These jalapeño mac 'n cheese bites swap out the more traditional milk with yogurt to make them creamy. They're perfect finger food for any casual party, especially a game day party.
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Mac and cheese dishes are always crowd pleasers, whether they're served as an appetizer as in this recipe, or a main dish on a weeknight, like a Mac and Cheese Impossible Pie. And they're flexible recipes, for example if you want to infuse a different flavor into the sauce. I love curried mac and cheese, like this Curried Cauliflower Mac and Cheese main dish.
But adding something spicy like peppers, is the best. These jalapeño mac and cheese bites are 2 to 3 bites, and great for almost any gathering.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Small elbow macaroni
- Sharp cheddar cheese - extra sharp is fine, if that's your preference
- Fontina cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Plain yogurt - either 2% or full fat
- Spices - I use Hungarian Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper
- Egg
- Pickled jalapeño peppers
- Panko breadcrumbs - I use my brown buttered breadcrumbs.
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making these jalapeño mac and cheese bite are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview!
Step 1
Make breadcrumbs. If you plan to top the mac and cheese bites with breadcrumbs, make them first. I start with Panko breadcrumbs, so they're cheater breadcrumbs. I often make gremolata breadcrumbs, but for this recipe, use browned butter breadcrumbs.
Step 2
Prep. Preheat oven and prep a muffin tin with butter. Cook the macaroni pasta to al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
Step 3
Make mac and cheese. Reserve ½ cup of the cheese on the side. Add the butter, remaining cheese, yogurt, and all of the spices. Gentle stir until the butter and cheese melts.
The mac and cheese should be cooled a little by the time this is done. Stir in the egg and pickled jalapeño peppers.
Step 4
Make the bites. Spoon the mac and cheese into the muffin pan, top with a little cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown.
Step 5
Serve. Run a knife around each jalapeno mac and cheese bite and lift out. Serve warm.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Use cream cheese in place of the yogurt.
- Since the jalapeños in this recipe are pickled, there's not a lot of heat in the little mac and cheese bites. If you want to introduced some heat, add a little chipotle spice rub when you stir in the cheese.
🎉 More Party Food Recipes
If you want something really really simple for a movie night, make this Nutritional Yeast Popcorn. It's healthy, vegan, affordable, and absolutely delicious. And you only need 4 ingredients including seasoned salt and olive oil.
Jalapeño Mac and Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup Browned Butter Breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups uncooked small elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Fontina cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup plain yogurt either 2% or full fat
- ½ teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño slices or to taste
Instructions
- Make the Browned Butter Breadcrumbs and add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt while they're toasting.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and thoroughly grease a mini muffin tin with butter or oil.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and add the macaroni. Cook until al dente, about 6 - 8 minutes. Drain and spill the cooked macaroni into a large bowl.
- Stir in the butter, all the cheeses EXCEPT ½ cup of the cheddar cheese, yogurt, and all of the spices until the butter and cheeses melt. Stir in the egg and chopped jalapeño.
- Spoon into the prepared muffin tin almost to the top. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of cheddar cheese over each "muffin" and top with about 1 teaspoon of breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and place the muffin in on a warming tray for 10 minutes while the "muffins" set up. Run a sharp knife around the edges and gently remove.
- These are best eaten slightly warm.
The Ninja Baker
LOL Susan. Your analogy of skimming the surface is spot on. Smaller crowds work for me also...But I must say your scrumptious looking spicy mac 'n cheeses would fit in for any size crowd!
Choc Chip Uru
Adding a jalapeño kick to mac and cheese is certainly perfect 😀
Delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Renee
I like smaller gatherings too. Then you get a chance to talk with everyone. I also very much like mac and cheese and your addition of jalapeño plus, oh heavens, browned butter breadcrumbs sounds incredible.
Liz
Great party tips! And I'd love to nosh on your spicy mac and cheese bites...so please invite me to your next big bash 😉
Hezzi-D
Yum! I want to get in the kitchen and make these now! We love mac n cheese and my husband is a jalapeno fanatic!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Your description of large parties is spot-on! I agree with you, and am often frustrated by never finishing a conversation, with ANYONE! It's like there are 25 unclosed loops!
Love your tray of mac n cheese. Would snitch a handful of those!
Shelby
I'm all for the jalapeno heat in these little bites, and that browned butter crumb topping sounds amazing!
cheri
Hi Susa, great idea, perfect appetizer. I enjoy smaller parties as well, it's so much easier.
Rita
LIKE the flavor profile in the bites, Susan. I developed a similar recipe for my Angostura bitters client, but made it in a baking pan. Here's the link: http://getcookingsimply.com/eat-mac-cheese-with-your-fingers/
Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Oh good gracious these sound AMAZING!!!
Jennifer Miller
I'm drooling right now -- I love the jalapeño twist!
Cathy
Susan what an inventive idea to make individual servings and I love adding the jalapeño, too healthy with yogurt tho 🙂
Simply Gourmet
These sound perfect!
Alice
gosh I can think of so many places that I could bring these little poppers! 🙂 thanks for sharing! a great party idea!
Norma Chang
I find as I mature (getting older) I prefer small, casual gatherings to larger ones. Great idea with the mac and cheese bites.
Shaina
Ohhh I love that you used fontina cheese, so good! Mac and cheese with a little kick to it is never a bad idea.
Cindys Recipes and Writings
I love different versions of mac and cheese! Awesome idea!
apuginthekitchen
Smaller gatherings are so the way to go and the only way, at least for me to enjoy a party. I love your little individual mac and cheese bites and the extra kick of jalapeno is perfect.
Ala
Awesome! I was JUST eyeing the girl's mac 'n cheese at the table next to mine at lunch, so you've totally hit it on the nail with this recipe. Love the social butterfly vibe and love this delicious bite-sized food!
Sarah
TOTALLY hear you on the smaller group preference. I don't play nice with hordes of 20 haha. These bites look delicious too, I wouldn't mind popping a couple dozen!
Oui, Chef
HA....such a funny AND tasty post! I'm with you, Susan, small parties are so much more enjoyable.
Pure Grace Farms
I love these little spicy bites. The crunchy brown butter topping sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friday's this week.
Blessings,
Shari
Sid
I've been having such great fun looking through all your recipes. And I had to comment on this. I host a party every month, I try to have people bring finger foods, but it never seems to work that way.
You asked what is the most important thing, mine is that I take one hour, for a shower and a nap the day of the party. So what if all the serving trays aren't out and waiting, it's much more important to be relaxed and rested. I never know how many people will show up at one of our parties, and it's all good. And for any newbies, I point them in the direction of the wine glasses, tell them where I keep the serving utensils, and basically tell them to make themselves at home.
Then I skim through and have half conversations with just about everyone.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
What a fabulous idea. I love the idea of taking that hour for yourself - and your relaxed style of entertaining! I have a couple of parties to put together for various friends to come over, and I'm completely on board for this. I agree that if guest see that you're relaxed and having fun, they will too. But if you're nervous about whether everything is just so, it puts everyone on edge. I'm so happy you've enjoyed my blog this month 🙂