Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese - made July 4, 2012 from Feeding My Temple blog

I adapted this recipe from Feeding My Temple's blog, mostly to adjust to the ingredients on hand in my pantry.  I didn't have enough evaporated milk called for in her recipe so I increased the amount of regular whole milk.  I also have an issue with most of the stuff I make in a crock pot ending up too liquidy or soupy so I added an extra ounce of macaroni shells just to be on the safe side.  Lastly, I had some basil parmesan meatballs to use so I chopped those up and threw them into the crock pot during the last 30 minutes of slow cooking just for added protein.

This turned out pretty well and is super easy to throw together.  I might add a bit more cheddar cheese next time and use diced ham instead of the meatballs as the meatballs competed a bit in flavor with the mac and cheese but overall, it's the perfect dish for someone who's as cooking-impaired as I am.  It didn't get soupy and made a nice creamy texture for the sauce.  It's a bit high in calories and I tend to want to consume large amounts of creamy pasta but I portioned the dish out into small portions so each meal would be in line with a reasonable intake.  Which means it made enough portions to feed me for a couple of weeks.

8 (or 9) ounces macaroni shells
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Cook the macaroni according package directions. Drain and rinse well. 
2. Generously butter (or spray with non stick cooking spray) the sides and bottom of a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
3. Combine all ingredients and add cooked macaroni shells.  Cook on low for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Linked to Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesday