Wizzley

Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes Topped With Mashed Potato Frosting

by DerdriuMarriner

Baked macaroni and cheese can signify food other than casserole. It may be shaped into attractive, tasty cupcakes, frosted with mashed potatoes, and topped with cherry tomatoes.

Baked macaroni and cheese can be cooked in oblong or round casserole dishes. Each serving then is portioned with a serving spoon. An equally tasty and visually appealing cupcake variation offers the additional attraction of preportioning.

As with its casserole equivalent, this recipe is open to countless variations in additional ingredients and seasonings. The mashed potato frosting also may be enhanced with favorite seasonings. It even may undergo visual changes through artificial or natural food coloring.

The recipe is easy to make, fun to look at, tasty to eat, and welcomed by all ages.

Super Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes galore: sweet perfection as garnishes
Super Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes galore: sweet perfection as garnishes

Recipe for Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes With Mashed Potato Topping

Prep time: 10 minutes -- Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for 12 servings

Food coloring or natural coloring, such as beet juice, may be added to mashed potatoes for colorful topping.

Ingredients for Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes

 

  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 2 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

 

Ingredients for Mashed Potato Frosting

 

  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes:  peeled, cubed, diced, quartered, or sliced
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 12 cherry tomatoes

 

Instructions

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C or Gas mark 5).

Line 12-cup muffin pan with foil liners.

  • Note:  Be sure to remove any paper liners, because they only serve to separate foil liners in the retail package.

 

1. Bring a pan of water to boil. Then add macaroni and cook until tender but still firm, usually about 5 to 7 minutes.

  • Drain macaroni into colander and return to pot.

2. Place pot on burner at medium heat and add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until almost melted.

  • Leave on burner but turn off heat.

3. In a small bowl, beat eggs into milk.

  • Combine eggs-milk mixture with macaroni and cheese, making sure to mix well.
  • Ladle into muffin foil liners.
  • Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over each cupcake.
  • Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

4. While cupcakes are baking: prepare mashed potato frosting.

  • In a pot filled with water, boil Yukon Gold until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Drain into colander and then return potato pieces to pot.
  • Add cream cheese and mash well.
  • Add shredded cheddar cheese, nutmeg, and white pepper. Gently fold.

5. When cupcakes are done:  remove muffin pan from oven and place cupcakes on serving platter.

  • Spoon mashed potato frosting into pastry bag and pipe onto tops of macaroni and cheese cupcakes.

Garnish each cupcake with a cherry tomato. Serve and enjoy!

 

mac 'n' cheese cupcakes with mashed potato frosting topped with cherry tomatoes
mac 'n' cheese cupcakes with mashed potato frosting topped with cherry tomatoes

Variations

 

Green onion curls splash colorfully against mashed potato frosting and contribute flavorfully to the satisfying taste of these cupcakes.

Further creativity abounds for coloring the frosting, if desired, with food coloring or natural coloring, such as beet juice.

TOSTITOS® SCOOPS!® Tortilla Chips substitute beautifully for muffin foil liners and offer crunchiness as well as additional aesthetics, tastes, and textures. Also, they serve as a completely edible version of this recipe: after all, who eats muffin wrappers?*

 

*Well, actually, I chew on paper wrappers for cupcakes and muffins. Apparently, according to my recent Bing search, I am not alone! And there is even a Facebook page for wrapper aficionados:

Eating/Chewing Muffin and Cupcake Wrappers !

 

Do you chew cupcake or muffin wrappers?

completely edible variation: substitute Tostitos Scoops for muffin foil liners
completely edible variation: substitute Tostitos Scoops for muffin foil liners

Acknowledgment

 

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

 

Image Credits

 

Super Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes galore: sweet perfection as garnishes: Pluma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cherry_tomatoes.jpg

mac 'n' cheese cupcakes with mashed potato frosting topped with cherry tomatoes: Leo Dirac (leodirac), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/leodirac/6005606726/

completely edible variation: substitute Tostitos Scoops for muffin foil liners: ChrisGampat, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisgampat/4293255892/

green onion curls as garnish atop mashed potato frosting colorfully dyed with beet juice: Sarah Nichols (Sarah&Boston), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/pocheco/3462302401/

 

green onion curls as garnish atop mashed potato frosting colorfully dyed with beet juice
green onion curls as garnish atop mashed potato frosting colorfully dyed with beet juice
the end which is also the beginning
the end which is also the beginning

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Updated: 04/04/2024, DerdriuMarriner
 
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Comments

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DerdriuMarriner on 08/26/2017

Margielynn, It's a crowd-pleaser for looks and tastes.

Guest on 08/25/2017

This is so neat, I have never seen anything like this, I bet kids would love them, us adults too!

DerdriuMarriner on 10/14/2013

aingham, The first bite into a macaroni and cheese cupcake definitely qualifies as unexpectedly weird. The second bite and all those that follow will most definitely qualify as wonderful. They're habit-forming.
Thank you for visiting and commenting.

AlexandriaIngham on 10/14/2013

Wow! These are really interesting. It's definitely something to put on my list to try. I always believe that everything needs trying at least once when it comes to weird and wonderful recipes.

DerdriuMarriner on 10/14/2013

JoHarrington, It is most interesting to watch first-time eaters grab the cupcake, take a big bite, get a momentarily questioning look, and then have at the rest. Macaroni and cheese fans will not feel betrayed, even though sugary cupcake eaters will definitely be having second thoughts about what constitutes a really good cupcake.
Thank you for visiting and commenting.

JoHarrington on 10/14/2013

This is such a novel idea. I love it!

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