Mock-a-Roni

This recipe was created when my baked macaroni and cheese loving husband asked for something more individualized to minimize leftovers. It has been a weekly staple for several years now and our 6 year old now prefers this to traditional baked macaroni.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 365 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoons butter
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• ½ cup orzo
• ¼ cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Step 3

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir Cheddar cheese into melted butter until cheese starts to melt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk, egg, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to cheese mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until cheese sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir orzo into cheese sauce until evenly coated.

Step 4

Spoon orzo mixture into ramekins and top each serving with bread crumbs. Place ramekins in a shallow baking dish.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until topping begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Allow 'mock-a-roni' to cool enough to handle ramekins without potholders, about 5 minutes.