Leftover Macaroni and Cheese Cups are a fun way to use your leftover mac and cheese. These baked muffins are handheld, portable, and perfect for kids for lunch boxes, snack or party appetizers.
My top tips - Make sure the pasta cools completely, and don’t skip the butter for the topping. Continue for more!
👉 These mac and cheese muffin cups have been a long-time reader and family favorite recipe since I published it back in 2020. It was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions in January 2025.
Whenever someone asks for a way to use leftover mac and cheese, I always recommend this recipe! It's simple to make in a muffin pan, with a crispy, crunchy breadcrumb topping and a perfectly baked pasta that holds its shape without feeling too heavy.
Jump to:
- Reasons to love it
- Featured comment
- Table of contents
- What types macaroni and cheese to use?
- How to make macaroni and cheese cups?
- Can you use paper liners?
- How to remove from the pan?
- Looking for more ways to use leftover mac and cheese?
- Recipe tips
- Storage/Reheating Instructions
- More kid-friendly pasta recipes:
- Leftover Macaroni and Cheese Cups
Reasons to love it
Perfect for Kids: Perfectly portable and ideal for school lunches, playdates, or an after-school snack.
Texture: Crispy and crunchy panko topping with soft and cheesy macaroni pasta without being heavy.
Taste: It’s like oven-baked mac and cheese with a golden breadcrumb topping, but in a perfectly portable muffin form.
Ease: Feel free to use any leftover pasta—whether it's your favorite Kraft version or our homemade recipe. Just make sure you have 3 cups of pasta to yield 6 servings.
Featured comment
From Emma: "This was so good, amazing for a party or something easy. Came out great!"
Table of contents
What types macaroni and cheese to use?
While you can technically use any leftover pasta, a thicker, creamier mac and cheese works best. It holds together more easily when baked and maintains that rich, cheesy flavor you crave!
- Homemade - I used my homemade one-pot mac and cheese recipe for this, which has a perfectly balanced, creamy sauce and a generous amount of cheese. This makes it ideal for the muffins, as the richness helps them hold their shape beautifully.
- Kraft or store-bought boxed mac and cheese - It is a great choice if you're short on time or need a convenient option without sacrificing flavor.
- Baked casserole - I recommend avoiding baked dish, as it tends to be much denser than the stovetop version. Keep in mind that mac and cheese thickens significantly as it cools. However, if you’re using baked mac and cheese, just add a splash of milk or extra grated cheese to loosen it up if the mixture looks too dry before shaping it into cups.
How to make macaroni and cheese cups?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
👩🍳 Type of cheese to use - I recommend using the same cheese you use for your macaroni and cheese. For my recipe, I used shredded cheddar, but if you’re using Kraft box mac and cheese, you can mix it up with shredded cheddar, gruyère, gouda, Swiss, Monterey Jack, or any combination of these for extra flavor.
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👩🍳 Grease, grease and grease - Make sure to spray the muffin pan with a generous coating of cooking spray to help the muffins release easily.
Can you use paper liners?
I prefer greasing the pan instead of using paper liners because it allows the mac and cheese cups to form a beautiful golden crust around the edges. If you do use paper liners, be sure to let the muffins cool completely before carefully peeling away the paper.
Step 7 - Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or the tops are deep golden and crisp.
How to remove from the pan?
To remove the muffins from the pan, run a butter knife around the edges to loosen them before lifting them out. If you're using paper liners, allow the muffins to cool completely, then gently peel away the paper to release them.
Looking for more ways to use leftover mac and cheese?
While I’m a big fan of these muffins, there are plenty of other creative ways to use leftover mac and cheese, as shared by fellow bloggers:
- Waffles - Spread leftovers into a waffle iron and cook until crispy for a fun, savory snack.
- Balls - Shape into balls, coat with breadcrumbs, and fry, bake or air fry for a crunchy snack or appetizer.
- Soup - Thin the leftovers with a little milk or broth, then add extra seasonings to turn it into a creamy soup.
- Frittata - Mix with eggs and veggies, then bake for a savory frittata.
- Stuffed peppers - Fill red or green bell peppers with leftovers, top with cheese, and bake until golden and bubbly.
Recipe tips
- Grease the muffin pan generously, as mac and cheese bites tend to stick. A good coating will ensure they release easily once baked.
- To remove the muffins from the pan, run a knife around the edges to loosen them before lifting them out. If using paper liners, gently peel them away to release the muffins.
- For best results, use mac and cheese at room temperature. Cold mac and cheese can be too stiff and difficult to incorporate with the other ingredients.
Storage/Reheating Instructions
To store: Store the cups in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, or freeze them in a sealed zip-top bag for up to one month.
To reheat: To reheat frozen leftover macaroni and cheese cups, bake them in a preheated 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or air fry at the same temperature for 8-10 minutes. For a quicker option, you can microwave them for 1-2 minutes, though this will result in a less crispy texture.
More kid-friendly pasta recipes:
Leftover Macaroni and Cheese Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover Mac and Cheese cooled to room temperature
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese refer notes for more options
Topping
- 2 ½ tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- ½ tablespoon melted butter
- 1 pinch paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Spray a 6-cup muffin pan with a generous coating of cooking spray.
- Add mac and cheese, beaten egg and cheese into a medium bowl and mix well, until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin pan, press it down gently, and sprinkle the prepared topping on top.To make the topping, mix the panko, melted butter, and paprika in a small bowl.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is deep golden in color.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen them before gently lifting them out of the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Love this idea Maria! The kids would definitely love these for a snack or lunch!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
These are so fun!!! I would love to try them out for my kids since mac and cheese is basically their fave thing to eat!
Teri
My family absolutely loved these. A perfect way to use that left over mac and cheese from Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you for the recipe. I did add a dash of hot sauce to the recipe other than that followed recipe as is.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it hun – Maria ♡
Rie
I've been looking for a great receipe to use leftover mac n cheese and I finally found it! They came out amazing 🙂
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