Katie's Mac & Cheeses

You can't get much more Southern than homemade mac and cheese!  Besides, who doesn't love macaroni and cheese?!  These single cupcake-sized servings are super cute and would be adorable at a kids – or grown-ups – party!  I found the recipe in Cosmopolitan magazine ages ago, thanks to Katie Lee Joel's column.  Make them ahead and reheat as needed.  Mix up the cheeses and pasta shapes to suit your mood.  Add other flavors, like dry mustard, parsley, cayenne, or more according to your tastes.  Pack them for a picnic.  Make mini-muffin sizes as a sweet little appetizer.  This dish is versatile, fun, and 110% picky toddler friendly (trust me...my son went through a phase where he would only eat food shaped like cupcakes!).

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

½ teaspoon onion powder 

¼ teaspoon black pepper 

2 cups skim milk 

2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese 

2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese 

10 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked to package instructions 

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced 

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix flour, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Slowly whisk in milk, then add cream cheese. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes, stirring, until thick. Remove from heat, and stir in 1½ cups cheddar cheese until melted. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix cooked macaroni and cheese sauce. Spoon into muffin tin. Top with a slice of tomato and shredded cheese. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes.