Macaroni and Cheese Bites with Ham

I've discussed before how my husband is not a fan of homemade macaroni and cheese. But he LOVED these. Maybe it was the compact size? Or the ham? Or the overall cheesy goodness? I don't know, but I'm glad he's finally converted.

A note about these "bites." The only muffin pan I own is the jumbo size, so my mac and cheese bites were not even close to bite size. They were more like fist size, and my mouth is just not that big. Use whatever size tin you have on hand and it'll work out great.

Macaroni and Cheese Bites with Ham

(adapted from Food2)

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 jumbo size, 12 regular size, 24 mini size

Ingredients

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni, uncooked
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk

pinch nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
9 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided use
1 cup diced cooked ham
1 egg, beaten (use 2 eggs if making jumbo size)

Directions
1) Cook macaroni according to package instructions; drain and reserve. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

2) Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently.

3) Reduce heat to low and stir in 8 ounces cheese until melted - about 1 minute; stir in ham.

4) Gradually whisk egg into cheese mixture until combined. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce, and divide mixture into muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1 ounce of cheese over the tops.

5) Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. (Cook another 5 or so minutes if you're using the jumbo size.) Allow to cool before taking the bites out of their tins. Enjoy!