A few weeks back I got this crazy great email from Catherine McCord reaching out to me to see if I wanted a copy of her new book, Weelicious – One Family One Meal. Immediately responding with a big YES, I anxiously waited for the mail man each day for my package to arrive. When it did, I ripped open the packing material and started thumbing through the pages – earmarking recipes that I wanted to make, with more than half of the book earmarked.
With a busy week shuffling 3 boys here, there and everywhere, plus the Jewish New Year stuck in the middle of all of that (tons of cooking for that), I settled on her Mac Chicken ‘n Cheese bites to accompany some grilled chicken, kale chips, and a cucumber salad.
With all the ingredients on hand, including some shredded chicken that was leftover from a few chicken breasts I had roasted two days prior, plus both kinds of cheddar, this was the obvious choice. Converting this recipe to a gluten free version was a simple task. Using brown rice penne and my gluten free all purpose flour blend to make the roux, whipping up this dish in less than 20 minutes was just what I needed at the end of a very busy day.
There are so many more recipes I want to try. On the top of my list are the brown rice and veggie casserole, shrimp fried rice, chicken and wild rice casserole, veggie nuggets, “fried” green beans, oatmeal on the go bars, apple-cinnamon sticks, and so much more! Just yesterday, Levi picked the book up and with unprovoked excitement, he chose a few recipes that needed to be on next weeks meal plan. He’s 6. If he’s asking for something new and different, I am going to give him what he wants!
What I loved most about making macaroni and cheese in individual servings (which, duh, I have never done), is how easily it transferred into the lunch box the next day. Warming up the thermos (filled with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes before putting in the food) and the mac ‘n cheese muffins(wrapped in foil, in toaster oven at 300*), simultaneously, was easily done in 5 minutes.
This book is a must have in everyone’s home library. That is why I am offering one lucky Urban Baker reader a copy of Catherine’s book. It’s easy to enter and only takes a few minutes.
How to Enter
You have until Sunday, September 30th, 12 midnight PST to enter this giveaway. The Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 2 days to respond or a new winner will be selected. U.S.A. residents only.
You can enter multiple times by leaving a separate comment for each of the following steps listed below:
• tell me your favorite mac ‘n cheese recipe.
• go to Weelicious’ Facebook page and like her page.
• go to The Urban Baker’s facebook page and like me!
• tweet about this giveaway. make up one of your own or tweet this sample message: pls RT @theurbanbaker has a copy of @weelicous new book #giveaway. family + kid friendly meals http://is.gd/ufDJOV
• follow @therubanbaker on Twitter
• follow Catherine McCord on Twitter
• follow my pin boards on Pinterest
• follow Catherine’s pin boards on Pinterest
• follow @susansalzman on Instagram
• sign up for my RSS feeds and receive my blog posts each week
• Stumble this post and follow me (and see who I follow) @theurbanbaker on StumbleUpon.
Good Luck!
Mac Chicken ‘n Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
2 ounces | 57 grams | 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus more for greasing the pans)
1.25 ounces | 35 grams | 1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayanne (optional)
16 ounces | 450 grams | 2 cups whole organic milk
8 ounces | 225 grams | 1 cup organic heavy cream
4 ounces | 112 grams | 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces | 112 grams | 1 cup raw, white cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces | 112 grams | 4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
3 ounces | 86 grams | 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
1 pound brown rice penne (I like Trader Joes)
Instructions
• in a large stock pot, bring copious amounts of water to a boil. add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to water. add pasta and cook for 8 minutes. drain and set aside.
• preheat oven to 400*
• generously butter(I use room temperature butter and a piece of wax paper. this helps cover it evenly) two 12 cup capacity muffin tins. set aside on rimmed baking sheets.
• in the same pot that you cooked the pasta, melt the butter over medium heat. whisk in the flour and salt and whisk for 1-2 minute until all is combined. you want to make a roux. this will help thicken up your sauce later on. add white pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne.
• slowly add the milk and cream, whisking to combine. bring to a boil, whisking the whole time. let boil for two minutes and then turn heat down to simmer. cook until thickened, about 5 – 7 minutes.
• off heat, add both Cheddars, ricotta, and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. using a rubber spatula, stir until combined.
• in a large bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, and cheese sauce.
• using a 1/4 cup ice cream scooper (or a large spoon), fill individual muffin cups with pasta mixture.
• sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan over macaroni cups.
• bake 20 – 25 minutes or until tops are starting to turn golden brown.
• let cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tins (I actually made these in the morning and let sit at room temperature. at dinner time, I removed them – in one piece – and warmed them slightly in the oven).
• save left overs for the lunch box. I warmed them, wrapped in foil, in the toaster oven for 5-7 minutes and then placed in a warm thermos. got rave reviews when I picked the boys up from school!
The Urban Baker / SusanSalzman.com
More Weelicious Info:
Brocolli Pesto – ivillage
A great interview w/Catherine – Ergobaby Blog
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars – Siriously Delicious
These are so fun & very pretty Susan. Will make for my kids 🙂
I’ve seen muffin tin mac n cheese before but never got around to making it. So cute! My kids would love it and they’d definitely be handy as leftovers. My favorite mac n cheese is a good ole baked mac – really just about any cheese works but I love extra sharp cheddar for that.
