Macaroni and cheese in the crock pot

Ever get a hankering for something you haven't had in a long time? I do! This time it was macaroni and cheese. Yes, I know it seems juvenile as my taste buds have grown up, but all grown-ups are true kids at heart.

I knew that my husband couldn't eat this dish (he is allergic to dairy). I knew that I didn't want to eat the whole pan, no matter how big the craving. I mentioned it to two of my co-workers April and Hannah. To my surprise they both wanted to contribute to the lunch I was bringing. April brought salad and Hannah brought bread. Wow! Thanks guys.

This recipe is super easy with great results. All you do is melt your butter in a sauce pot with grated cheese. I chose extra sharp Cheddar for its flavor. While you are melting, boil your noodles for 6 minutes. Dump the butter/cheese mixture into your crock pot. Add the other ingredients including the macaroni. Stir. Cook it on high for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Warning: If you stick the mac and cheese hot from the crock pot into the fridge it will separate. My mac and cheese was done at 11:00pm. A good 13 hours before I was going to be serving it at work. It still tasted good though. When I re-heated it, I had some burnt cheese come up from the bottom. UMMM burnt cheese!

The salad and bread that April and Hannah brought really rounded out the meal and we had a true lunch together. At 12:30 most of us were eating in the break room.

The day of the lunch a couple more of my co-workers suggested a sign-up sheet so they could bring stuff to contribute also. Which is a good idea. I will have to do that in the future.

Once lunch was over, I went to go and wash the crock pot, but Diana had already beaten me to it. I have to say that, that meant so much to me. As an artist, you enjoy creating, but never cleaning. Cleaning is a necessary evil, that makes creating possible. So a million thank you's to those of you who are willing to do the grunt work of cleaning.

If you would like to make this childhood remembrance in your cooking district here is the recipe.

CROCK POT MACARONI AND CHEESE

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• Directions

• Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
  

  Photo credit:

  kidscooking.about.com

  
  

  Original recipe created by Paula Deen