30 Minute Baked Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Cups

When I get short on time, I try to stop, breathe and be thankful for whatever is going on that is keeping me so busy. The other day was filled with doctor’s appointments for the kids, physical therapy for me and a long day for my husband. By the time we got home, it was late and everyone was starving. I hate to buy fast food as it is just not in our budget nor is it fitting into my healthier lifestyle. I looked to see what I had on hand, and I had what I need to make Baked Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Cups. From prep time to being ready to serve, it takes just about 30 minutes to make them, so that appeals to me.

My mom made us baked mac and cheese often. With 6 kids, you have to find things everyone likes that won’t make you a slave to the kitchen. Mom would add diced ham ad lots and lots of cheese. It was a favorite dish for all of us kids and my dad would always ask for seconds or even thirds! The only thing about making macaroni and cheese as a casserole, is it takes longer to cook. To hasten the cook time, you need to bake them in the muffin tins.

As with most of my recipes, this Baked Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Cups recipe is totally adaptable. You can add the ham or Canadian bacon instead of the bacon. You can use any type of shredded cheese you like, add garlic, or top it with crushed Rtiz crackers, which I do pretty often. Whatever you want to do, the key is this is a fast meal the whole family will gobble up. Just serve it with a side salad and my no bake caramel apple pie mini cheesecakes, and you have a winner of a meal! And, for a dessert that the kids will love, make up a batch of my Homemade Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Bread! Enjoy!

Yum

30 Minute Baked Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Cups

Ingredients

3 Cups cooked elbow macaroni, (cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes.
1/2 Cup seasoned bread crumbs (you can use plain and season yourself)
1/4 cup real bacon bits
3 Tbsp. butter, melted, divided
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. pepper
1 large egg, beaten
4 Cups Mexican blend cheese (or any flavor you prefer)
1 Cup of milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350, melt butter and spray a standard size muffin tin with cooking spray
Combine bread crumbs and 1 tbsp. butter. Mix well.
In a large bowl, combine cooked macaroni, bacon, 2 tbsp. butter, milk, salt, pepper, and 3 1/2 cups cheese. Mix until macaroni is evenly coated.
Divide the mixture into muffin cups. Gently press down on each cup.
Top each cup with bread crumbs mixture and remaining cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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What is you favorite side dish to serve with your Baked Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Cups?