Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a non-stick mini muffin pan or use a silicone mould with non-stick cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over a high heat, then cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet says. My macaroni said to cook for 9 minutes, so I drained and rinsed it after 7 minutes.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir through the paprika, garlic, onion powder and dijon.
Add the flour and stir the mixture for around for 30 seconds on the heat with a hand balloon whisk.
Drizzle in the milk and keep stirring until smooth, cooking for about 1 minute.
Add the cheeses and stir on a low heat until smooth. The cheese mixture will be thick but it’s meant to be. Reserve ¼ cup of sauce.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce in the pan, stirring it all together until the cheese and sauce are well combined.
Spoon the mac and cheese into the muffin cups. Make sure you pack it down so they hold together.
Bake for 12 minutes, until bubbling, slightly gooey and golden on top. Allow to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes to firm up then carefully use a toothpick to run around the edges and pull out.
Add reserved sauce to a pan with a 1-2 tbsp more milk and heat until runny.
Top with chives, bacon, and optional drizzle of sauce.