These baked macaroni and cheese bites bring appetizer and comfort food together in one bundle. Yum! Serve them as a snack, appetizer, or even as part of a fun meal for kids.
Appetizers just make me happy. I’ll choose savory over sweet 99% of the time and often make whole meals of just appetizers. I call the holiday season “appetizer season – all the tasty little tidbits served over the holidays are foodie heaven for me! I’ve often said it was the “most wonderful time of the year (for food)”!
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Bites
You know what though? There is nothing wrong with eating appetizers any time of year. I even make whole meals out of just appys. It’s pretty much the perfect meal in my world.
When it comes to appetizers, we often have our favorites that we serve year after year but it’s always fun to try something new. I love macaroni and cheese, but I’ll be honest.
I’ve tried those fried mac and cheese balls at restaurants before and didn’t like them at all. Still, I knew with my deep abiding love of all things cheesy, there must be a way to tweak it. The key was baking them. Bonus points: they’re lower in calories too!
Assembly Tips:
It can take a bit of a knack to get these to hold together well and can be somewhat dependent on the macaroni and cheese recipe you use.
Mine is extra cheesy and I find that makes it easier. But, you can also make your mac and cheese in muffin tins. I scoop it in there using a big ice cream scoop and then bake it that way. Preforming the balls that way can also help with getting them to hold together later.
Another tip is to form the mac and cheese balls and then freeze them. Coat them while frozen. You may have to add an extra 5-7 minutes to the baking time so they’re heated all the way through.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Bites
Little bites of creamy macaroni and cheese baked to perfection! A great addition to any party menu.
Ingredients
- 3 cups macaroni and cheese
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
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Form cold macaroni and cheese into balls, about the size of a ping pong ball.
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Coat a baking sheet with olive oil.
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Beat the eggs.
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Set out a bowl of flour, a bowl with the beaten eggs in it, and a bowl of bread crumbs.
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Coat each mac and cheese ball in flour, dip into the eggs, and then cover in bread crumbs.
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Place coated macaroni and cheese bites on the baking sheet.
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Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F.
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Turn the bites over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
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Serve with dipping sauce – some of our favorite choices are Sriracha, marinara sauce, or Ranch dip.
Recipe Notes
It’s best to use leftover macaroni and cheese that is as cold as possible (but not frozen). Make sure it has been in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours to get the best results.
Don’t these sound AMAZING? They are too. I’ll warn you though – you can’t stop at just one.
Looking for more yummy appetizer ideas? I’ve got you covered!
Four incredibly easy 5-minute appetizers
Mini cheese ball appetizers on a stick
Yami | The Latina Next Door says
These look so yummy! I need to try these for sure!
Marie InteriorFrugalista says
Macaroni appetizer, what’s not to love! Yummy
Marie | DIY Adulation says
My kids would go nuts over these! What a fantastic and unexpected appetizer idea. Thanks for the delicious new recipe .
Carlee says
My tummy is growling just thinking about these! My guys will go nuts for them too!
Beverly says
Yum! I love that these are baked. I know they’d be a big hit at our parties. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Jenny says
Macaroni & cheese is a favorite at my house. I can’t wait to make these for the kids and see if they like them!
Brianne says
My kids and husband would love these! They look super easy to make! Very delicious-looking.
Ann F. Snook-Moreau says
OMG I love mac and cheese bites! I might have to bring these to my friend’s annual Christmas party this year.
Jeanette says
This would be gone the second I put them on the table! This would be a great game day treat too! I know my family would love them.
Jenn says
I made these a few times with a similar recipe. I’ll have to give this recipe a try, I bet my family will love them.
Trina says
These look delicious, my daughter is obsessed with all kinds of Mac and Cheese so I have to try these bites!
Ricci says
I am a Mac & Cheese fanatic! I would love to make these for myself soon!! YUM!
Kathy says
Wow, these look amazing. I’m going to save this so I can try them later. My girls love mac and cheese, and I bet these are going to be delicious!
Thena Franssen says
I’m not gonna lie…while my children would love these, I can’t wait to make them so I can try them too!
Danielle says
These look so delicious! I want to try some!
Super Mom - No Cape! says
It sure wouldn’t take long for these to be gobbled up at a party! They sound yummy and total comfort food.
Super Mom - No Cape! says
I can’t wait to try these!