Mac and Cheese Muffins

April 29, 2020 Muffin Mama2 Comments

God knows, we all need comfort food, let alone more dinners that aren’t “same old.” We may not have answers about the current crisis, but Mac and Cheese can provide a needle of normalcy in the haystack of chaos.

While we are isolated with more (super-imposed) together time than ever before, these muffins offer home-cooking that our families long for, while at home 24-7.

Mac and Cheese Muffins have been a highlight at my family’s Thanksgiving dinners, and lately, we have a lot to be thankful and hopeful for, especially our health.

The muffins’ layered textures melt in the mouth —the crunchy top is crisp and buttery. These muffins freeze well, re-heat easily and make tasty lunchtime treats.

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins (makes 18)

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 Tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup milk (whole or skim)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp pepper (to taste)

Crunchy Topping

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil, and salt.
2. Add cheese.

Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease tin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes (until slightly firm).
3. Remove pot from heat, drain macaroni, and return macaroni to pot. Stir in butter and beaten egg until pasta is evenly coated.
4. Add to the pasta the Cheddar cheese, milk, Parmesan, mozzarella, and cottage cheese. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir.
5. Distribute mixture into each cup of prepared muffin tin.
6. Sprinkle the Crunchy Topping mixture over the tops.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until tops are nicely browned.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing muffins from the tin (this allows the cheese to set and muffins to take shape).

Butter Muffins

November 14, 2018November 26, 2018 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Sunny yellow in color, just-baked Butter Muffins will fill your home with the scent of sugar melting. Out of the oven, the finished product leaves you feeling like you just walked into an awesome bakery on a Sunday morning.

But don’t just bake them to make your house smell delicious. The taste is buttery, rich and sweet. The texture is like a cookie-cake. And, milk with vanilla adds protein on a cozy morning in a happy home.

Butter Muffins (makes 18)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp milk or yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and spray muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and milk and mix well.
4. Fold flour mixture into wet mixture and mix well.
5. With an ice cream scoop, distribute batter into muffin cups.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until muffins appear slightly golden around the edges and on top.
7. Let muffins cool 5 minutes in pans and then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm.

Mashed Potato Muffins

December 6, 2016December 5, 2016 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

While they bake in the oven, they may smell like French fries, but these muffins are a whole lot healthier. Their crisp, hash brown-y crust and fluffy potato middle will reinvent your leftover mashed potatoes.

Post Thanksgiving, load them up with leftover Turkey or take them to a new level with tons of cheese, bacon bits and chives. Keep them simple with just salt and pepper, or omit the chives on top for kids who prefer their muffin to look “clean,” without garnish.

MuffinizⓇ this classic comfort food and keep your forks in the silverware drawer.

Serve with sour cream.

Mashed Potato Muffins (makes 12)

3 cups mashed potatoes*
1 large egg
1 1/4 heaping cups Cheddar and mozarella cheese, shredded and divided
3 Tbsp chives, chopped and divided
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, egg, 1 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons chives.
4. Add salt and pepper and stir.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the potato mixture into the prepared muffin pan (use the back of spoon to pack potatoes down into each cup for a flattened top or leave as is for a more puffy/textured muffin top).
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and crisp around the edges.
7. Remove pan from the oven, sprinkle muffin tops with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and return them to the oven for 3 more minutes.
8. Remove muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
9. Transfer muffins to a serving dish, top them with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chives (optional) and serve immediately.

Notes:
*To measure mashed potatoes, scoop and pack them into a measuring cup and then level it off.
*Mashed potatoes can vary in thickness. To thicken consistency, add an egg to the mixture.

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Muffins

November 19, 2016November 22, 2016 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Bursting with the flavors of Fall, these pumpkin Nutella muffins are swirling perfection. The pumpkin puree makes these muffins silky moist. And the Nutella doesn’t drip or spill all over.

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Muffins (makes 12)

2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, egg and coconut oil.
3. In a separate medium-size bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
5. Fill each muffin cup with pumpkin batter to 1/4 high.
6. Add a dollop of Nutella to each muffin cup and use a toothpick to swirl.
7. Top with the remaining pumpkin batter, add a dollop of Nutella to each muffin cup, and swirl with a toothpick.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, before removing to a wire cooling rack.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Muffins

November 19, 2016November 21, 2016 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Sweet, but not too sweet. “Vegetable” that’s tasty. Muffin, not cupcake. This recipe is original take on an all time favorite. The inside-out-treat is heaven on earth with frosting baked inside.

