Slow Cooker Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

At the moment, my youngest has issues with food that has color. The exceptions are slices of green peppers, edamame, and ketchup. Yet he loves sushi, so I can't explain it. But with such a limited diet I need to make sure that when he does eat that he gets enough calories. Mac and cheese checks both boxes - beige and caloric. Making it from scratch cuts down on preservatives and unwanted chemicals.

I've tried a lot of mac and cheese recipes, and I'll share a few here on the blog. This one is the easiest on a weekend. With a little planning you can make it for lunch or dinner in the slow cooker.  A word of warning - it makes a lot(!) of mac and cheese.  It is best eaten warm if you can coordinate that with your schedule. If not, you'll need to store it in the fridge until later.  It warms up fine, but is a bit dense as a leftover since the noodles have absorbed most of cheese and liquid.

This recipe is from Damn Delicious, and is a favorite in our house. As she says on her blog, "The BEST mac and cheese EVER!!!! No boil. No stress. Everything gets thrown right in. Even the uncooked noodles!!!" She says to cook it in a 4Qt slow cooker. I only have a 7 Qt one, and it worked just fine on the low setting.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound medium elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 cups grated American cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place macaroni, 1 cup cheddar cheese, American cheese, cream cheese and Parmesan into a 4-qt slow cooker.
2. Stir in milk, evaporated milk, Dijon, paprika and onion powder, making sure the macaroni is submerged as much as possible; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 90 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes, stirring every hour until tender and creamy.* Uncover and stir in remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese until melted, about 2-3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.

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