Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese

I do crockpot meals once or twice a week, because I babysit a bunch of kids, and have to serve meals for 10 (yes, 10!!!) four times a week. With the crockpot, I can throw everything into the pot at 10am, and LEAVE IT BE allll day. Wow, let’s give some hearty huzzahs to the dude who invented the crockpot!

But the troops are getting tired of the same old chili, stew, and chili-with-stew recipes. I found a terrific Macaroni and Cheese crockpot meal at Frugal Upstate. For 10, I’d have to double it. Also, the recipe looks a wee bland (these kids like spicy foods), so I’d probably perk it up with Cajun seasoning or garlic. You can also add extra doodads for kicks, like cooked ground sausage (yum) or sliced kielbasa or broccoli. If you do, I suggest you add a little bit of water to the pot, lest the extra ingredients dry out the pasta too much.

Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese
serves 5-6

16oz cooked and drained pasta (elbows, shells, whatever– you can even used leftover pasta if you have enough)
3-4 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 12oz. can of Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

Grease the inside of your crockpot with butter or margarine. Mix everything together and pour into Crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Don’t stir, it will firm up as it cooks. In the final few minutes of cooking, you can add bread crumbs or sprinkle some dried parsley on top.

Photo is from Kitchen Wench, who, incidentally, has a spectacular Mac and Cheese recipe at her site, too. Be forewarned: it’s loaded with heavy ingredients. She calls it Mac Heart Attack n’ Cheese!