The muffin itself is soft, fluffy and moist inside. The peaks of frosting on top are just waiting to be licked.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Muffins (makes 18)

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup carrot puree
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to blend: flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In another large mixing bowl, whisk until fully incorporated: sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and carrot puree.
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
5. In another medium-size bowl, make the Cream Cheese Filling: whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
6. Spoon some carrot batter into each muffin cup to about ¼ full, followed by about one heaping teaspoon of filling directly into the center. Place dollops of remaining carrot batter on top of the cream cheese mixture to fill ¾ of each cup.
7. Bake for 18 minutes until edges start to brown and the muffins are firm to the touch (If some filling oozes from the top, rest assured your muffins will be perfect!).
8. Remove muffin pans from the oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes.
9. While muffins continue to cool, fill a ziplock bag (with the corner snipped) with the remaining cream cheese filling and pipe into the hole where the filling broke through the top of the muffin. (With the remaining frosting, fill the small hollow cavity inside of each muffin.).
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spider Muffins (Creamy Cornbread Muffins)

October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Inspired by a recipe for New England Spider Cake, these muffins don’t require a “spider,” or even resemble the insect.

“Spider” is the name of the cast-iron skillet, used in Vermont for making cornbread. This recipe works just as well in a muffin pan as in the cornbread skillet used during the nineteenth century.

The “trick” to making these muffins is to pour cold cream over the batter, prior to placing it in the oven. As the muffins bake, the cream sinks, forming a custardy middle layer. This produces a muffin of different textures and flavors: the center is sweet and creamy while the top and bottom is buttery and crisp.

This cornbread-pudding-soufflé is like nothing else! Now, take pleasure in telling your children you’re making “spider muffins.”

Spider Muffins (Creamy Cornbread Muffins) (makes 24)

2 cups milk
4 tsp white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup heavy cream
Maple syrup, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside to sour (wait 5 to 10 minutes — you’ll see the milk get lumpy).
3. In another bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
4. Whisk eggs into the soured milk. Stir into dry ingredients and set batter aside.
5. Add melted butter to batter (batter will seem liquidy).
6. Distribute batter evenly into 24 muffin cups.
7. Pour cream into the center of each muffin cup.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden brown.
9. Serve warm, with maple syrup if you’d like.

Now, put on some cozy slippers, curl up, and indulge in sweet, simple deliciousness.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Muffins

December 1, 2015December 2, 2015 Muffin Mama3 Comments

For die-hard pecan-pie fans, these muffins are a pie-brownie hybrid. Infused with chocolate, a sticky, bite-size pecan pie is not only gooey, sweet, buttery and energy-packed, but perfect for both chocoholics and brownie-lovers.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Muffins (makes 18)

¾ cups light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped

1. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, flour and salt until smooth.
3. Whisk in the butter and chocolate.
4. Fold in the pecans.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to distribute batter evenly into each muffin cup.
6. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.
7. Let muffins cool in pan and then transfer to refrigerator to chill.
8. Use a sharp knife to run around the edges of the muffins to remove them from the pan.
9. Serve cold.

Onion Soup Muffins

February 25, 2015 Muffin Mama1 Comment

Ladies and gentlemen, this is quite a muffin.

I have fond memories of ordering French onion soup at a small restaurant in Elkin’s Park, PA, named Winston’s. The French onion soup was to die for. I remember eating the cheese first by twirling the spoon and “cutting” by pressing the cheese against the side of the soup bowl. The cheese would dangle from the spoon. And once the cheese was gone, the bread and broth was full of onion-y deliciousness.

These savory muffins are as much of an experience as eating the melted, bubbly cheese on top of the bowl.

The layers of flavors in these muffins mimic the half-crisp, cheese-covered croutons half submerged and soaked in delicious onion broth. They make the perfect accompaniment to soup, eggs, or greens.

