Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Lynn had a potluck at work and her team was given "savory sides" as their assignment.  Chips, queso, and guac got snapped up immediately, so she decided to go a little bit more labor-intensive (but not too much).

Googling "crock pot mac and cheese" and opening the first recipe isn't usually a recipe for success, but the recipe below is a (minor) variation on the Brown-Eyed Baker's recipe (which you can find by clicking on that hyperlink right there).  The dish was met with rave reviews, and Lynn's boss asked for the recipe and, upon reading it, dubbed it "tres leches mac and cheese."

Special Equipment: A 4-6 quart slow cooker

Ingredients:

16 oz cavatappi pasta cooked just under al dente

6 tbsp salted butter, chunked

12 oz can evaporated milk

2 cup half & half

1/2 cup whole milk

16 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

8 oz         Velveeta, chunked

1/2 tsp salt (exclude if using salted butter)

1/2 tsp pepper

1      tbsp        mustard (optional) 

Instructions:

Spray crock for slow cooker with nonstick spray.

Using the residual heat from the cooked pasta, melt butter over noodles.  This recipe calls for cavatappi pasta because it is robust enough to hold up to a second cooking without becoming total mush, but be careful about how much you cook it on the first boil.

Add all other dairy and mustard (if using) and stir together.

Set slow cooker to low and leave for 2-3  hours.  Taste after an hour and add pepper and salt as needed.