Mini cups filled with creamy macaroni, savory beef, and cheddar, baked for a playful, portable comfort food.
# The Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Macaroni and Cheese Base
01 - 1 cup elbow macaroni
02 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk
03 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
04 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
06 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Cheeseburger Filling
09 - 1/2 pound ground beef
10 - 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
11 - 1 tablespoon ketchup
12 - 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
13 - 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
14 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Assembly
16 - 12 mini burger buns or slider buns, or 12 slices sandwich bread, crusts trimmed and flattened
17 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
18 - Nonstick cooking spray
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Bring salted water to a boil and cook elbow macaroni until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Remove saucepan from heat and incorporate cheddar, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. Fold in drained macaroni and mix well. Set aside.
05 - In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion together until beef is cooked through, roughly 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat.
06 - Stir ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into beef mixture. Cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat.
07 - Press each mini bun or flattened bread slice into prepared muffin tin, forming a cup that covers bottom and sides.
08 - Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cheeseburger mixture into each cup. Top with generous spoonful of macaroni and cheese.
09 - Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar evenly over each cup.
10 - Bake for 15–18 minutes, until tops are golden and bubbly.
11 - Allow cups to cool slightly before removing from muffin tin. Serve warm.
