Back To School With Four Quesos Potato Chip Mac & Cheese Cups

It’s time to get my son’s back to school uniforms washed, embroided, and ready to wear. We bought the perfect pencil case and backpack to get him first grade ready. More important than all the hoopla made over his shoes and clothes is getting his lunch right. I have a picky eater on my hands who won’t just eat anything I pack him for lunch everyday. In fact sometimes his lunch box comes back completely full. That is my worst nightmare to know my son is at school not eating. It has even become a challenge to send a simple sandwich and chips. It has to be what he likes or he’s just not going to eat it. Lucky for me there is a bright side to all this lunch madness, my son loves cheese. I know if I send a lunch loaded with cheese, he’ll eat it, and that’s what I tend to do most of the time. I usually make him quesadillas, or little pizzas, or grilled cheese sandwiches, but when I want to do something a bit more on the special side I make him mac and cheese with Cacique® Four Quesos Blend Shredded Cheese and potato chips. I bake them in cupcake holders for individual servings and easy packing purposes. This delicious compact lunch has worked like a charm. He loves being able to take a hearty cheesy mac and cheese to school and relishes the crunch that the potato chips provide. What he doesn’t know is I infuse the crema with onion, garlic, and basil to boost the flavor without him knowing those ingredients are in there. Just one less thing for him to complain about.
Note: Click the ‘Products‘ tab above to learn more about the Cacique® ingredients used in this recipe. You can find these ingredients near you by clicking the ‘Find Stores‘ tab, selecting the products you are looking for, and entering your zip code.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 - pound macaroni (cooked according to package)
- 4 – green onion sprigs (chopped)
- 21 - ounces Cacique® Four Quesos Blend Shredded Cheese
- 1 – stick of butter (melted)
- 1 – container of Cacique® Ranchero® Crema Con Sal
- 2 - garlic cloves
- 1/2 – cup onion (chopped)
- 5 – basil leaves
- 1 – cup potato chip crumbs
- Aluminum Cupcake holders
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil macaroni according to package. Drain macaroni and set to the side in a bowl.
- Chop green onion and mix it into the drained macaroni. Mix Cacique® Four Quesos Blend Shredded Cheese into cooked macaroni.
- Place cupcake holders in a cupcake pan. Fill each cupcake holder with 1/4 cup macaroni mixture.
- In a blender add melted butter, Ranchero® Crema Con Sal, garlic, onion, and basil. Blend until smooth. Evenly pour cream mixture over each cupcake holder. Evenly top each mac and cheese cup with potato chip crumbs.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until tops are perfectly crisp.