Tailgating Food Ideas: Mac and Cheese Bites

The golden days of summer may be coming to a close but there’s a silver lining: Tailgating. Yep, with the end of summer comes the start of football season and another wonderful year of tailgating with friends and family. Whether you’re an avid sports fan or not, tailgating is a blast. You get to spend time outdoors with friends and family, eat amazingly good but bad for you foods, and the competitive atmosphere is simply contagious. Make this year’s tailgating parties the best ever with some new delicious tailgating food ideas.

Tailgating food ideas seem to be the same old thing year after year. Sure, the food is great, but this year, let’s spice things up. Your family may be a bit leery of trading in old tailgating food ideas for new but they won’t second guess you once they take a bite of these mouth-watering dishes. To inspire you to try new tailgating food ideas I’ve put together this recipe for Mac and Cheese Bites and this recipe for Jalapeno Poppers.

This tailgating food idea for mac and cheese bites will be devoured by adults and kids alike. If you need additional inspiration for kid friendly recipes follow Freebie Finding Mom’s Toddler Lunch Ideas Pinterest board.

Tailgating Food Ideas: Mac and Cheese Bites

This recipe makes approximately 48 mini muffins.

INGREDIENTS
½ lb. whole wheat elbow macaroni
2 tbs. butter
¼ C. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbs. flour
¾ C. milk
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
½ C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg yolk
½ tsp. paprika

12 count muffin tin

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cook the macaroni according to package directions for about 6-7 minutes, remove and drain.

3. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle 2 tbs. of the grated Parmesan into the bottom of each muffin cup.

4. In a medium saucepan melt, the butter and whisk in the flour – whisking for about 2 minutes.

5. Next, add in the milk and continue to stir continuously, bringing the mixture to a boil.

6. Once boiling, add in the shredded cheeses and stir until melted.

7. Remove from heat and stir in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the cooked pasta and stir until coated.

8. Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of the pasta into each muffin tin. I used an ice cream scoop and it worked great.

9. Sprinkle a little extra Parmesan cheese on top of each mac and cheese bite and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Enough to heat through and meld all the flavors.

10. Remove from the oven and enjoy.

There you have it, a freshly baked tailgating food idea that is sure to make your party a hit. Do you have other tailgating food ideas? If so, share them in the comments!