Mac & Cheese Cups with Herby Bread Crumbs

Ingredients

For the mac & cheese:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup filtered water

4 scoops Else

½ cup canned pumpkin purée

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Can sub for vegan cheese)

½ tsp sea salt

⅛ tsp black pepper

1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles

For the topping:

3 tbsp bread crumbs

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp dried parsley

⅛ tsp garlic powder

⅛ tsp paprika

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard muffin tin with liners and set aside.
   2. Cook and drain macaroni noodles according to package directions.
   3. Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour, making sure it’s fully dissolved in the oil. Cook 1-2 minutes.
   4. Add water and Else to the pan, whisking until no lumps remain. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened.
   5. Stir in the pumpkin puree, shredded cheese, salt, and pepper. 
   6. Stir cooked noodles into the cheese sauce.
   7. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the muffin cups. You should get 10 muffins.
   8. Mix together the bread crumb topping by combining bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of the bread crumbs.
   9. Bake for 15 minutes until pasta is bubbly and bread crumbs turn golden.
   
   

   Note: For more fiber and protein, choose whole wheat, chickpea, or lentil macaroni.

Nutrition Information

For one mac & cheese muffin made with regular elbow macaroni

Calories: 160

Fat: 9 grams

Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams

Cholesterol: 12 mg

Sodium: 225 milligrams

Carbohydrate: 14 grams

Fiber: 1 gram

Sugar: 1 gram

Protein: 6 grams