Directions: |
Directions:Cook the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than package directions call for.
Coat a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the noodles in the slow cooker and add the butter. Stir until the noodles are coated with butter.
Add the evaporated milk, half and half, cheddar cheese, american cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder and paprika.
Stir until combined.
Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. At the end of the cook time, stir until a smooth sauce coats the noodles. Serve, topped with parsley if desired. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Cavatappi is sometimes called corkscrew pasta or cellentani. If you can't find cavatappi you can use farfalle or gemelli.
I recommend grating your own American and/or cheddar cheese for this recipe. The bagged pre-shredded cheese sold at the grocery store is often coated in anti caking agents and preservatives and does not melt as smoothly as freshly grated cheese. Go to your deli and ask for a block of cheese to grate instead of using the slices.
You can freeze mac and cheese for up to 3 months. Make sure to avoid freezer burn by storing your mac and cheese in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. Thaw the macaroni and cheese in the fridge before you reheat it.
The cook time for this mac and cheese varies a bit depending on your slow cooker. I find that some of the older slow cookers tend to run on the hot side and have less heat settings. If you’ve got an older crock pot, cook this mac and cheese for about 1 1/2 hours to avoid mushy noodles. If you’ve got a more modern crock pot with multiple heat settings, cook on the lowest setting for 2 hours. Either way you’ll want to stir the mac a few times during the cooking process. If it looks soupy at the end of the cook time, just keep stirring and it will come together into a smooth sauce.
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