Crockpot Mac & Cheese

One of the meals my family seems to really love in particular is my variation on mac & cheese, of course, prepared in my crockpot.  I looked for a crockpot mac & cheese recipe for a bit (there are lots) and tried one that turned out kind of pasty.  I've played around a bit and have found what works for me that we all enjoy eating.

Crockpot Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

~2 cups milk
~1/2 stick melted butter or margarine
~1 can evaporated milk
~2 eggs
~salt & pepper
~3 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar blends like cheddar jack, or one called gourmet blend)
~1/2 box elbow macaroni
~1/2 cup to 1 cup grated Parmesan
~1 additional cup of shredded cheddar blend cheese

Directions:

Grease crockpot with cooking spray.  Combine milk, melted butter, evaporated milk, eggs, and salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.  Add 3 cups shredded cheese and the macaroni.  Stir gently to coat evenly.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and add 1 cup shredded cheddar blend cheese.  Do not stir.  Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.

You can see in the above photo (which was taken after dishing up my kids' portions) what might happen along the edges.  Even though I cook this on low and only for about 3 hours, the edges can really brown.  What I try to do is sort of scrape away the macaroni from this almost-burned edge while the dish is cooking. I haven't really figured out any way around this happening, and what is left in the middle is plenty for us, believe me!  So I don't worry about it...

With all that cheese, it's also not the most healthy dish I make...and that's okay, too.  I use skim milk, low fat evaporated milk, and sometimes the reduced fat cheeses (made from 2% milk).  So, while it is a bit calorie-high I'm okay with that.

~nikki