CHEDDAR MAC & CHEESE (SLOW COOKER)

Cheddar Mac & Cheese (Slow Cooker)

I'll never forget the first time I made dinner by myself for my family - I was ten years old at the time, and my Mom had just given me the Betty Crocker Kid's Cookbook for my birthday.  Wagonwheel Mac & Cheese - a delightful dinner of homemade macaroni and cheese with sliced up hot dogs in it.  Yup, I'm sure it was a real treat!  I'm also pretty sure that my Mom was keeping close tabs on me through the entire process.   But I do remember how proud I was to make something so incredible all by myself!  Measuring the ingredients, following the directions, laying all those hotdog circles in a wagon-wheel pattern, and the start of a life-long love of cooking and baking for my family!  Good memories!

​And while I shudder at the thought of putting sliced hot dogs in anything now, I've had a lifetime of making different varieties of homemade macaroni and cheese - and this one is one of our favorites!  So easy to make that MY little guy can help make it - with just a little bit of help!

Creamy Cheddar Mac & Cheese (Slow Cooker)

Creamy cheddar cheese sauce and tender noodles, all baked in a slow cooker.  So easy to make for a backyard barbeque, a potluck dinner or just as a wonderful side dish that everyone seems to love! 
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​And anything that doesn't have to take up oven space or heat up the kitchen on a hot summer day is pretty great too!  I used to wonder why so many barbeque restaurants served mac & cheese, but this stuff is golden when served alongside saucy barbeque ribs or brisket! 

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese is combined with Velveeta cheese, cream cheese, evaporated milk and half & half.  It's a deadly combination, but makes for the creamiest, smoothest cheese sauce ever. 

​I bump up the flavor with a healthy sprinkle of barbeque seasoning on top.  It sounds weird, but the addition of garlic, onion, smoked paprika and brown sugar just adds the best flavor, and one that no one ever seems to know is even in there.  Don't you love secret ingredients?

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

Once you've boiled the pasta, this will be in your slow cooker in less than ten minutes - and two short hours later, everyone will be scooping out big spoonfuls of this wonderful mac & cheese, and coming back for seconds....and thirds!   "I can't get enough of this stuff...it's so good!"

​Hope that your family loves this as much as we do!

Creamy Cheddar Mac & Cheese (Slow Cooker)

CHEDDAR MAC & CHEESE (SLOW COOKER)

Perfect for barbeques, perfect for potlucks, perfect for supper, perfect for you!
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Cheddar Mac & Cheese (Slow Cooker)

​INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 cups half & half
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon barbeque seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
 
HOW WE MAKE THIS:

1. Cook the pasta to al dente in salted water and drain.
2. Spray 4-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour hot pasta directly into slow cooker immediately after draining.
3. Add butter to hot pasta and stir until melted and evenly coated.
4. Sprinkle with 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, cubed Velveeta, cubed cream cheese.
5. Pour evaporated milk, half & half, salt and pepper evenly over the top; stir gently until blended. 
6. Sprinkle top with barbeque seasoning – anything that has smoked paprika and dehydrated onions & garlic in it!  (I know, it sounds weird, but it really ramps up the taste!)
7. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, give it a quick stir with a large spoon and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Cover again and continue heating until cheese is melted on top.
8. Serve warm. 
9. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.  When warming up, splash a bit of milk or half & half on top before reheating. 

 
YIELD:  6 to 8 servings

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