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I love pasta. Macaroni, penne, bowtie, papardelle – whatever it is – I’ll eat it – but macaroni and cheese is the staple in our house! Today on the blog, I’ve taken my family’s love of macaroni and cheese to a whole new level and created a full blown pasta party! Everything from the decor to the menu is macaroni inspired and I had so much fun creating this one with my kids.
The Food
I love mac and cheese because of how versatile it is! You can eat it straight, add some protein or veggies and voila – you have a complete meal ready to go! So, while it is delicious all by itself, I decided to make these cute appetizers for my guests. I decided to go amuse-bouche style for this one because really, anything in small portions just seems so much fancier. I then added different options of toppings to the macaroni and cheese. I chose bacon, Italian bread crumbs (which I toasted a bit), and green onions. Amuse-Bouche Macaroni and Cheese Bites
Ingredients:
- 1 STOUFFER’S® Macaroni and Cheese, Family Size
- green onions
- bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Italian breadcrumbs, toasted
Instructions:
- Prepare the STOUFFER’S® Macaroni and Cheese per the package instructions.
- While it’s still hot, put a spoonful of macaroni cheese in a small ramekin or ceramic soup spoon.
- Top with the varying ingredients and serve.
Note: You can use many different types of toppings for your macaroni. Some of my favorites include chili, shredded buffalo chicken and blue cheese crumbles, and tuna.
I’ve made homemade mac and cheese a lot in my life, but I’ve found that my kids love the store bought stuff just as much – and it saves me loads of time! The macaroni and cheese I used for this is the STOUFFER’S® Macaroni and Cheese in the party size that I found in Walmart’s frozen food section.
There’s also an Ibotta offer June 13th through July 11 for $1.50 off one family size STOUFFER’S® Macaroni and Cheese and $3 off one Party Size STOUFFER’S® Macaroni and Cheese. So not only can you “Bring Home Creamy Cheesy Goodness”, you can also save a little money at the same time. Click on the image below for more information.
The Decor
What’s a party without setting the stage? Every party needs a little decoration, and this party is no exception! Here’s a look at the different items I made for this pasta party and instructions on how to make them! 
Spaghetti Flower Vase
I love having fresh flowers in the house, so for this pasta party, I decided to make this colorful spaghetti vase. You can use any kind of pasta, as well as any colors you like – or just leave it the natural pasta color.
What You Will Need:
- glass vase
- hot glue gun
- dry, uncooked spaghetti
- paint
- paintbrush
Instructions
- Put the spaghetti noodles up against the glass to measure how long you’ll need to make them to cover the glass. While pressing the spaghetti tightly against the glass, break the spaghetti off across the top – even with the top of the glass vase. Do 5-6 pieces of spaghetti at a time until you have enough to go around your vase completely.
- With a hot glue gun, put a zig-zag of glue down the height of the glass about a centimeter wide. Take 5-6 pieces of spaghetti and press it into the glue. Repeat this process until the whole vase is covered. Be very gentle with it because the pasta can still break easily.
- Using your paint and paintbrushes, paint the spaghetti however you like. You can also add stickers, decals, flowers, or wrap it in ribbon.
- Allow your vase to dry and fill it with water and flowers.
Elbow Macaroni Charger
I love having a little texture on the table, so cloth napkins and chargers are always a good way to achieve that. But when you’re having a pasta party, it’s time to make your own macaroni chargers. You can create any design you like and the kids would love making their own designs too!
What You Will Need:
- wax paper
- hot glue gun
- elbow macaroni noodles
Instructions
- Using an upside large bowl, trace a circle onto the wax paper and cut it out.
- Starting in the middle, make a small circle of elbow noodles and glue them to the wax paper. (to find the center of your wax paper, folder the circle in half and then half again and ‘x’ marks the spot)
- Work clockwise from the inside out, gluing the macaroni noodles one at a time until the whole wax paper is covered in pasta.
Penne Place Cards
I’ll just say it – I’m obsessed with place cards. I think that it makes people feel good to see their name at their place at the table.
What You Will Need:
- penne pasta
- hot glue gun
- paper
- bowtie pasta (optional)
Instructions
- Glue the ends of two penne pasta pieces together. Repeat the process until you have 7 pairs of pastas glued together.
- Next, glue the pairs together at their seams until they are all one piece.
- Add the name card to the front (make sure to write on it before adding it to the pasta).
- (optional) Add a bowtie pasta to the top with a little hot glue. I did this for my daughter’s because she’s obsessed with bows and it makes for a fun distinction between the boys and girls’ tags.
The Fun.
Lastly, I had to let the kids make a bit of wearable art as well. What’s a pasta party without a macaroni necklace? All you need to create one for yourself is pasta and fine twine. Fishing line would probably be easier to thread the macaroni with easier, but it’s hard to keep tied.
If you’d like to see more recipes and party ideas like this, follow me on Pinterest! 
