• Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Blog
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • Ethnic Cuisines
    • Asian
    • French
    • German
    • Irish
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Portuguese
  • Testimonials
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
×
Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

January 28, 2013 · 7 Comments

Mac and Cheese Poppers

Appetizer Recipes· Game Day· Kid Friendly Meals· Low Fat Recipes· Meatless Recipes· Pasta Recipes

273 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Threads
  • Bluesky
Jump to Recipe -

These Mac and Cheese Poppers are baked, not fried with lower fat cheese and milk for a healthier snack option. 

Reduced Fat Mac and Cheese Poppers

Many people are always looking to change up their food offerings for this once a year event, and of course there will be the usual suspects, like chicken wings, dips and salsas. This year, I'll be sharing a few new options for you to try.

Today, I'm starting off with a healthier option for these Mac and Cheese Poppers. Not because I'm trying to watch my weight (which doesn't hurt!), but because last year, 43.3 MILLION women tuned in to watch the NY Giants vs. the NE Patriots (and yes, I was one of them).

Football, especially the Super Bowl, has become iconic for not only the game, but for the commercials, halftime entertainment and yes, food.So I thought I'd recreate some "picky food" favorites (as Gab likes to call them) a little healthier by using reduced fat ingredients and portioning them a little smaller.

If you recall from my latest newsletter, one of the trends this year will be for restaurants to offer "small plates" or "me only plates" of food. So even if you have four of these, they're still under 100 calories, without giving up the taste. Also, smaller portions allow you to try a variety of different foods.

You can also make these ahead of time, up to two days prior, refrigerate them on a baking sheet; then bake them in a 375 degree oven for 5-8 minutes prior to serving. Another idea is to bake these in mini muffin cup liners...the kids will love them! ~Enjoy!

Reduced Fat Mac and Cheese Poppers

Mac and Cheese Poppers (Reduced Fat)

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
These Mac and Cheese Poppers are baked, not fried with lower fat cheese and milk for a healthier snack option. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 100

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. Elbow Macaroni
  • 1 tbsp. Butter
  • 1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 c. Skim Milk
  • 8 oz. 2% Velveta Cheese, cubed cubed
  • 1 Large Egg
  • Cooking Spray
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
  • While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large pot then whisk in the flour forming a roux.
  • Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go; then add the cheese and stir until all of the cheese has melted. Let simmer on a low flame.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a fork, then add a little of the hot milk and cheese mixture to it to temper the egg. (You don't want to cook the egg. If it looks cooked or scrambled, you added too much liquid).
  • Add tempered egg to the milk and cheese mixture; then add in the cooked pasta and mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray, then using a small kitchen spoon, add the pasta to the tin so that it's filled to the top. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes; then allow to set for 5 minutes.
  • Use a plastic knife to release them from the pan (so it won't scratch it) and serve. Makes approximately 100.
Keyword pasta
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
A close up of food, with Cheese

 

More Appetizer Recipes

  • roasted chickpea and leek hummus in a glass dish
    Roasted Chickpea and Leek Hummus
  • Italian fried artichoke hearts on a plate
    Cuori di Carciofi Fritti (Italian Fried Artichoke Hearts)
  • a white plate with four greek appetizer skewers
    Greek Style Appetizer Skewers
  • buffalo chicken meatballs on a white plate with dip
    Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Previous Post: « Florentine Baked Cavatelli with Ground Turkey
Next Post: Buffalo Wings (Hooter's Copycat) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anita at Hungry Couple says

    February 03, 2013 at 5:50 am

    These look delicious. I'd just have to keep myself from eating too many of them. 🙂

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      February 04, 2013 at 3:02 pm

      I know, that's the problem! 😉

      Reply
  2. Shiloh Barkley says

    January 29, 2013 at 1:45 am

    I like this-but hate velveeta-great idea!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      January 29, 2013 at 7:14 pm

      Thanks Shiloh!

      Reply
  3. Lynn Cleland says

    January 28, 2013 at 5:46 pm

    this is a good snack time for kids as well as even for a meal.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      January 29, 2013 at 7:13 pm

      It sure is Lynn, thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Not sure what to make for dinner? The ingredients for a quick and easy family-friendly home cooked meal are right in front of you. Join me as experiment with new recipes sourced by local, fresh ingredients. Enjoy!

Stay up to date

Categories

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · Carrie's Experimental Kitchen