Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
adapted from: Tammilee Tips
Before we went camping last month, I found some really good (looking) crock pot recipes that I thought I'd make and then I remembered I don't like to cook while camping HA! I still wanted to make this Mac and Cheese so, well, I did. One thing that appealed to me about this recipe (besides the bacon) is that it did not have any flour or cornstratch in it. So many mac and cheese recipes do and that just makes it pasty. My husband raved about this dish and it really was quite good for a homemade version (I'm still partial to the fake blue box stuff though HA!). I did not have elbow mac so I used two different sizes of seashell mac - the larger shells did not get totally "done" so really, a small elbow mac is the best pasta to use to ensure that it cooks totally. And, no, you do not cook the macaroni before putting it in the crock - the small pasta does cook perfectly in the liquid provided in the time allowed. Do not overcook or it will start to become like cement (good ol' cheese!)
A couple of notes: It seemed really "cheddar"y to me so I might try a milder shredded cheese next time. Make sure and stir it every 30 minutes or so - I think without stirring, the noodles wouldn't cook and it would just be a big blob (so no, this is not a "leave it" recipe)
Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Coat crock pot with non-stick spray
2. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and stir together
3. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stir every half hour to evenly distribute the cheese.
