Who would have known that mac and cheese breadsticks are a culinary possibility? Imagine comfort food inside comfort food. There is nothing better.
A bowl of mac and cheese is always soothing after a hectic week of working or studying. Eating mama’s or grandma’s classic creamy dish may already be gospel to you by now.
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Even so, you cannot always have mac and cheese anytime and anywhere because you need to have a container and utensils to enjoy it.
Breadsticks are comforting as well. Whenever you order at a restaurant, they offer you breadsticks to calm your stomach down until your food arrives.
Breadsticks are also always present with pasta and a glass of wine. What could be more comforting than that?
Now, imagine merging these two restoring dishes in one portable package that you can enjoy anywhere, anytime.
Using mac and cheese as your filling for breadsticks is possibly the most satisfying snack or appetizer you can get.
The right type of mac and cheese
If you think about it, there is no wrong type of mac and cheese to use in this recipe. It all depends on your preference and the amount of time you have.
Homemakers like me usually go for the frozen mac and cheese that you get from the freezer section of your favorite grocery store.
Frozen mac and cheese is a ready-made dish that you pop into a microwave, toaster oven, or oven before you enjoy it.
Using frozen mac and cheese is convenient because you can cut it into thin segments easily. If they are too frozen, you need to thaw the packs a bit in the fridge before you cut them up.
The noodles are already cooked and compressed, so it’s truly convenient, especially if you’re in a hurry to make a big batch of breadsticks.
There are many variations of frozen mac and cheese, so you can choose whatever you prefer and change the flavors without sweating it.
What if you do have the time?
Making mac and cheese from scratch (click for the recipe) is a level higher in my book. It’s an opportunity for you to share your own recipe of mac and cheese and turn it into hand breadsticks.
If you’re serving it to close family and friends, they will know your signature mac and cheese. But if there is a special theme to the gathering, you can change up the flavors yourself.
You can even regulate the saltiness and the texture, which you cannot do when you use frozen mac and cheese.
Once you’ve already cooked your mac and cheese, place it in a container that has corners. Make sure you press the noodles into the container so they can mold well in the fridge overnight.
You could then slice your mac and cheese into thin three-inch sticks. Just see to it that the slices aren’t too thick. You want your breadsticks to look like regular breadsticks and not hand pies.
Also, you want them to be quick little snacks and not tedious to eat.
Can you freeze mac and cheese breadsticks?
For busy homemakers and home cooks, planning meals ahead is necessary. These mac and cheese morsels can freeze really well since you are encasing the mac and cheese in pizza dough.
The dough will keep the mac and cheese intact as each stick freezes. You can also wrap them individually in cling wrap to make sure they stay fresh in the freezer.
When you’re ready to make them, you can thaw the breadsticks in the fridge overnight. Then, prepare to bake them the next day.
Can you make this healthy?
The healthy person inside everyone seems to be trying to make each dish healthy these days. Why not make these delicious breadsticks healthier to eat as well?
Sometimes, you want to add more nutrition to what you serve.
In truth, stuffing mac and cheese inside pizza dough is a carbohydrate-rich dish that needs a bit of fiber.
You can add herbs and minced vegetables to your mac and cheese before you chill and slice it into sticks.
Another way to make these breadsticks healthier is to add minced vegetables and herbs into the pizza dough.
Is it possible to make a meal out of them?
Of course, it is! These delicious breadsticks can become a meal if you partner them with meat and vegetables. It would become a beautifully balanced palate.
Porkchops, chicken Parmesan, roast beef, buttered vegetables, grilled beef patties, and meatballs are ideal with these breadsticks.
You can also partner them with various sauces that can complement the mentioned dishes. Casseroles, soups, and stews are also good choices to make a meal out of these cheesy breadsticks.
What type of cheese should I use?
Cheese is like wine. The choice is always personal, and aroma counts a lot. The choice of cheese you should use for the mac and cheese part of these delicious breadsticks depends on the eaters.
If you have kids as guests, you should stay away from pungent, strong-tasting cheese like blue cheese.
