People Love
Cheddar Sausage Balls by Tramplingrose
Cheesy Crab Canapés by Meal Planning Magic
Cheesy Sausage Dip by The Bitter Side of Sweet
Chicken Fajita Nachos by Sweet Mornings
Chipotle-Ranch Chicken Wings by Casa de Crews
Corn Dog Muffins by Noshing With The Nolands
Cowboy Caviar by Books n’ Cooks
Crockpot Bean Dip by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
Deep Fried Pimento Cheese and Celery Bites by Granny’s Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking
Dill Pickle Dip by Seduction in the Kitchen
Fish Taquitos by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Game Day Cheese Board with Baguettes by Delaware Girl Eats
Gluten Free Asian Sweet Chili Wings by Flippin’ Delicious
Ham and cheese sliders by Feeding Big
Healthy Guacamole Recipe by Real Food Real Deals
Hogs in a blanket by Cooking on the Ranch
Hot Pork Roll and Cheese Dip by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese Egg Rolls by From Gate to Plate
Patatas Pobres for a Crowd by Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen
Pepperoni Pizza Bites by Family Foodie
Pimento Cheese-Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates by The Healthy Fit Foodie
Rajas by Pook’s Pantry
Roasted Broccoli Artichoke Dip by Cooking Chat
Slow Cooker Thai Wings by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Smoky Blender Salsa by What Smells So Good?
Southwestern Eggroll Wonton Cups by A Gouda Life
Southwestern Flatbread with a “Design Your Own Flatbread” Table by The Freshman Cook
Spicy Szechuan Shrimp Lettuce Cups by Palatable Pastime
Stuffed Artichokes with Soppressata and Cheese by Mysavoryspoon
Sweet and Spicy Hummus by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Tex-Mex Egg Rolls by Cookin’ Mimi
Thai Beef Taco Bites by Brunch-n-Bites
Three Cheese Macaroni Bites by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Waffle Fry Nachos by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Main Dishes
BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders With Tangy Warm Cabbage Slaw by Taste And See
Big Game Chili by Our Good Life
Buffalo Chicken Chili by Monica’s Table
Buffalo Chickpea Spinach Pinwheels by Simply Healthy Family
Cheeseburger Pizza Recipe by Life Tastes Good
Cheesy Cheesesteaks by Family Around The Table
Emeril’s Chicken and Andouille Gumbo by The Texan New Yorker
Handy Beef Buns by Get the Good Stuff
Lahmacun – Turkish flatbread by Caroline’s Cooking
Mini Muffaletta Bites by MyGourmetConnection
Mission Style Burritos by A Well Fed Life
New Jersey Sloppy Joe by kimchi MOM
Pizza Pasta Bake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pork Italiano Sandwich by The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
Puerto Rican Pernil (Garlic Roast Pork) by Curious Cuisiniere
Ree’s Philly Cheesesteaks by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Cheese Bombers by Kitchen Gidget
Spicy Tuna Croquette Sliders with Avocado Pesto by The Crumby Cupcake
Desserts and Drinks
Chocolate Football Cookies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix by Pies and Plots
Denver Bronco Brew and The Carolina Panther Colada by Beauty and the Beets
Gluten Free Football Potato Candy by Gluten Free Crumbley
S’more Poutine by Desserts Required
Super Duper Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn by Only Taste Matters
Plus Big Game Party Recipes plus Sausage and Peppers Over Cheesy Grits by Sunday Supper Movement
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Three Cheese Macaroni Bites
Adapted from The Galley Gourmet, from Food & Wine
~48 Macaroni Bites
1/2 pound dried pasta (macaroni or other similar medium-short shape)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Place the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat to 425 degrees F. Grease 2 (24 count) mini muffin tins.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just tender, al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, mix in the flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Cook, whisking often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and gruyere cheese, a handful at a time, and whisk until melted and smooth between additions. Remove from heat and mix in the egg yolks. Stir in the drained pasta and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill each of the muffin tins 3/4 full with the pasta. In a small bowl, combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and panko. Sprinkle over the tops of the pasta in the muffin tins.
Bake the muffin tins until the tops are bubbly and golden, about 12 minutes. Rotate the tins halfway through baking. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan with a small spoon or off-set spatula. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.