Monday, August 23, 2010

Magazine/Cookbook Monday: Slow-Baked Mac and Cheese


Happy Monday! And my second official Magazine/Cookbook day! awhoohoo! This week I wanted something easy because I was focusing on cupcake making.... more on that later ☺... So I picked a recipe from a cookbook that I have had for awhile but have actually never used, "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two" by Beth Hensperger. It has lots of yummy ideas for crockpot recipes. I selected a mac and cheese recipe because my fridge runneth over with cheese right now. The recipe calls for shredded Italian fontina cheese, I had left over shredded Italian four cheese blend which I figured would work just as well so I subbed it in the recipe. My total prep time was about ten minutes and that included precooking the macaroni noodles. Not bad! The mac and cheese cooks relatively fast compared to most slow-cooker recipes, it was completely done in about two and a half hours. As far as taste goes, it was probably about an 8 out of 10. I think that if I had used the fontina cheese it would have been more flavorful. I also added in some spices as the recipe only calls for ground black pepper, I put in some oregano, and a sprinkle of chili powder. I wish I had some fresh oregano to sprinkle on because that would've been amazing! Maybe mix in some chopped baby tomatoes too... Next time! And there will be a next time because all in all this was a good basic mac and cheese recipe and so easy to throw together. So yes, 8 out of 10 and it's a keeper. What did you cook today? Anyone else trying out some yummy or not so yummy cookbook recipes? Feel free to share! Have a wonderful first day of the week!

Slow- Baked Mac and Cheese
Recipe Courtesy of "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two"

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups milk
One 12 oz can evaporated milk (I used skim, evaporated milk keeps the egg and milk from curdling)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temp
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend, recipe calls for Italian fontina cheese)
1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker and whisk until until smooth (or you can use an immersion blender to do the whisking for you).


Add the shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper (and whatever other spices you want to use). Stir gently with a spatula to coat evenly.


Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. The macaroni and cheese may sit in the cooker on the KEEP WARM setting for 30 minutes before serving. Before dishing it up, I sautéed some bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkled them over the top to make it a little fancier.

Serve and enjoy! '




The Girl Creative Mouthwatering Monday

195 comments:

  1. Your pictures are gorgeous! This sounds so yummy!
    I'm like you, I have lots of cheese blends (Italian, 4 cheese, Mexican) but, never just a plain blend. And I don't think I've ever actually had Fontina cheese in my house. hmmmmm.

    I might need to play with this recipe! Sounds great! Thanks for linking it up and sharing with us

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  2. Oh my gosh, this looks amazing!! I bookmarked it so I can try it soon! Thank you for sharing!

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  3. Oh my! This looks delicious and so easy. We'll definitely be makign this soon!

    www.makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com

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  4. Great! Now my stomach is growling, and my mouth is watering! :-)
    I'm over from Rachel's and I think I am going to have to make this soon!

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  5. Your blog inspired me this week....and made me very hungry! ;)

    I have featured you on my Friday Favorites, http://paintchipsandfryingpans.blogspot.com/2010/08/friday-favorites-and-family-moment_27.html

    Amber

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  6. yummy
    http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com

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  7. Where do the eggs go? I see them in the picture but not in the recipe anywhere...

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  8. Oh wow! Ostrakos, thanks for pointing that out! I completely forgot to add the eggs in the ingredients here! I did use them though! I revised the recipe. Will def. work better now!

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    1. I tryed this one today and added potato's and carrots sooo delish!!!!http://youretoocrafty.blogspot.com/2012/01/best-pot-roastever.html!

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    2. At which step did you add the eggs?

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  9. Yum! Easy and looks delicious! Great photos!

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  10. I LOVE your blog:) I cook a lot too! Your recipes are awesome. You can find me at www.bouffeebambini.blogspot.com

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  11. Oh my goodness... it is fantastic!! I went to make my official taste test and went back for seconds... I didn't use low fat evaporated milk but I will next time!! I got that curdling effect...but didn't deter from the taste!!

    I added about a 1 tsp of yellow mustard (just for a itty bitty tang)

    my sauteed bread crumbs:
    1 cup plain bread crumbs
    2 tsp dried parsley
    1/4 tsp dried basil
    1/4 tsp oregano
    1/4 tsp garlic salt

    2 tbs EVOO

    saute until golden brown over medium heat!!

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  12. i just got a small slow-cooker! I'll have to try this out.

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  13. I have tried this twice! It is to die for! I will never go back to box! Thank you

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  14. oh i can't wait to make this:)
    ps-i found this on pinterest;) it is surely a fav. and circling around!
    :0gina
    www.hiyaluv.com

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  15. I found this on Pinterest too and it's cooking as we speak can't wait to eat it!

