Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

I absolutely adore my slow cooker.  Anything that can make the daily activities of my life easier is definitely a blessing.  My daughter recently requested macaroni and cheese for dinner, so I thought why not try it in the slow cooker?  It turned out great and wonderfully creamy.  The only downfall is that this is not really a turn-it-on-and-forget-about-it type of recipe.  It only needs to cook for a short time (for a slow cooker recipe), and if you let it go too long, the sauce will start to curdle and lose its creaminess.  However, with the addition of a little half-n-half, things can be brought back to near normalcy without altering the delicious taste.

Ingredients:

16 oz. small pasta (any small shape will work)

4 T butter

1 T Dijon mustard

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup half-n-half

½ t salt

¼ t garlic powder

¼ t pepper

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used block cheese and shredded myself)

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, turn slow cooker on to low heat.  Spray cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place butter in cooker and allow to melt.  Stir in mustard, milk, stock, half-n-half, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  Add pasta and stir to combine.  Mix in cheeses.  Cover and cook on low for 1 ½ – 2 hours.  Check and stir every half hour until pasta is fully cooked but not mushy and sauce is creamy.  Serve immediately.