{Kids in the Kitchen} Let's Do Lunch!

Hello September (yay!) and week two of the Kids in the Kitchen series. If you missed last week, we shared a healthy and toddler friendly breakfast: Egg, Sausage, and Cheese Muffins. And if you are new here altogether then check out the details of this series in my introduction post.  

This week we are taking you all on a lunch date! It happens to be in my kitchen and we are serving another muffin tin, toddler friendly recipe. I love muffin tin cooking because I can create bite sized, on-the-go food (perfect for my on-the-go son) and I can make double batches to freeze for leftovers. This week's muffin tin concoction consists of my son's top three favorite lunch time foods:

Ham, Mac, & Cheese Bites

8 oz elbow pasta, cooked according to the package
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons wheat flour
1 cup fat free milk
2 cups mixed Colby-jack/cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Cracker Crust:
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (Cook pasta before starting).

2. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk for a couple minutes. Slowly pour in milk and whisk until is boils. Then, stir in cheese until completely melted.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in pasta, ham, dry mustard, and any other seasonings you wish.

4. Spray or grease the muffin tin(s). 
Cracker crust:
With a mixer: add crackers, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Pulse on low until fully mixed and crackers are finely crushed.
Without mixer: crush crackers into a bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add butter and mix thoroughly with hands. 
Line the each muffin tin cup with the cracker mixture. 

5. Add the mac and cheese mixture to each cup; fill to the top and then lightly pat down to help pasta bind together while cooking. 

 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes; the tops should start to brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove bites from the tin with a spoon and enjoy!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly lunch ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us nex

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 8: Dinnertime!
September 15: Delicious Desserts.
September 22: Snack Attack!
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)

What You Will Need

8 oz elbow pasta, cooked according to the package

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons wheat flour

1 cup fat free milk

2 cups mixed Colby-jack/cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup ham, diced

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Cracker Crust:
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (Cook pasta before starting).

2. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk for a couple minutes. Slowly pour in milk and whisk until is boils. Then, stir in cheese until completely melted.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in pasta, ham, dry mustard, and any other seasonings you wish.

4. Spray or grease the muffin tin(s). 
Cracker crust:
With a mixer: add crackers, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Pulse on low until fully mixed and crackers are finely crushed.
Without mixer: crush crackers into a bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add butter and mix thoroughly with hands. 
Line the each muffin tin cup with the cracker mixture. 

5. Add the mac and cheese mixture to each cup; fill to the top and then lightly pat down to help pasta bind together while cooking. 

 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes; the tops should start to brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove bites from the tin with a spoon and enjoy!

Also don't forget to check out what all of the other ladies put together for this week's item in the link-up below. And if you have a post (new or old) that you created featuring kid friendly lunch ideas submit it below in the link-up. No post this week? No problem; join us next Monday when we will be talking all about dinner!  

 And in case you want to join and get a head start, here is the complete list for the coming weeks:
September 8: Dinnertime!
September 15: Delicious Desserts.
September 22: Snack Attack!
September 29: Kid Creations...(Let your kids come up with a recipe!)