The Orange Strainer: Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese

Source: The Orange Strainer

Time: Between 3-6 hours, depending on how soon you want it done.

Ease: 1

Taste: 9

Leftover Value: 9

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

This is the closest I've come to a homemade macaroni and cheese that I like...and I've tried many.

First, let's get a few things clear: I do not like homemade macaroni and cheese to be too saucy. I do not like it to be too orange. I do not like the noodles to be too rubbery.

As I've said before, I know I have problems.

This post is lacking a lot of pictures like the ingredients family portrait, noodles boiling, and an egg being cracked. You'll just have to forgive me. My Wonder Woman cape was being dry cleaned that day and I'm always a mess without it.

The other thing I love about this recipe, aside from it's taste, is it has such a smaller number ingredients.

Here's what you need:

-6 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Because I don't like a too orange sauce, but because I feel bad for the orange cheese, I do about 4 cups of white cheddar and 2 cups of orange. Don't judge).

-4 cups of milk

-2 large eggs, beaten

-2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

-16 oz macaroni, cooked a little less than al dente

First, combine all the ingredients (except the macaroni) in the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to high and leave it alone for an hour or more. Don't be like me and peek in and check on it every 20 minutes.

While waiting for the cheese sauce, cook the macaroni. Remember, a little less than al dente. Those noodles are going to get plenty of extra cooking time in the cheese sauce!

You probably could try this without cooking the noodles, but I never have because I'm a creature of habit.

After the sauce has cooked for an hour, add the macaroni.

If you are wondering why my macaroni looks like shells, it's because my macaroni is shells. Sorry for the confusion.

This is where hopefully you learned the important virtue of patience. However, there are two options. One for the less patient and one for the more patient. You can set the slow cooker to low for four hours, or set it on high for two hours. (Yes, I usually cook it on high for two hours).