Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (2024)

Jump to Recipe

These baked breaded macaroni and cheese bites are the perfect way to enjoy any leftover macaroni and cheese. The macaroni is coated in a breadcrumb mixture before being baked in the oven until crisp on the outside. They are a bite-sized snack that both kids and adults will love.

If you're looking for more easy-to-make snacks, try my sausage cream cheese biscuit bites, Lil Smokies pigs in a blanket, and air fryer pickles.

Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (1)
Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Make Baked Breaded Mac And Cheese Bites
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Reviews

Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that I know all about. I have many macaroni recipes, and these baked bites can be made using the leftovers.

Of course, you could make some fresh macaroni to turn it into these bites, too, but you'll need to give it enough time to cool first. Regardless of how you do it, everyone who tries them will love them!

🥘 Ingredients

  • Macaroni & Cheese - Grab your favorite leftover macaroni and cheese. If you don't already have some, I recommend Paula Deen's macaroni and cheese, my Southern baked macaroni and cheese, or my sour cream mac and cheese.
  • Flour - Flour will be a part of your dredging station for coating your mac balls.
  • Croutons - Crush up some Italian-seasoned croutons for some added crunch.
  • Panko - Italian-seasoned Panko breadcrumbs will be combined with crushed croutons for the exterior of your bites.
  • Parmesan - You can never have enough cheese!
  • Eggs - Eggs will be used to help bind everything together.
  • Olive Oil - Adding a thin coating of olive oil will help ensure that your bites become perfectly crispy.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Baked Breaded Mac And Cheese Bites

Considering your macaroni is already prepared, transforming it into baked balls is incredibly simple. Before you begin, you'll need a baking sheet, some parchment paper, three bowls, and measuring utensils.

The number of balls you'll make will depend on how large you make them. However, this recipe will yield eight servings.

Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (2)
Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (3)

Make Your Macaroni and Cheese

Step 1: Grab your leftover macaroni. Ensure your 4 cups (800 grams) of homemade macaroni and cheese have plenty of time to chill in the fridge (at least 12 hours).

Get Your Dredging Station Ready

Step 2: Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C/Gas Mark 7) and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.

Step 3: Brush. Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a basting brush to coat the parchment paper-lined baking sheet(s).

Step 4: Prepare the bowls. In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs until well combined. Use a second bowl for ¾ cup (90 grams) of all-purpose flour and then a third small bowl to mix the breading ingredients: ¾ cup (89 grams) of crushed Italian-seasoned croutons and Italian-seasoned Panko and ¼ cup (23 grams) of Parmesan cheese.

Portion & Coat

Step 5: Portion. Using a tablespoon, portion out large (approximately 1-1½ inch) chunks of the leftover macaroni and cheese.

Step 6: Roll and dip. Quickly roll in your palms to shape into a rough ball shape, then dip into the flour, egg, and breading mixture.

Step 7: Place. Coat each macaroni and cheese ball thoroughly, then place on your parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of your macaroni and cheese has been breaded.

Bake & Serve

Step 8: Bake. Bake at 425°F (220°C/Gas Mark 7) for 10-12 minutes, then brush over the baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roll the breaded macaroni and cheese balls to bake the opposite side for 8-10 minutes.

Step 9: Serve. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (4)

>>>>SeeAll Of My RecipesHere<<<<

💭 Tips & Notes

  • Chill the macaroni. Before getting started, allow your macaroni plenty of time to chill in the fridge to firm up. Place it into the freezer before portioning it into bites if needed.
  • Add some mix-ins. Upgrade your macaroni and cheese by adding delicious mix-ins like bacon or sausage.
  • Use a dipping sauce. Pair your bites with your favorite dipping sauces. I recommend ranch, Cajun dipping sauce, or spicy ranchero sauce.
  • Storage. These balls are best when freshly made. However, you could store them in the fridge and reheat them using an air fryer.
Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (5)

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media@Pinterest,Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

📖 Recipe Card

Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (6)

Print Recipe Leave A Comment

Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It!

5 from 10 reviews

Oven Baked Breaded Macaroni and Cheese Bites

These baked breaded macaroni and cheese bites are the perfect way to enjoy any leftover macaroni and cheese. The macaroni is coated in a breadcrumb mixture before being baked in the oven until crisp on the outside. They are a bite-sized snack that both kids and adults will love.

Author | Angela

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 21kcal

Prep 20 minutes minutes

Cooking 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 cups homemade macaroni and cheese (see recipe)
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Italian seasoned croutons (crushed)
  • ¾ cup Italian seasoned Panko
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions

  • Use leftover 4 cups homemade macaroni and cheese. (Use my Mac and Cheese recipe.)

  • Make sure that your leftover mac n cheese is nice and cold and set up (refrigerated for at least 12 hours). If needed, you can also freeze the macaroni just a bit before portioning out to coat with breading.

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper. Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a basting brush to coat the parchment paper-lined baking sheet(s).

  • In a small bowl, whisk the 2 Large eggs until well combined. Use a second bowl for the ¾ cup all-purpose flour and then a third small bowl to combine the breading ingredients: crushed ¾ cup Italian seasoned croutons, ¾ cup Italian seasoned Panko, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

  • Using a table spoon, portion out large (approximately 1- 1 ½ inch) chunks of the leftover macaroni and cheese. Quickly roll in your palms to shape into a rough ball shape, then dip into the flour, then the egg mixture, and next into the breading mixture. Coat thoroughly and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of your macaroni and cheese has been breaded.

  • Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 10-12 minutes, then brush over the baking sheet with the second 1 tablespoon of 2 tablespoon olive oil. Roll the breaded macaroni and cheese balls over to bake the opposite side for an additional 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 21kcal (1%) | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g (2%) | Fat: 1g (2%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Cholesterol: 41mg (14%) | Sodium: 21mg (1%) | Potassium: 15mg | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 59IU (1%) | Calcium: 6mg (1%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!

breaded, mac & cheese bites, oven baked

Course Appetizers

Cuisine American

Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (7)

Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com

Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!

bakeitwithlove.com/about/

Baked Breaded Macaroni & Cheese Bites: Easy Recipe Using Leftovers (2024)

FAQs

How do you make leftover mac and cheese good again? ›

How to Reheat Mac and Cheese on the Stove
  1. Add the mac and cheese and one tablespoon of milk (per cup of mac and cheese) to a saucepan or pot.
  2. Heat the mac and cheese over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
  3. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through.
Jan 12, 2024

How long is leftover baked mac and cheese good for? ›

Tips For Storing And Eating Leftover Macaroni And Cheese

In general, leftovers stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower should be eaten within three to four days, according to the USDA. If you can't eat it within that time frame, transfer it to the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to bake already cooked mac and cheese? ›

Oven
  1. Place the macaroni & cheese into an oven-safe dish. Make sure to only take out what you're going to use.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix to incorprate as much as possible. ...
  3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

How do you reheat mac and cheese with breadcrumbs? ›

Add a little bit of extra cheese, and then fill a casserole dish with the mixture. Top with a little bit more cheese and a breadcrumb topping (Zentner adds Goldfish crackers and Espelette pepper to his breadcrumb mixture to bring some extra punch to mac). Bake at 350°F until bubbling and delicious.

Can you eat cold leftover mac and cheese? ›

It's honestly the better way to eat it. After eating cold Mac and cheese, you feel refreshed and excited about life, versus after eating hot Mac and cheese where you feel gross and bloated. That's pretty much all I have to say about it.

Why does my mac and cheese taste bland? ›

If your mac and cheese tastes bland, it's either because it's under-seasoned, you didn't use flavorful cheese, or you didn't use enough cheese. Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy when reheating? ›

“Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat,” he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

Can you eat week old baked mac and cheese? ›

Store leftover mac and cheese in a sealed air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days for best quality.

Can you eat 5 day old mac and cheese? ›

Unless it smells, tastes, or looks like it's off, with leftovers, my rule is that a week is the maximum amount of time it should spend in the fridge, unless it's made from ingredients that were near expiration, in which case I'd consider tossing it just to be safe. This should be fine.

Why does my mac and cheese dry out in the oven? ›

It's also important to not undercook your pasta too much. You want the noodles to be al dente, but undercook them too much and they will not only absorb all the sauce, but take longer to bake, and that extra time in the oven will only dry out the macaroni and cheese further.

Why does baked mac and cheese curdle? ›

I'll spare you any more science-y talk, but the main culprits in curdled or split mac and cheese are too much heat and what kind of cheese you use. When you toss a bunch of cheese all at once into a béchamel mixture (milk-cream-roux) that's too hot (I like to keep the temp between 140 and 180°F) the sauce will split.

Why is my baked mac and cheese runny? ›

You added too much milk probably. You may have overcooked the pasta or not drained it thoroughly. Macaroni and cheese requires 3 ingredients and boiling water.

Why put breadcrumbs on mac and cheese? ›

Why put breadcrumbs on mac and cheese? Not only does a breadcrumb topping for mac and cheese provide great textural contrast to the creaminess within, but it also adds even more flavor to the dish.

Why does mac and cheese not reheat well? ›

Be careful not to overheat the mac and cheese, which will cause the proteins and fat in the cheese to separate, and which will also make the pasta mushy. If you made a stovetop version of mac and cheese, and you want to reheat it in the oven, it's not ideal, but it will work.

How do you reheat mac and cheese balls? ›

Reheat mac and cheese bites in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes at 400°F or in the air fryer at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes. It is not advised to reheat mac and cheese bites in the microwave. They'll turn soggy and may fall apart.

Can you save mac and cheese for the next day? ›

Everyone's favorite comfort food can be made up to 4 days ahead of time.

How long is leftover mac and cheese good for in the fridge? ›

Tips for storing and eating leftover macaroni and cheese

In general, leftovers stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower should be eaten within three to four days, according to the USDA.

How do you fix curdled mac and cheese? ›

Add a splash of the sauce's base liquid – if it's a milk-based sauce, for example, pour in a few teaspoons of cold milk. You may also add a splash of wine, beer or cream. Whisk the sauce vigorously for about 10 seconds; this may be enough to repair a cheese sauce that's just beginning to curdle.

Can you save mac and cheese for later? ›

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. While the oven is heating, let the baking dish sit out at room temperature. Bake covered until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 45 minutes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Zonia Mosciski DO

Last Updated:

Views: 5600

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Zonia Mosciski DO

Birthday: 1996-05-16

Address: Suite 228 919 Deana Ford, Lake Meridithberg, NE 60017-4257

Phone: +2613987384138

Job: Chief Retail Officer

Hobby: Tai chi, Dowsing, Poi, Letterboxing, Watching movies, Video gaming, Singing

Introduction: My name is Zonia Mosciski DO, I am a enchanting, joyous, lovely, successful, hilarious, tender, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.