William's Favorite Mac & Cheese

Our son loves mac & cheese, so we tried a number of recipes to find the one that best met our mutually-agreed on criteria of really good mac & cheese:

• Extra creamy and saucy
• Not baked (the baked versions we tried tended to get too dry)
• Easy to make for a crowd
• Use of real cheese- not just completely Velveeta

Of the four recipes we tried, this one was deemed the winner.

Once again, the crock pot tends to be very useful, as this recipe yielded creamy, delicious mac and the timing of serving can be flexible- great for a football-watching!

yield:6 TO 8 SERVINGS

prep:30 MINUTES

cook:3 HOURS

total:3 HOURS 30 MINUTES

An incredibly easy macaroni and cheese recipe made right in the crock pot; perfect for feeding a crowd!

INGREDIENTS:

·         16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

·         6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

·         1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

·         2 cups (480 ml) half & half

·         ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk

·         16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

·         8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Spray a slow cooker (4 to 6-quart capacity) with cooking spray. Cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Place the macaroni in the slow cooker, immediately add the butter and stir until melted.

2.      Add the evaporated milk, half & half, whole milk, 3½ cups of the cheddar cheese, the Velveeta, salt and pepper; stir to blend well.

3.      Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Once done, turn the slow cooker setting to warm until ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.