My Very Best Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

Submitted by Hajar Elizabeth

"This is one of the things I make which has been the most requested. My mother always used to and will again nearly beg for me to make this and bring it over especially if she is baking a ham. Nobody has ever complained and this is one of my high comfort foods. I will eat even bad macaroni and cheese! At school everyone threw theirs away while I was gobbling it down! Ah, no.....I wasn't one of the most popular kids in school! The onion in this must be grated as it almost melts in. This is most definitely NOT a slimmer's dish but yummy when you need it! It also is not based upon a white sauce and does not have a smooth sauce but is just good. Most of the time nobody knows it is the onion making the difference and always ask why it is better than their own."

 

• Ready In: 4hrs 20mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni
• 24 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese or 24 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1⁄4 - 1⁄3 cup grated onion
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 4 ounces butter, 1 stick cut into chunks
• 1 3⁄4 cups milk
• 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
• salt

directions

1. Cook the macaroni firm; very al dente and pour into crock pot.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
3. Cover and cook on high 4 hours stirring every 2 hours. I usually find that 4 hours is enough time but like to leave it a bit longer as I love the baked cheese around the edges.
4. Salt to taste as the cheese contains salt. I use the higher amount of onion though if you are leery, use the 1/4 cup. Actually I usually just grate 1/2 an onion.
5. I have corrected an error in this recipe. I had said 4-6 hours cooking time and I have no clue why! LOL. I have always always only ever cooked this 4 hours!

Reviews

[kitchenrookie]

The cheese turned out sort of "coagulated". The flavor was awesome, but I really didn't care for the oily texture.

 

[learningtolikecooki]

Mine turned out to be a 1 star as I overcooked it, but there is potential! I would recommend serving this at the 3-4 hour time as it was good then. By the 5th hour, I had made paste - ugh. I also added a big spoonful of dijon to spice it up more - it gave it more kick! I will try it again as it is an easy potluck dish (make sure you serve it between the 3-4 hour mark!)

 

[Happy Hobbit]

This is a rustic looking mac and cheese, with a somewhat chunky sauce. The flavor is nice (I used a half of a large onion) and it is very filling. I guess I should have used more common sense when cooking this. In my crackpot, mac and cheese was done in two, and burning along sides in three hours! Next time I will just put it cook on low and let it go longer if needed.