Day 84: Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I've been using my boys as guinea pigs for so many new recipes, I figured I'd go with one they were bound to like.  I got this one in a daily email from Pillsbury.com. The recipe calls for bacon as a topping on the macaroni and cheese, but I'm not a fan, so I left it out. I would also use sharp cheddar next time, as it seemed to need a little more "punch."  It's really a hybrid meal, because you still have to boil the noodles before putting everything in the crock pot, and there's the bacon and cheese you top it with at the end, but it is nice to get things ready for dinner in the afternoon and then you avoid that 5:00 rush to get dinner going.  We had ours with a crusty baguette and I would have gone with a salad as well, but the crisper was empty.  Oops.  :) 

• prep time25 Min
• total time2 Hr 25 Min

 

3

cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 12 oz)

1/4

cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1

can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1 1/2

cups half-and-half

3

cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese (12 oz)

8

oz (half of 16-oz loaf) prepared cheese product, cut into cubes

2

teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1/2

cup chopped packaged precooked bacon (about 8 slices from 2.1-oz package)

• 1Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package, using minimum cook time. Place macaroni in slow cooker; immediately add butter and stir until melted.
• 2Add evaporated milk, half-and-half, 2 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese, the cubed cheese, mustard, salt and pepper; stir to blend well.
• 3Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 to 3 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking time. During last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and the bacon.