Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't love a good old bowl of Mac and Cheese?!  And who gets really sad when it overcooks by a few minutes and turns grainy?  This girl..

Crock pots may be the best invention in the kitchen of a busy grad student: throw everything into the pot and let sit, maybe stir it a few times, and go back to hours of interpreting papers and preparing for lab work and courses the next day.  Or go to the lab and come back at the end of the day!  This experiment was along the lines of the first; I was at home while my mac and cheese brewed.  I checked on it, stirred it, and had a hearty sample every time I wandered into the kitchen, which was quite often (who loves procrastination when homework is dull)!  It was fantastic, but I had a few more minutes of studying to do, so I let it sit just a bit longer.

Bad idea.  The recipe calls for 2.5-3.5 hours.  I am done at two hours if not 1.5 next time unless I switch to my smaller crock pot (I used my 5 quart I think is its size..  It's much larger than my 1.5 quart!).  Make sure you check the consistency of the cheese often as it starts to thicken!  Don't let it get grainy!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:   

     8 oz noodles (already cooked)

     2 C cheese (I used shredded mild cheddar)

     1 C evaporated milk

     1/2 C milk

     2 Tbsp oil

     4 Tbsp butter

     salt and pepper to taste

     other spices to taste (I used garlic salt, italian seasoning, and basil)

How To:

     1.   Generously butter the sides of your crock pot (original recipe called for 3 quart)

     2.   Throw everything into the pot and stir it up

     3.   Turn the crock pot to low for 2-3.5 hours (as I said before, depends on pot size)

     4.   Stir occasionally

     5.   DO NOT LET GET GRAINY!  OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE SAD!

     6.   Enjoy if it is smooth and creamy, toss out if grainy and eat edamame

:)