Instead, choose the more familiar ones like melty cheddar or mozzarella.
On the other hand, if you have a more mature, adventurous batch of guests, you should combine different cheeses to stimulate their often discriminating palates.
Can I be creative with the cooking method?
Definitely! In my book, there is no right or wrong method in cooking. It’s just a matter of knowing what you’re cooking.
You can bake, fry, grill, microwave, or dare say, air fry these breadsticks. It’s up to you to experiment with different ways to cook this versatile dish.
Just remember that the results you get from baking these breadsticks will be different from the results from other cooking methods.
What’s great about creativity is that you can get away with anything. In this case, you can even make your mac and cheese breadsticks a foot long or also make it into a huge roll.
Get these ingredients
- 12 oz frozen mac and cheese (check notes for the tip in cutting frozen mac and cheese)
- 8 oz pre-made pizza dough (or croissant dough)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (or use softened garlic butter)
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese (for topping)
- salt and pepper to taste
Step by step instructions
Step 1
-
- Preheat oven to 375°F
Step 2
Prep the frozen Mac and cheese:
-
- Remove frozen mac and cheese from its packaging.
- Carefully cut frozen mac and cheese and divide it into 8 pieces.
Step 3
Prep the pizza dough:
-
- Unroll pizza dough and using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut into 8 strips.
Step 4
Prep the breadsticks:
-
- Wrap each mac and cheese stick using the cut pizza dough strips. Working quickly while making sure not to leave any parts uncovered to avoid leakage when baking. Arrange in the greased baking sheet.
Reminder:
You need to work quickly when wrapping the frozen mac and cheese because you don't want them to fall apart while making it.
- Brush each breadstick with olive oil and sprinkle parmesan cheese. You can also, sprinkle your favorite seasoning.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F, or until dough is cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve warm.
Notes
Extra tip in cutting the frozen Mac and Cheese:
- Make sure you have a sharp knife and let the frozen Mac and cheese sit out at room temperature for 2-3 minutes before cutting.
- Run the sharp knife under hot water helps a little when cutting through the Mac and cheese.
Quick tip:
- Instead of olive oil, brush the top of the dough with softened garlic butter -- tastes so good! I swear.
Related recipes
Full Recipe
Mac and Cheese Breadsticks Recipe
Equipments:
- Oven
Ingredients:
- 12 oz frozen mac and cheese (check notes for the tip in cutting frozen mac and cheese)
- 8 oz pre-made pizza dough (or croissant dough)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (or use softened garlic butter)
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (for topping)
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven at 375°F
Prep the frozen Mac and cheese:
- Remove frozen mac and cheese from its packaging.
- Carefully cut frozen mac and cheese and divide it into 8 pieces.
Prep the pizza dough:
- Unroll pizza dough and using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut into 8 strips.
Prep the breadsticks:
- Wrap each mac and cheese stick using the cut pizza dough strips. Working quickly while making sure not to leave any parts uncovered to avoid leakage when baking. Arrange in the greased baking sheet.
- Note: You need to work quickly when wrapping the frozen mac and cheese because you don't want them to fall apart while making it.
- Brush each breadstick with olive oil and sprinkle parmesan cheese. You can also, sprinkle your favorite seasoning.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F, or until dough is cooked and golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly and serve warm.
Watch the Video:
Notes
Extra Tip in cutting the frozen Mac and Cheese:
- Make sure you have a sharp knife and let the frozen Mac sit out at room temperature for 2-3 minutes before cutting.
- Run the sharp knife under hot water helps a little when cutting through the Mac and cheese.
Quick Tip:
- Instead of olive oil, brush the top of the dough with softened garlic butter -- tastes so good! I swear.
Nutrition Information:
Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Dorothy says
This is so easy to make and so delicious. If you have a hard time cutting the frozen mac and cheese, you can thaw it first in the fridge for about 2 minutes. Don't forget to run your sharp knife on a hot water too.. this helps when cutting the mac & cheese.