Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Ultimate Mac & Cheese - Crockpot recipe

I have been on a quest for THE perfect mac and cheese, crockpot easy, creamy, cheesy, gooey,totally satisfying.I warn you, this is not low fat, gluten free, low carb... it is pure, unhealthy, fattening, Southern comfort food :)



Ultimate Southern Comfort Mac and Cheese

1# package macaroni 
Olive Oil margarine
1 med onion, diced fine
EVOO
2 eggs, beaten
2.5 cups fat-free half-and-half
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese  - I used Sargeanto 4-State Cheddar - it is awesome!
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2.5 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt


1 - Boil the macaroni about 6 minutes till just al dente,drain & put into a crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Stir in enough margarine to coat the noodles and give them a slight sheen.

2. Put 1 tablespoon EVOO in bottom of a large  saucepan,over medium heat. Add finely diced onion and caramelize.

3 - Add soup and half-and-half to the onion. Stir until smooth. Add eggs BEFORE the mixture heats and dry mustard and whisk until combined. Add cheese and stir until completely melted and smooth.
 
4 - Cook on low for 2.5 to 3 hours.

2 comments:

  1. I love this recipe and am desperate to make it, but:

    1 What is EVOO - can anyone interpret for a Limey?

    2 What does "half and half" refer to? Cream or milk or creme fraiche?

    3 "Condensed cheddar cheese soup"? Is that sauce or a soup, because we have cheese sauce packs in the UK but not cheese soup.

    Can anyone help me with these please?

    Hugs,

    Ami

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ami :) Sure - I remember when I visited friends in Basildon a few years ago. She asked me to make my lasagne for her family so off we trudged to the store to find the ingredients. I asked for tomato sauce and was promptly shown the catsup O_o

      So, here are the translations:
      EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil
      Half-n-Half is a mix of half cream and half milk

      Condensed cheddar cheese soup is a Campbell's product, I don't know if you have that. I imagine you could use the cheese sauce packets. I'm trying to fiddle that our of the recipe, because I'm not a fan, I don't think it adds much in the way of flavor or texture truly.

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