- 6
- 25 mins
- 145 mins
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 12 oz)
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 3 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese (12 oz)
- 8 oz (half of 16-oz loaf) prepared cheese product, cut into cubes
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped packaged precooked bacon (about 8 slices from 2.1-oz package)
Preparation
Step 1
1 Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package, using minimum cook time. Place macaroni in slow cooker; immediately add butter and stir until melted.
2 Add evaporated milk, half-and-half, 2 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese, the cubed cheese, mustard, salt and pepper; stir to blend well.
3 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 to 3 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking time. During last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and the bacon. .
Macaroni and cheese is a great dish for adding herbs and other ingredients to give it a unique or new flavor. For example, during the last few minutes of cooking, stir in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa, cubed ham, caramelized onion or chopped cooked vegetables (such as broccoli or asparagus), or 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley.
Packaged precooked bacon is a quick way to get great bacon flavor, but instead, you can cook 8 regular bacon slices until crisp, then drain well and crumble.