I like you on fb 🙂
I like weelicious on fb
I follow you on twitter
I get your rss! 🙂
My DD loves mac&cheese! I’m following The Urban Baker on Twitter, @GrainFreeFab
I’m following weelicious on twitter, @grainfreefab
I’m following you on Pinterest
I’m following Catherine on Pinterest.
I started following your boards on Pinterest.
I have been following Catherine’s board on Pinterest and added a few more today
Liked Weelicious’ FB page (as Jessica McKinney)
Liked Urban Baker’s FB page (as Jessica McKinney)
Really a good idea this portable mac’n cheese… so bad I live in Canada! I will look for this book next time I go to a bookstore!
Following Weelicious on FB.
Following @theurbanbaker on Twitter
Following Catherine’s boards on Pinterest
Liked The Urban Baker on FB
Following Catherine McCord on Twitter
Following The Urban Baker on Pinterest
I love a southwestern mac and cheese
I am an email subscriber
I think my favorite mac ‘n cheese recipe is from Bon Appetit, but I’m not with my cookbooks right now and couldn’t tell you for sure!
I’m also a fan on Facebook.
I’m now following Susan on Pinterest.
I’m also following Catherine’s Pinterest boards.
honestly, i like the box mac and cheese!
liked weelicious on fb
liked you on fb
these are adorable, as is Catherine McCord! My fave is plain old cheddar!
I’ll have to give these a shot. We don’t eat a lot of mac-n-cheese, so the muffin size is perfect!
So fun!
Love these and the idea of mini mac and cheese ‘cupcakes’ – Catherine’s book looks so great too.
I’ll be out of town when the drawing is held, but I went and did a few of the above things (twitter and facebook) just because I like the sound of her book! Thanks for sharing!
I am a fan on facebook, I follow you on Pinterest, and I will now follow you on twitter too! My favorite mac and cheese is my mom’s old school baked one with eggs. I have tweeted it a bit but still love the original!
I like weelicious on FB.
Patti Labelle’s Over-the-Rainbow mac and cheese is my favorite mac and cheese recipe.
I like you on FB!
I follow you on Pinterest!
I follow all of Catherine’s boards on Pinterest!
I follow all of your boards on Pinterest!
I love Catherine’s mac and cheese recipe, so do my kids!
I like weelicious and urban baker on fb. Love finding new blogs and recipes! Thanks.
I like the Urban Baker on fb
I like weelicious on fb
I follow theurbanbaker on twitter
I follow Catherine McCord on twitter
i’ve been making these as a way of portioning out extra mac-n-cheese (WolfCreek’s Mac N Cheese is a easy favorite), freezing the portions in muffin cups, then baking them up or popping them out and storing in a ziplock to be microwaved for individual portions.
My favorite mac and cheese is baked with gouda!
I just discovered you and am following you on facebook now.
I am a weelicious FB fan.
I liked the Urban Baker FB page.
I like Weelicious on facebook!
I like The Urban Baker on Facebook!
We like plain ol’ mac & cheese at our house with whole grain noodles cheddar cheese and plenty of cracked pepper…usually accompanied by a green smoothie:)
My aunts sister in laws recipe is amazing !
I love just good old traditional mac and cheese with breadcrumb topping!
butternut squash mac and cheese!
I liked Weelicious’ Facebook
Christy Lowery Wiggins
I follow Catherine McCord on Twitter
@jinxyisms
I follow Catherine McCord on Pinterest
@Jinxyisms
I follow you on Pinterest
@Jinxyisms
I follow you on twitter
@jinxyisms
I really like Pioneer Woman’s baked mac and cheese recipe. It’s pretty tasty!
I get your RSS Feed.
I stumbled this to my sister in law and I follow you on SU.
I just make mine out of a box but this looks so much better!
Great idea! I love the single serving “cupcake!”
I liked you on fb! 😀
I liked weelicious on fb!
Although your recipe looks AMAZING, I think my favorite mac&cheeze recipe I’ve tried so far is the Mac Daddy recipe in “Veganomicon.” It is to die for!
I already like you on FB!
I like Weelicious on FB!
I’ve tweeted about the giveaway! https://twitter.com/TrebleTart/status/250994413042556928
I already follow you on Twitter!
I follow Weelicious on Twitter! 🙂
I follow your boards on Pinterest!
I follow Catherine’s boards on Pinterest!
I follow you on Instagram!
wow so cute! Great giveaway!
I like weelicious on FB
My favorite mac-n-cheese is the recipe my younger sister makes with 5 different cheeses! My son won’t even let me make it because he says she does it better 🙂
I follow Catherine McCord on Twitter (@elissam)
I follow @therubanbaker on Twitter (that’s how I found out about this giveaway!)
I follow the Urban Baker on PInterest
I follow Catherine’s pin boards on Pinterest
Lobster mac & cheese- yum!!
I’m an email subscriber.
Susan, these look amazing! I think I’ll make them for my daughter’s birthday party… can’t wait to try them!