Easy Snack | Bacon Mac n' Cheesy Bites

Sorry, kiddies. Thanks to an allergy-fueled lazy night, the fettuccine has been postponed to tomorrow's update. Instead, I will be watching the Darkest Hour and vegging out with a delectable frozen pizza.

Still have to have movie snacks, though!

In fact, snack foods are probably the biggest necessity in our house. My boyfriend, who is in his late 20s, has the snacktabolism of a 16 year old. Recently, I've been buying these Hot Pocket Snacker things for him. They're good and they're easy, but at $3 a pack for only 12 little bite-sized bits, they just aren't cutting it.

So, I've been on the quest to find easy and inexpensive homemade alternatives. Preferably something that can be frozen and reheated later, or at least keep for a little bit in the fridge.

Playing around online led me to an interesting snack idea on Allrecipes.com: Easy Mac and Cheese Muffins. The original recipe is simple homemade goodness, but as always, I made it my own.

Plus, you can make it super easy and super quick by using packaged mac instead of making your own, though if you take that route, use 1/2 cup of shredded cheese in the mix (your choice), as well as a tablespoon of butter, otherwise they'll end up dry. I'm sure whether you make the match from scratch or from the package, it will taste absolutely wonderful!


Bacon Mac n' Cheesy Bites
Yield | 212 servings

Prep Time | 15 minutes
Cook Time | 40 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow pasta
1 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese (or similar), shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs (Cheez-its make the BEST topping!)
5-6 slices of bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins.

The cheesier, the better.

Bring a pot of water to boil; add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain. Return pasta to pan and stir in butter, egg, milk, all cheese except 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (reserve for topping), crumbled bacon, and ranch. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Everything is better with bacon!

Spoon mixture into muffin tins. Top with remaining cheddar and breadcrumbs - we were out of Cheez-its, so I opted for Panko.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin.

The photo doesn't nearly capture their yummy-ness.

You can try so many variations of these. Buffalo mac, chili mac, anything you'd like in full-size mac n' cheese. And don't forget, to make these faster and cheaper, you can always substitute the pasta, cheese, butter and milk for pre-packaged mac n' cheese.

Boyfriend-approved. Then again, anything with bacon typically is! Cheesy, chewy, bacony goodness with just a hint of ranch.

Ohhh yeahhh...

Next time: Blackened Tilapia with Fettuccine and Grilled Summer Veggies... inspired by How Sweet It Is's Grilled Corn and Tomato Fettuccine... I promise! NO more allergy nights!

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