best ever mac and cheese

This is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten! I’ve been trying recipes for years, and I’ve finally found one that is everything I expect a good mac and cheese to be.

It only took one look at the ingredients to realize this recipe was going to be better than any other I’ve tried. When a recipe calls for three kinds of cheese, butter, and heavy whipping cream, you know it’s not only going to be tasty, but rich.

I know a lot of people don’t consider Velveeta to be cheese, but it is one of the ingredients that gives this recipe it’s cheesy, creamy consistency.

This recipe is super easy since it is made in a slow cooker crock pot. All the ingredients, except the pasta, are cooked together on low for 90 minutes until everything is melted and stirrable.

Use a large size slow cooker because this recipe makes enough to serve a family with leftovers. The pasta is precooked separately and set aside. Once the cheeses have melted, add the cooked pasta, stir to mix, and cook again for another 30 to 60 minutes.

Stir occasionally to mix the pasta and cheese sauce thoroughly.

Serve with a side salad, meat, or by itself, and a few optional toasted bread crumbs, sprinkled on top will give it some crunch.

I’ve served this recipe to several people and it has been a hit every time. This is a perfect comfort food for these trying times, great for kids, or taking to a pot luck. A crowd pleaser for sure. I hope you give it a try – you won’t be disappointed.

This recipe is courtesy of the food blog A Family Feast.

SLOW COOKER MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cavatappi/cellanti, or your favorite pasta
• 1 pound Colby Jack cheese
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese (I used Pepper Jack)
• 1 pound Velveeta cheese
• 1/4 pound butter (one stick)
• 1 pint heavy cream (16 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Few flakes of hot sauce

Instructions:

• Cook pasta in salted water to two minutes shy of cooked. The pasta should be chewy. Drain and rinse under cold water and hold until later in this recipe.
• Place all other ingredients in a slow cooker and heat for 90 minutes on low.*
• Run cooked pasta under hot tap water, drain and add to the slow cooker and stir.
• Cover and heat for 30 to 60 minutes longer until the pasta is cooked and the cheese is melted before serving.
• If cooking for a longer length of time, turn the slow cooker to warm so it doesn’t brown on the edges.

*If you want to speed things up, you can melt the cheese mixture in a saucepan, then add it to the slow cooker with the cooked pasta. Heat on low for about an hour before serving, or lower the temperature to warm.