Prosciutto-Wrapped Macaroni and Cheese Cups CHOW Recipe

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Bring a large saucepan (about 4 quarts) of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
3. Meanwhile, cut the prosciutto in half crosswise. Place 1 slice in each well of a 12-well muffin pan, pressing the prosciutto evenly into the bottom and up the sides of each well; set aside.
4. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the panko and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
5. While the pasta is draining, rinse the saucepan and wipe it dry. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the flour has darkened slightly in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the milk very slowly, whisking it into the flour-butter mixture. Continue cooking, whisking constantly to smooth out any lumps, until the mixture simmers and thickens, about 6 to 7 minutes.
7. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the reserved pasta water, cheeses, mustard, measured salt, and pepper and whisk until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the drained pasta and stir to combine.
8. Divide the pasta mixture among the wells of the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the reserved panko. Cook until the edges of the mac ’n’ cheese cups are bubbling slightly and the tops are light golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Remove the muffin pan to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. Run a small knife around the perimeter of each well to loosen and remove the prosciutto cups. Serve immediately.
10. Comment from site:I have made these 3 times now. The first time for Thanksgiving (Canada has it in early October), I went by the recipe and used regular sized muffin tins. They were very good. I tried them in mini muffins and while still tasty they were brown and unappetizing to look at. The 3rd time I made them for a party using my mini muffin tins. I used 16 slices of prosciutto cut into thirds, increased the pasta to 12 ozs (but kept the rest of the ingredient measures the same). I added ground mustard and cayenne pepper (about 1/8 t each) and a quarter cup thawed frozen spinach well-drained to give them a pop of colour. This made 48 mini muffins which I baked for 20 mins...they were gone less than 15 minutes after I put them on the food table at the party.