Buffalo Mac ’n Cheese Bites

These triple cheesy mac ’n cheese poppers with blue cheese dressing will disappear fast— add extra kick with our spirited Fireball apple margarita!

6 oz. small egg bow pasta, about 1 3/4 cups 1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs 1/2 cup + 4 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups finely diced cooked skinless chicken 4 scallions, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup 2 ribs celery, finely diced, 3/4 cup 1 cup Cheez Whiz 4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, 1 cup 2 oz. pepperJack cheese, shredded, 1/2 cup 2 Tbs. hot sauce 1 cup chunky blue cheese dressing 2 Tbs. half-andhalf or milk 1/4 of yellow pepper Small cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, coat 48 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. In bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup parsley; reserve 1/3 cup mixture. Dividing evenly, sprinkle remaining panko mixture into muffin cups to coat.

In large bowl, beat eggs, then stir in chicken, scallions, celery, Cheez Whiz, Cheddar and pepper-jack cheeses and hot sauce; stir in pasta. Spoon about 1 Tbs. mixture into each muffin cup; dividing evenly, sprinkle tops with reserved panko mixture. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm and edges are lightly browned. Run small knife around edge of each muffin; cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in blender, combine dressing, half-and-half and 3 Tbs. parsley. Cover; blend until smooth. Transfer 1/4 cup dressing to plastic sandwich bag; pour remaining dressing into serving bowl. Reserve.

Arrange bites on platter in tree shape. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbs. parsley. Snip tiny hole in one corner of sandwich bag; drizzle dressing over tree. Using 2 3/8" star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out star from pepper; place at top of tree. Garnish with tomatoes. Serve with reserved dressing. Makes 48 bites.