I was watching one of my favorite Food Network people, Giada, the other day on a show about cooking with kids. She made these cute little Baked Mac and Cheese Cupcakes and I thought it would be a fun thing to make for my family. I changed up her recipe quite a bit though to make it my own. I though this would be a great way to sneak some extra veggies and whole grains into my kids. She put ground turkey meat into hers, which I omitted. I added mushrooms & onions but left out the asparagus. I also used whole grain pasta to up the nutritional value of these. These are very versatile. You can change up the veggies, cheeses and pastas to make this your own. I must say they were really good and fun to eat. It kind of brings out the 3 year old in you.
We enjoyed ours with grapes and garlic bread.

Baked Mac and Cheese Cupcakes from Giada

2 cups whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked and chopped broccoli (I just cooked up some frozen)
1-2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Chop up the tomatoes and broccoli and season with salt and pepper, set aside in another bowl.

Cook the onions and mushrooms over medium heat until tender. Mix in with the tomatoes and broccoli.

Spray cupcake tins with non-stick spray and coat with breadcrumbs, shaking any excess off.

In the bowl with the pasta, add the provolone and cheddar and combine well.


 Add 2-3 Tbsp. pasta mixture to each muffin tin. Place the mixed veggies throughout the pasta in each muffin cup. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan and breadcrumbs.


Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely, the gently remove with spoon. It is important to let cool or they won't come out like "cupcakes".


How do you like my new plates? I thought they would be fun for the kids.