There are few foods that say “comfort” like Macaroni and Cheese. Most people love it – whether from the blue box or homemade. It’s just one of those foods that is universally loved. I honestly believe that ramen noodle companies could make a killing if they started selling a cheesy version.

Elizabeth’s homecoming dance was Saturday night. Afterward, she went to a nearby friend’s house to watch a movie and hang out. Around 1:00 a.m., she called to ask if she could spend the night. I said yes and took her her phone (it had been dead when she came home to change), a charger, and a container of makeup wipes (since she was still wearing full-glam from the dance).

Christopher wasn’t feeling well and we ended up not going to church the next morning. Michael was on the road, headed to a meeting in another state. Elizabeth arrived back home around 10:30 and promptly went to bed.

So I decided to try out this new gem.

Christopher’s love of mac & cheese is well-known. He’s even asked for a pan of mac & cheese with candles in it instead of birthday cake! So when he woke up to a crock pot full of this, he was a happy boy!

The thing about this slow cooker recipe is that it isn’t one of those all-day-long things where you leave it for 8 hours. It takes about two hours once everything is in the slow cooker. So it was perfect for this lazy Sunday morning.

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

  • 16 ounces of elbow macaroni
  • 1 stick of butter, cubed
  • 1 can of evaporated milk
  • 3 cups of whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 16 ounces of Velveeta, cubed
  • 4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2.5 ounce bag of bacon pieces

Boil macaroni in well-salted water according to directions, but reduce cooking time by 2 minutes. Drain and pour in a slow cooker.

Add the butter and stir until butter is melted and pasta is well-coated. Add the evaporated milk, whole milk, and seasonings. Stir until combined. Add the Velveeta, THREE cups of the cheddar, and bacon pieces.

Cook on low for one and a half hours. Stir well and top with remaining cup of cheddar.

Cook for 30 additional minutes.

Stir everything together.

Serve warm.

Well Duh #1: I used skim milk because that’s what we had. It was fine.

Well Duh #2: I used a slow cooker liner. It saves SO much clean-up time!

Well Duh #3: I garnished with a tiny sprinkle of chopped parsley,

Well Duh #4: Evaporated milk IS NOT the same as sweetened condensed milk! My mama used to call evaporated milk “Pet Milk” because that was the brand she usually used.

Well Duh #5: I would have totally been okay making this before church and leaving it until I got home. That would have been a little longer on the initial cooking time, but it would have been fine.

Well Duh #6: (Kitchen Confession) I set my timer for an hour and half and left the kitchen. When I went back to stir it, it was still cold and I wondered what I had done wrong. The slow cooker was not plugged in!! I plugged it in and restarted my timer. Poot.

Christopher loved it.

Elizabeth loved it.

I loved it.

I packaged what was left in individual servings and put them in the refrigerator. I figured I would have to add a little water or milk when I reheated, but I was happy to discover that, once heated, this mac & cheese was creamy, drippy, and still perfect!

I will definitely be making this again. I will probably double the recipe next time and freeze lots of servings for future yums!