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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese


Uh, yes.  I did.  And it's a-maze-ing.  Plus, it's still a true crock pot meal because everything, including the pasta, cooks in the crock pot over the course of the day. This is a beautiful cheesy pasta with a crust from cooking in the stoneware of the crock pot all day.  We loved this.  I made it for a casual dinner party with friends and it was a big hit.  Plus, you can customize the heck out of this--add diced ham or bacon, maybe tuna, some veggies and play with the cheeses to your heart's content.  If you've got a family that loves mac and cheese (or could eat it all by yourself), you'll love this dish.

The October reveal for my group in Secret Recipe Club was a bevy of great recipes, as usual, but this one really caught my attention.  Pasta in the slow cooker is something I think should happen more regularly, but it is tricky to ensure there is enough liquid to cook the pasta without sucking up all the sauce.  So I had to try this recipe that Jane from Jane's Adventures in Dinner made from Fake Ginger.  I loved this recipe.  It was easy because I put everything together at once and let it go, so I didn't have to come back and adjust, add or check things.  Rather than using just one kind of cheese, I used a combination of mozzarella, sharp cheddar and smoked Gouda, which turned out to have a lot of flavor and a nice creamy texture.  Use any type of cheese that strikes your fancy and go to town. This is sure to be a big winner in your house too.

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk
12 ounces evaporated milk
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cheese in your choice of flavors (I used a combination of mozzarella, sharp cheddar and smoked Gouda--not pictured)
8 ounces pasta--shells, elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes
black pepper to taste

Coat the inside of the stoneware of the crock pot with cooking spray.  Combine milk, evaporated milk, butter, eggs and salt in the stoneware and whisk until smooth.


Add the shredded cheese(s), then the pasta and sprinkle with black pepper.  Stir gently to coat the pasta with the milk/cheese mixture.



Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.


Can be kept on the warm setting for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Makes about 6 servings.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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2 comments:

  1. C - Do you think this could be cooked in 6 hours if I put it on high for a little while at the beginning? I wanted to make it for a 12:30 lunch tomorrow.

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  2. I don't think you'd need to cook it for 6 hours if it was on high, maybe closer to 4 or 5. Or cook the noodles first, add them and cook on high for 30 minutes, then reduce to low for 2 1/2 hours. Good luck!

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