Honey Oat Topped Baked Mac & Cheese Cups (+ Box Tops Bonus App)

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EarnWithBoxTops #CollectiveBias

Every bite of these Honey Oat Topped Baked Mac & Cheese Cups is full of cheesy goodness with a sweet crunch!

At the beginning of the school year, I decided I needed to get more involved with my oldest son’s school. When I worked outside of the home I always felt guilty that I couldn’t attend field trips or participate in the PTO.

When I showed up to my first PTO meeting, my guilt turned into sadness.  There were about 10 people there. That’s it.  In a school with 650 students, only a handful of parents showed up.

As the president asked our small group if anyone would volunteer to take over the treasurer, no one volunteered. The same thing happened when she asked for a secretary. So, when she asked if anyone would take on the role of the Box Tops for Education Coordinator, I raised my hand.

When I went home that night, I wasn’t sure how my son would feel about me being involved with his school.  I actually have him on video with a big smile on his face, giving me a thumbs up and saying “It’s good!” It definitely makes me feel even more thankful that I’m in a position to help, especially after seeing how desperately his school needs it!

I try to stay on top of all the different ways our families can earn from Box Tops. I’m really excited to share that there is a new, free Box Tops Bonus App for your phone that makes it possible to turn your receipts into cash for your child’s school!

You scan the items you want to buy, then after you make your purchases, you scan your receipt!  It’s so easy!

From now until 1/31/2018, with the purchase of 5 participating products from Walmart, your school can earn 50 Box Tops!  That’s $5.00! And, you can still clip and submit the Box Tops on the packaging! Some of the participating products include:

• Nature Valley™ Oats N Honey Granola Bars
• Totino’s™ Combination Party Pizza Pack – 4 ct.
• Old El Paso™ Taco Dinner Kit
• Pillsbury™ Toaster Strudel™ – Strawberry 12 ct.
• Honey Nut Cheerios™ – Family Size

You can download the Box Tops Bonus App from iTunes and GooglePlay.

I decided it would be fun to use one of these products in a kid-friendly recipe! These Honey Oat Topped Baked Mac & Cheese Cups are delicious!

Honey Oat Topped Baked Mac & Cheese Cups

Prep!

Grate the cheese, and have all the other ingredients out and ready to go! Grease or butter all 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin and set aside.

Place a pot of salted water over high heat on the stove top to boil and preheat your oven to 350°F.

Create!

Cook the pasta, according to the package directions, until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic salt, pepper, and flour.  Whisk until smooth.

Slowly whisk in the milk and heat until just boiling.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain well, and gently stir in the cheese.

Divide the pasta among the 12 muffin cups.

Crumble two Nature Valley™ Oats N Honey Granola Bars (from one pack) into slightly course crumbles.

Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds and mix with the crumbled granola bars.

Sprinkle evenly over the Mac & Cheese Cups.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just starting to brown.

Let cool completely before removing from the pan. You may need to loosen the cups with a butter knife before gently removing them from the pan.

Enjoy!

And just in case you missed it above, you can download the Box Tops Bonus App from iTunes and GooglePlay.

Print

Baked Mac & Cheese Cups

Baked Mac and Cheese Cups are cheesy delicious, easy to make, and fun to eat. They are perfectly portioned to serve as appetizers or snacks, or have a few and make them a meal. These macaroni and cheese bites are definitely not just for the kids!

Course Appetizers, Main Dish

Cuisine Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 12 cups

Calories 198kcal

Author Lauren Vavala

Ingredients

Mac & Cheese Cups

• 8 ounces pasta * shells, elbows, or gemelli
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic * minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

• Butter all 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin and set aside. Place a pot of salted water over high heat on the stovetop to boil and preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Cook the pasta, according to the package directions, or until al dente.
  
• While the pasta is cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  
• Whisk in the salt, pepper, and flour until the flour is smooth. 
• Slowly whisk in the milk and heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese.
• Once the pasta is done cooking, drain well, and gently stir into the cheese sauce.
  
• Divide the pasta among the 12 muffin cups.
  
• Top evenly with the breadcrumbs.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are just starting to brown. 
• Let cool completely before removing from the pan. You may need to loosen the cups with a butter knife before gently removing them from the pan.

Notes

Tips and Techniques for Perfect Baked Mac and Cheese Cups

• Use a smaller pasta shape like elbows or shells to make filling the cups easier. Fun shapes like the gemelli used in the photos work too.
• Shred the cheddar cheese from a block for the best melting and texture.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 2-3 days.

How to Make Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Cups

To make this recipe gluten free, you will need to use gluten free pasta and gluten free breadcrumbs.

Also, swap out the all purpose flour for cornstarch and the results should be almost identical.

** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 309IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 1mg