Mac and Cheese Bites

Uhum.

Have we had the "Oh my goodness it's DECEMBER" talk yet?

No?  Well can someone explain how it happened so quickly?

I feel like I've been trapped in a bubble of school work and actual work for the last two weeks.  And apparently such bubbles make time speed up because when I looked at my planner this morning I snapped out of a daze to realize it was already December 7th.  What?  How?

Luckily my days in the busy world of la la land are numbered.  I'm done with class and on the home stretch with two more finals and one more paper.  Not too bad.  And once again, I should be either a) studying for those two finals or b) starting that paper instead of writing this post but...I'm not.



So on to the good stuff.  Mac and Cheese Bites.  Hello, I love you.

I could stop there.  But I won't.  Typically I'm not a mac and cheese kind of girl.  It's nothing personal.  I just never have the urge to whip up some mac and cheese.  Maybe I ate it too much as a kid.



*On that note...When I was little my dad and I would go to the lake nearly every weekend in the summer, which put a good 45 minute drive between us and mom.  And that meant that we ate hot dogs (the ones with cheese on the inside, obviously) and mac and cheese for almost every meal with the occasional peanut snack in between.  Talk about a kid's (and dad's) dream.*



But after a nibble of these...I was back on the bandwagon.  The texture from the cracker crust, the flavor from the boursin, and the creaminess from the cheese and sour cream is to die for.

I'll admit...I had a few spoonfuls as I was loading them into the muffin tins.  How could you not?  It's actually a required step.

These bites are perfect for a holiday party and will make you the hit of the party.  I promise.  Not going to a party though?  I would put this stuff in a dish and bake it up the same way for dinner.  You'll be the hit of the household.  I promise.



Adapted from Annie's Eats

Makes: 36+ bites
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes + 10 minutes cool time
Total Time: 45 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
16 ounces elbow noodles
2 cups butter cracker crumbs (Ritz)
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (5.2 ounce) package Boursin garlic herb cheese
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the box directions until just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes.  Drain.  Meanwhile, lightly grease several standard muffin tins with cooking spray or butter.  
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, and the melted butter with a fork.  Spoon a bit of the mixture into the bottom of each tin and press down with a fork or the bottom of a small glass.
3. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to a large mixing bowl with the remaining cheese, boursin, and cold butter.  Mix well.  In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, and sour cream whisking to combine.  Add the liquid mixture to the pasta.  Stir in the salt and garlic powder.  Mix well.
4. Divide the noodle mixture between the prepared muffin tins.  Bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes.  Let cool in the tins at least 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.  Serve immediately.
   

P.S.- Some exciting things are coming up next week!  On Monday I'll be guest posting over at This Heart of Mine for Amy's Homemade for the Holidays series!  She already has some great posts up so you should go check it out!  Also, on Wednesday I'll be posting my recipe for the Double Chocolate Cherry cookies that I sent out for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap so stay tuned for all of that yummy goodness!