Macaroni and cheese both are kiddie favourites ; delicious and easy to prepare as well.
In this recipe mac and cheese got a little make-over , and they look quite elegant .
Today few friends were home with kids , and these super tasty bites were loved .
I made macaroni with white sauce ,( the very basic recipe )
then baked it with a generous sprinkle of cheese , in a non stick cupcake tray .
And topped each with a spoon full of sweet and tangy salsa sauce.
The pasta can be made before hand and this can be ideal if you are catering for lot of children in one go .
The salsa sauce give the cheesiness of the bites a perfect balance .
They are a good choice for parties at home and surely will disappear quick from the snack table .
Recipe –
Ingredients for Mac and cheese –
1. 2 and a half cups of elbow macaroni
2. 3 tsp of butter
3. 3 tsp of flour
4. 1 tsp of mustard sauce
5. 1 and a half cup of milk
6. 2 and a half cup of grated cheddar cheese
7. One cup of broccoli cut into very small pieces
8. One small onion chopped
9. 2 cloves of garlic very finally chopped
10. Salt to taste
11 . Quarter tsp of Black pepper
12 . Half cup of dry bread crumbs
Ingredients for salsa sauce –
1. Finally chopped tomatoes 1 cup
2. one small onion chopped
3. Half a cup of chopped bell peppers
4. Chopped coriander
5. 2 cloves of garlic
6. 2 tsp of tomato ketchup
7. 1 tsp of chilly sauce
8. Half a lemon
9. 2 tsp of sugar
10. salt to taste
Method for mac and cheese –
In a large pot of boiling water add some salt and cook the macaroni as per the instructions given on the package .
Do not over cook the macaroni at this point , as we will be giving it a final bake later , so be watchful about that .
Meanwhile in a sauce pan add some butter , and sauté chopped onions and garlic , till translucent .
Add the broccoli , and sauté for a minute or so . Remove the onion and broccoli mixture in a bowl .
In the same pan add the butter over medium heat , sprinkle the flour and gradually whisk in some milk .
Bring it to boil , and constantly whisk until smooth and thick. Add in mustard sauce, salt, and pepper .
Add in the onion and broccoli mixture. Remove from the heat and add grated cheese ,
Do save some cheese for the final sprinkle on the top before baking .
Drain the macaroni and return it to the same pan; pour the sauce on top and mix with a gentle hand .
Butter the cup cake tray well and coat each cup with dry bread crumbs .
Divide the macaroni mixture between each cup , sprinkle with the remaining cheese .
Bake for 20 minutes at 200* c .
When done let it stand for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the cup and simply ease out each .
Method for salsa sauce –
In a big bowl mix together all the chopped vegetables .
Mix in sauces and lemon juice and sugar; season with salt .
Let this sauce rest in the fridge for some time as the flavour gets better .
Serve on the individual Mac and cheese cup cake.
Share the happiness and laughter with kids .