    -Doreen
    www.doreenmarts.com

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  16. I'm here via Pinterest too :-)
    So if I wanted to use a whole box of noodles, I'd double the recipe right? Cause this is only for a half a box?

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  17. So glad you are all liking the recipe! Yes, double the recipe if you want to use a whole box. Let me know how you like it!

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  18. I'm giving this a try on easter..can't wait it looks so yummy!! Thanks for sharing :)

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  19. I just made this with Easter Dinner...Delish!!! I love it!!!

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  20. Hi. I found this recipe via Pinterest ... I have it simmering away in the crock pot as I type! Thank you so much for sharing. I shared and linked back to you on my blog Loving Lola. Nice to meet you! :)

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  21. Tried to make this tonight and it ended up curdling. I think I might have left it on high too long.

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  22. I just tried making it too and it has curdled :( I guess I left it on high too long too??

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  23. OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS THE DEVIL!!! I Cannot WAIT to make this! Looks so heavenly! Comfort food at its finest!

    We saw you on pinterest and we are your newest followers!!

    Love,

    Amy & Tiff

    http://chickswholovetoeat.blogspot.com/

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  24. I am making this right now...it is in the crockpot. Trouble is, I realized...after I had put all the ingredients in...that I didn't par cook the noodles beforehand. Oops. So, they went in completely uncooked. Hopefully it will turn out ok! :(

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  25. My crock pot is a combo crock pot/steamer/rice cooker and it doesn't have a low setting. I'm worried about making this since a couple people have said it curdles if you leave it on high too long. Hmmm, wonder if I should risk it and try it.

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  26. JayZ, I also have a cooker (steamer/rice cooker combo) and I made this recipe tonight. I just put everything in it, mixed and put it "multicook" function for 30 minutes. I think it may have been a bit too long because macaroni were a bit too soft. I think I'll try for 20 or 25 minutes next time.

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  27. How many people would you say this recipe serves? I am having about 15 ppl over for a BBQ next weekend and this sounds AMAZING!!!

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  28. Same question as Mandy... I want to make this as a side for 9 people... would doubling the recipe suffice? Or should I triple it?

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  29. I also would like to know the yield of this recipe please :)

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  30. This looks incredible and since the hurricane is coming up to my area this weekend this will be on the menu for the family for sure! I've only used my slow cooker a few times so I hope this comes out ok and I don't get that curdling...

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  31. okay! it looks awesome. I may have to try this. take care!

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  32. Mine curdled too. I only set it on high for 20 mins to try to avoid that. Any clues as to how we fix that? It still tastes amazing!
    I make bake in the oven next time because it's so good.

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  33. I cooked this. Very delicious. :) I used cheddar cheese & mozz cheese then for the topping bread crumbs with the cheese mix.

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  34. Fabulous! Found on Pinterest and will be making this tonight. You have a fantastic blog, and a new follower ;)

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  35. Awesome! That mac and cheese looks SO YUMMY! :)

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  36. Any ideas on how to adapt this for baking it in the oven? I'm going to try 350 for 45 min

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  37. Hi all, sorry for the delayed response, I would say this recipe serves 3-4 depending on how hungry you are. You could definitly double it for more (or leftovers!). As to the curdling issue, mine hasn't curdled when I have made it but maybe my crock pot runs a bit cooler? Be sure to use the highest quality ingredients you can, that seems to help too. Let me know if there are more questions and thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!

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  38. Katie - I have not made it in the oven, be sure to let me know how it turns out!!

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  39. I made it and it was good but it does need more seasoning which I didn't add this time but will next time.

    I would probably only use two eggs too. I ended up with it being too egg-y. However that might be because I used jumbo eggs (which is what I had in the house) instead of large.

    However, overall, good stuff!

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  40. Ooh I love mac n cheese and this looks delicious! I am so making this :)

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  41. What size crock pot do you have? I have a large crock pot so I am just wondering if I need to double the recipe in order to cook it in mine.

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  42. I made this today and linked back to you on my blog! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
    -Nikki
    http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/

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  43. Love this! Can't wait to make it. I'm a new follower too.
    http://bigmamashomekitchen.blogspot.com/

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  44. This is on my to cook list - I also linked back to this post today on my blog: http://blog.funandfreesouthflorida.com/2011/10/05/get-those-picky-kids-to-eat---recipes-on-pinterest.aspx

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  45. Made this this afternoon but it seems to curdle and turned more quiche-like than a cheese sauce. I was so disappointed. I was really looking forward to it.

