Meal Prep
Garlic Steak Bites with Mac & Cheese
Garlic Steak Bites with Mac & Cheese brings full comfort-food payoff without blowing up your macros. Juicy, pan-seared steak soaked in garlic butter meets creamy, grown-up mac and cheese for a combo that tastes straight-up decadent. It meal preps beautifully, reheats like a dream, and delivers steakhouse vibes all week long.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
High protein
Garlic Steak Bites with Mac & Cheese
79.7g protein1055 calories per serving
- Prep Time
- 20 mins
- Cook Time
- 25 mins
- Total Time
- 45 mins
Equipment
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Ingredients
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For the Steak Bites:
For the Mac & Cheese:
Instructions
8 oz elbow macaroni
2 lb sirloin steak, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch jumbo cast iron or jumbo cooker over medium-high heat. Add the steak cubes in a single layer- you will need to do this in batches or utilize multiple pans.
2 tbsp olive oil
Sear for 2-3 minutes per side until browned and cooked to your desired doneness. I err on the side of cooked through for meal prepping purposes, though I do love a rare steak. Anyways, remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, minced garlic, & chili flakes.
3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp butter, ½ tsp red pepper flakes
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup 2% milk
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp ground mustard, ¼ tsp smoked paprika
See it come together
Watch: Garlic Steak Bites with Mac & Cheese
Nutrition
Per servingEstimates for one serving. Changing the recipe yield scales the ingredients and keeps these per-serving amounts the same.
- Calories
- 1,055 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 56.9 g
- Protein
- 79.7 g
- Fat
- 56.8 g
- Saturated Fat
- 25.3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2.83 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16.77 g
- Trans Fat
- 1.91 g
- Cholesterol
- 243 mg
- Sodium
- 1,603 mg
- Potassium
- 1,239 mg
- Fiber
- 2.5 g
- Sugar
- 8.3 g
- Added Sugar
- 0 g
- Vitamin A
- 442 mcg RAE
- Vitamin C
- 0.67 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.79 mcg
- Calcium
- 714 mg
- Iron
- 7.63 mg
Estimated ingredient cost
$8.40 per serving · $33.60 for this batch
Estimated US grocery prices for the amounts used, including purchase waste and discarded marinade. Your store, brands, and package sizes may cost differently. Buying full packages can cost more. Price sources and methodology.
Ingredient costs and assumptions
Quantities without exact weights use the nutrition library’s portion estimates. Purchase yields are estimates. Separate citrus ingredients are costed independently; reusing the same fruit for juice and zest can lower your cost. Labor, utilities, and delivery are excluded.
- sirloin steak: $28.71
907.2 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
Authored ingredient weight. BLS Choice boneless sirloin category average; generic lean steak uses this cut as a proxy.
BLS: Sirloin steak, boneless, USDA Choice · Price checked 2026-09-21
- olive oil: $0.36
27 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 13.5 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 17 fl oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- garlic: $0.16
9 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
3 clove = 9 g; USDA SR Legacy household weights used as an approximate physical conversion for the current ingredient profile; nutrition remains from its own mapped record. Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Spice World Fresh Peeled Garlic, 6 oz, Pouch · Price checked 2026-09-21
- butter: $0.24
28.4 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 14.2 g Salted butter reference; unsalted uses this as a substitute estimate.
Walmart: Great Value Salted Butter · Price checked 2026-09-21
- salt: $0.01
6 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 6 g Iodized table salt reference; not a kosher salt price.
Walmart: Great Value Iodized Salt · Price checked 2026-09-21
- black pepper: $0.05
1.2 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp (ground) = 2.3 g; texture=ground Ground black pepper reference; cracked pepper may cost differently.
Walmart: Great Value Ground Black Pepper · Price checked 2026-09-21
- smoked paprika: $0.09
2.3 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 2.3 g Four 2 oz jars; full multipack weight is 8 oz.
Walmart: (4 pack) Great Value Smoked Paprika, 2 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- garlic powder: $0.03
3.1 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 3.1 g Representative product; brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Garlic Powder · Price checked 2026-09-21
- red pepper flakes: $0.03
0.9 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 1.8 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Crushed Red Pepper, 1.75 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- elbow macaroni: $0.62
226.8 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
Authored ingredient weight. Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Elbows, 16 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- shredded cheddar cheese: $1.82
210 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup (shredded) = 105 g Full-fat mild cheddar reference; sharp cheddar uses this as a substitute estimate.
Walmart: Great Value Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese · Price checked 2026-09-21
- shredded mozzarella cheese: $0.75
86 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 86 g Part-skim reference; not used for explicitly reduced-fat products.
Walmart: Great Value Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella · Price checked 2026-09-21
- butter: $0.24
28.4 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 14.2 g Salted butter reference; unsalted uses this as a substitute estimate.
Walmart: Great Value Salted Butter · Price checked 2026-09-21
- all-purpose flour: $0.02
15 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 120 g; King Arthur all-purpose flour reference: 120 g/cup; not a weight for all powders. Representative product; brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value All-Purpose Enriched Flour · Price checked 2026-09-21
- 2% milk: $0.36
490 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 245 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value, 2% Reduced Fat Milk, Gallon · Price checked 2026-09-21
- salt: $0.00
3 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 6 g Iodized table salt reference; not a kosher salt price.
Walmart: Great Value Iodized Salt · Price checked 2026-09-21
- black pepper: $0.05
1.2 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp (ground) = 2.3 g; texture=ground Ground black pepper reference; cracked pepper may cost differently.
Walmart: Great Value Ground Black Pepper · Price checked 2026-09-21
- ground mustard: $0.03
0.5 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 2 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Ground Mustard, 1.5 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- smoked paprika: $0.02
0.6 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 2.3 g Four 2 oz jars; full multipack weight is 8 oz.
Walmart: (4 pack) Great Value Smoked Paprika, 2 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
Make it yoursRecipe notes & meal-prep tips
Macro breakdown
- Protein79.7g30%
- Carbs56.9g22%
- Fat56.8g48%
Per serving · Share of calories from macros
Calculated using 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs, and 9 for fat. Rounding and fiber can affect the listed calorie total.Triple B's Meal Prep Notes
Portion the mac first and the garlic steak bites second. That is easier than trying to scoop equal amounts from a mixed pot, and it keeps the browned steak distinct from the cheddar-mozzarella sauce. Spoon the cooked garlic butter over the steak across all four servings so that flavor is not left behind in the skillet.
This is a rich option in the mac-and-cheese collection, with a flour-and-milk sauce as its base. Whisk that base smooth before melting in the cheese, then lower the heat for the final mix. The steak can rest off the heat while you finish the pasta; it does not need to stay in a hot skillet during the sauce stage. Cut the steak pieces to a similar size at the beginning so they cook and portion more evenly. The macaroni should still have a little bite before it meets the cheese sauce, especially since this batch is headed for reheated lunches.
A small splash of milk or water can help the chilled mac loosen. For a refrigerated serving, microwave on high for 90 seconds, stir, then heat for another 45 seconds. Use that as a starting point and continue in short intervals as needed until the food reaches 165°F throughout. Stir the pasta underneath the steak and reposition the meat at the pause so both parts heat through. Add red pepper flakes to suit your taste, but let the garlic butter be the main finish. Our beef recipes offer other sides for steak, while the American-inspired archive has more familiar comfort-food combinations.
Notes from your kitchen
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From the community
★★★★★
This recipe exists because sometimes dinner should feel aggressive. Steak bites and mac & cheese isn’t subtle, and it wasn’t meant to be. This one delivers exactly what it promises. If this recipe scares you a little, it’s probably for you.