Onion Soup Muffins (makes 6)

1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 medium-large onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup milk (I used whole)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 oz smoked Gruyere cheese, shredded (you may use Swiss, Asiago, Mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, or any combination of cheeses instead of Gruyere)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; stir in the onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are a rich caramel color, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, thyme, black pepper, and remaining 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
4. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, and Worcestershire.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the caramelized onion and shredded cheese.
6. Fill each muffin cup with batter.
7. Fill the empty muffin tins halfway with water for even baking.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cheesecake Muffins

January 21, 2015February 23, 2015 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Luscious and dainty, these cheesecake muffins are dusted with powdered sugar, inspired by the delicate dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Their sweet taste is tinged with a cheese-cake-y tang that is out-of-this-world. The vanilla extract and wafer cookie crust send a hint of caramel right to the heart of the cakes. And the bottoms are not soggy!

Rich and creamy, this great dinner party dessert is perfect for any season. The sprinkled powdered sugar on top suggests an edible winter wonderland. The velvety-smooth cream cheese makes a platter ideal for spring and summer and any holiday that highlights dairy foods.

These beautiful cakes are light but dense with flavor. They are sized just right for the calorie conscious and baked in small cups for little hands.

The best part of this recipe is that it’s so easy and effortless while still creating the illusion that a pastry chef has spent hours in the kitchen.

For a taste of New York, make cheesecake muffins ahead of time and serve, any time of the day.

Cheesecake Muffins (makes 12)

24 vanilla wafer cookies (I recommend Nilla Wafers)
One 8 oz packages cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
12 foil cupcake liners
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray or line it with paper liners and spray liners.
2. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar. Add in flour and baking powder and beat until combined. Then mix in eggs, one at a time, lemon juice, and vanilla.
3. Fill a muffin pan with cupcake liners and place two vanilla wafer cookies at the bottom of each one. Divide batter between 12 liners, filling each cup up to about 1/4 inch from the top.
4. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Remove muffins from oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Chill in refrigerator for two to four hours.
7. Top with powdered sugar and serve.

Muffin Pan Popovers

December 30, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin Mama1 Comment

Delicious and perfectly puffy, these popovers look like a picture in a magazine. They are crisp on the outside and custardy on the inside.

Before attempting this recipe, I thought popovers were tricky to make, only by pastry chefs in restaurants. But this recipe is full-proof – just whisk the ingredients, pour into tins, and bake (no peeking!). A half hour later, the most glorious puffed pastries emerge. These hollow culinary treats are nicely eggy on the inside and easy enough for my kids to make. You need only five ingredients and a muffin tin to pull them off.

It’s always best to eat popovers fresh from the oven, but if you need to make them ahead of time, just as you’re ready to eat, warm them at 350 F for about 5 minutes, until warm and crispy again. (My kids like them soggy, too, ‘though).

These popovers make a great side dish for a Christmas or holiday dinner. They are wonderful for breakfast with jelly or honey or butter.

Popovers freeze well – place in an airtight bag or container for up to three months.

Baking Tips:

*To get the popovers to puff, heat the empty muffin pan in a very hot oven before pouring in the batter. Then, halfway through the baking time, lower the heat to let them dry out.
*Frothing the batter just before you pour it into tins helps popovers puff.
*Cutting a slit in the bottom of each popover helps steam escape as they cool, which gives a great effect.
*Keep the oven door closed during baking to ensure a consistent oven temperature and prevent the popovers from deflating.

Muffin Pan Popovers (makes 12 small or 6 large)

1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
2 large eggs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

1. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter until completely combined. Add flour and salt and whisk until frothy and bubbly.
3. Preheat oven to 450 F. Let popover batter rest while the oven heats (this adds texture and gives the flour time to absorb the liquid).
4. Put muffin pan in the oven for 2 minutes to warm.
5. Remove pan from oven and distribute remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter between the muffin cups. Whisk the batter to froth, again, and fill each cup halfway.
6. Bake popovers for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking (or popovers will deflate).
7. Reduce the heat to 350 F and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes. Now you can open the oven door to check popovers. They should be golden brown, dry to the touch, and sound hollow when tapped.
8. Remove popovers to a wire cooling rack. Pierce bottoms with a knife to allow steam to escape. Cool just enough to handle comfortably.
9. Eat immediately.

Muffin Mama

Recipes for little hands (and grown-ups, too)

Category: Fall Comfort Food