Hey Ya’ll!

Today I’m sharing the recipe for my (almost) famous Crock Pot Mac & Cheese.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and have tweaked it countless times so, while it was originally adapted from somewhere, it’s def all mine now.

Feel free to download this little recipe card for easy prep work!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

*not pictured:melted butter*

The Method is really super easy, but I want to spell it out here so that I can let you in a few tips and tricks that def make this dish a success:

Step 1: Cook the pasta
The pasta can be any shape that you like, but I suggest not using macaroni noodles – use something bigger so that the noodles don’t appear to get lost in the crock pot. The bigger noodles also make this a bit more hearty/guy friendly/able to stand up to other tailgate dishes

Step 2: Spray the inside of your crock pot with Pam
I’ve never used crock pot liners and I’m not sure that this would be the dish to start with. The edges of the Mac & Cheese will get that yummy brown crust to them – but you must spray the inside of the crock pot well or those edges will actually stick, turn black and burn.
Gross (been there).

Step 3: Dump the cooked pasta in the oiled up Crock Pot – add the cheddar cheese and the melted butter – stir it up
I always use store brand, shredded cheddar as the base. It basically adds color and texture but not much taste. Don’t splurge on this ingredient
I have also been known to reduce the amount of butter from one stick to 3/4-1/2 of a stick – it makes the dish less oily when it’s finished and doesn’t affect the taste at all

Step 4: Add 3/4 of your fancier shredded cheeses – give it a quick stir again
I like Cabot brands but have used others based on what’s on sale. The object here is to add flavor. Go for bold choices like Monterey Jack, Razor Sharp White Cheddar or even Chipotle Cheddar. I actually don’t think that I’ve ever used the same combo twice so go wild.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milks

Step 6: Dump the eggs and milks in the Crock Pot and (you guessed it!) Stir it up!

Step 7: Add generous amounts of Salt and Pepper and add Paprika to taste

(sometimes I get lazy and just throw chunks of cheese in…it all melts the same!)

Step 8: Set Crock Pot Timer for 3 hours on Low
(I have a new crock pot because I exploded my other one in the Great BBQ Disaster of 2012, so my crock pot cooks really fast – adjust time based on your crock pot’s cooking abilities-should be no more than 4 hours on low)

Step 9: Around 1 hour of cooking time, open the lid and stir up the Mac & Cheese
If you have a powerful crock pot, the edges will already be browning – you want to stir those edges in so they won’t burn and also mix around the egg and milk mixture so it cooks through (and you don’t kill anyone with a charming case of Salmonella)

After you’ve stirred, add the remaining fancy cheese to the top – this will make for a yummy top layer of extra cheesiness that will bring all the boys to the yard…

Step 10: Let cook until you can’t see the egg/milk mix when stirring-if needed, drain oil off of the top with a big spoon – I usually add more S/P/Paprika because the boys like it with some kick!

Serve and Enjoy!

We usually have a generator at our Tailgates so to prep this for Game Day I will get all of the ingredients ready the night before (shred cheeses, measure out spices etc) and get up in the am to cook the pasta (perfect to cook while I’m in the shower!).
 As soon as the pasta is cooked, I dump everything into the Crock Pot, strap it into the car and schlep it to Clemson. Once we get all set up, I plug that bad boy in and voila!
Lunch is ready in about 3 hours!
(I do still stir occasionally, check for edge burn and skim any unnecessary calories off the top)

Not only does this Mac & Cheese rock a Tailgate but it’s also a perfect recipe for Game Day viewing parties at home, office pot lucks and the Holidays.

(Seriously, look how cheesy it is! This was my pre-dinner/I photographed this and now I need to have it snack last night.)

This is the recipe that my Husband requests that I make the most for entertaining and it sure does please a crowd of hungry
(and half drunk) men!

Now it’s ya’lls turn! Link Up and let’s see the Kick Off Love!
P.S. The Link Up will be open through Friday, so if you missed out today, get ready for tomorrow!


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