In this post, we'll show you how to make Macaroni and Cheese Bites using a muffin tin. This easy appetizer recipe is made with crescent roll dough, cheddar cheese, and store-bought, prepared macaroni and cheese.
If you love macaroni and cheese everything, these baked bites are for you! They are bursting with cheesy goodness, and are a nice alternative to fried mac & cheese bites. They make a scrumptious lunch recipe for the kids.
Ingredients
Before starting this recipe, you'll want to verify that you have the following ingredients:
Macaroni and Cheese
The macaroni and cheese used to make these bites can be whatever brand or variety you prefer. You can use mac & cheese from a box, frozen, or premade from the prepared foods section.
The only catch is it needs to be fully cooked and allowed to settle (and thicken) for at least 15 minutes before using it in this recipe.
Cheese
This recipe uses cheddar cheese cut into cubes from a block. However, you can substitute the cheese for whatever cheese you prefer.
Crescent Roll Dough
We used the Grands! XL Crescent Dough tube which is 12-ounces of dough versus the standard 8-ounces of dough. This larger size product held up nicely when stuffed with the macaroni & cheese, and extra cheddar.
Equipment and Supplies Needed
We used the following equipment and supplies to make this recipe. Items that are optional or can be substituted will be noted.
- Standard Size Muffin Tin
- Conventional Oven
- Non-Stick Spray
- Knife
- Spoon
- Cutting board
Recipe Tips
This recipe is easy to make if you know the right tips and tricks! Here are my tips for ensuring your macaroni and cheese bites come out perfectly.
Keep Crescent Dough Chilled
When Crescent roll dough starts to warm up, it begins to rise and gets sticky. Therefore, keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to work with it.
Prepare all other ingredients first and have them ready to go before you open the dough tube.
Premade Macaroni and Cheese
As mentioned in the ingredients section above. The macaroni and cheese must be precooked. It doesn't matter what kind of mac and cheese you use, but make sure it's cooled and settled before adding it to the dough.
Storage
Macaroni and cheese bites can be stored refrigerated or frozen. Just follow these easy steps.
Refrigerator
To store the bites in the refrigerator, simply wrap them in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container. Place them in the refrigerator and store them for up to 3 days.
Refrigerated bites can be reheated in the microwave for 30 - 45 seconds per bite. Alternatively, you can reheat them in a toaster oven, or conventional oven (on a baking sheet) at 350°F for 3-5 minutes.
Freezer
To store the bites frozen, simply wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place them inside a zippered freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag. Place them in the freezer and store them for up to 3 months.
Frozen bites can be reheated in the microwave for about 90 seconds per bite. Alternatively, you can reheat them in a toaster oven, or conventional oven (on a baking sheet) at 350°F for 7-10 minutes.
Recipe
Follow the recipe below to make Muffin Tin Macaroni and Cheese Bites! This recipe makes 8 Bites, but you can adjust the recipe card for other serving sizes.
Muffin Tin Macaroni and Cheese Bites
Equipment
- 12-count standard size muffin tin
- conventional oven
- knife
- cutting board
- non-stick spray
Ingredients
- 8 oz crescent dough 1 roll is 8 oz
- 3 oz cheddar cheese or 8 small cubes
- ½ cup macaroni & cheese your choice
Instructions
- Prepare macaroni & cheese product; set aside (you will have extra).
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray.
- Open your crescent dough. Separate the pre-cute triangles and lay each triangle over an open muffin tin space.
- Add one chunk of cheese to each triangle.
- Add 1 tablespoon of macaroni and cheese to each triangle.
- Wrap each triangle over and fold into a ball.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven. Enjoy warm while still gooey.
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