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Cheesy One Bite Baked Penne Cups | Creamy, cheesy and spicy baked penne pasta is baked into mini muffin cups for the tastiest appetizer around! They're the perfect one-bite snack!
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5 from 1 vote

Cheesy One Bite Baked Penne Cups

Creamy, cheesy and spicy baked penne pasta is baked into mini muffin cups for the tastiest appetizer around! They're the perfect one-bite snack!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Servings: 24 cups
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb mini penne pasta
  • 1/2 jar Ragu Spicy Italian pasta sauce
  • 1/3 lb ground beef one third
  • 2-3 Tbsp cream cheese
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese plus some for sprinkling, one third
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg beaten
  • Fresh basil or parsley to garnish

Instructions

  • Bring large pot of water to a boil.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 mini muffin pans with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Salt the boiling water, add pasta and boil for 2 minutes less than what the box says for "al dente".
  • Drain pasta and toss with some olive oil to keep it from sticking.
  • In a skillet over MED-HIGH heat brown and crumble the ground beef. Use a potato masher to get it into fine crumbles. Stir in garlic powder and Italian seasoning, along with a pinch of salt (not too much).
  • Drain beef and return to skillet.
  • Add pasta sauce and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted into the sauce.
  • Beat egg in a small bowl and set aside.
  • To a large mixing bowl, add pasta, meat sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine everything. Mix in egg until well combined.
  • Spoon pasta into muffin tins, pressing the pasta into the cups to really pack it in.
  • Bake for 6-8 minutes.
  • Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over the tops, return to oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and turning lightly golden brown.
  • Let stand for several minutes before removing from the muffin tins. Remove gently with a spoon.

Notes

** meat can be left out for a vegetarian version