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  46. I found your recipe via Pinterest too, and I used a mix of provolone cheese and white cheddar (that's just what I had in the fridge). It was really good, but the cook time ended up being way to long. I checked it at just over 1.5 hrs (low setting) and it was already too long. :( But still delicious. So, maybe your crock pot does run a little cool? Thanks for the recipe, though. I think I might try it again with a shorter time frame and see how it goes.

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  47. I love comfort food, this looks amazing! I will give it a try!

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  48. Looks yummy! What gave your mac and cheese the reddish color on top? Did you use paprika or is that pepper? Thank you!

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  49. I can't wait to try this. My family loves mac and cheese, especially homemade and I love my crock pot...so this is a match made in heaven! Thanks for sharing!!

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  50. Is there a way to make this meal gluten free? I'd love to try to cook this for my fiance without gluten. Any ideas??

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    1. everything listed is gluten free except the pasta...they sell gluten free pasta at most grocery stores...rice or corn or a mixture of gluten free grains. Also whole foods will have gluten free breadcrumbs. Just read ingredients on the cheese to make sure it doesnt have food starch added...if it does buy a different brand!

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    2. Tinkyada pasta is rice pasta and the best I've ever had. I order it in bulk now. Delicious!!

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  51. I think my family is ready for grown up Mac & Cheese. The other stuff is getting really old. We will have to try this.

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  52. I added bacon! As if it weren't fattening enough already :) !! It's cooking now -- can't wait to try it!!

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  53. Mine curdled too.. boo. I was really excited about this recipe, but I'll keep searching!

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  54. When does the curdling effect take place? I have mine in the crockpot right now on High for the 30 mins. Can't wait for dinner!!! :)

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  55. I LOVE THIS SOOO MUCH! I made it as a surprise dinner for my mom and dad today, it was so simple I didn't have a problem and absolutely delicious! THANK YOUUUU! I love that pintrest had this traveling around (:

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  56. Do you cook the noodles before? Or put them in uncooked?

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  57. Jennifer- According to the recipe you partially cook the noodles first.

    Mine curdled too but it is still delicious!! Thanks.

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  58. Is this recipe made for two or more?

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  59. To those who are getting a curdled effect- Are you adding hot noodles into the mixture in the crockpot? Or are you using hot butter instead of letting it come back to room temperature?

    Adding ingredients that are even slightly warm will COOK your eggs, leading to that curdling effect. Even though it's annoying, be sure to let everything come to room temp before adding :)

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    1. thanks so much for these tips!!! i did both of those things - darnit! hot noodles & hot, melted butter.

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  60. I just made this tonight to rave reviews! :) But it didn't go exactly according to directions merely because the grocery shopper for me only bought one bag (2 cups) of Italian cheese blend instead of 3 bags (6 cups - I was doubling the recipe). I searched the fridge and found a nearly full bag of cheddar and a nearly full bag of mozzarella. I dumped them in and hoped for the best. Also, I had to run an errand and be gone around the time the cooking would be done, and I think the pot-watcher didn't turn the crock-pot to "WARM" at the designated time so it cooked on "LOW" a half hour longer than called for. It still came out wonderful! Truth be told, almost addicting. Thank you for the recipe!

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  61. I'm new to the whole crock-pot cooking experience (and really cooking in general for that matter), but after you cook the ingredients for 30 minutes would the recipe be ready to eat or is the 2 hour additional cook time necessary?

    Thanks, the blog is amazing and your directions are extremely easy to follow!

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  62. Hi there!

    I just wanted to let you know that I featured this post (and altered the recipe a bit) over on my blog!

    http://www.estherfox.com/2011/12/crock-pot-mac-cheese-slow-cooker-extra-cheesy/

    Thanks!

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  63. My roommate and I are graduate students at CU Boulder. We tried this recipe and loved it. We try to make a good home cooked meal at least twice a week (depending on finances) and this was definitely a good choice. We used a mexican cheese blend instead (because that's what we had)and it turned out amazing. Thanks

    Devin + Cody

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  64. This looks great! I'm on my way to buy evaporated milk, cheese and elbow mac since that's all I'm missing. Can't wait!!! I'm trying to make it for FOUR... so I'm doubling up. Hoping it turns out good!!! :)

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  65. Mac & Cheese can get pretty boring unless there is something different about it. This looks pretty good though, cheese tastes so good when it's been under the grill.

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  66. I saw this on pinterest and had to make it today. Mine curdled as well I just read that be careful about being too high and my crockpot is hotter then most. Probably won't try it again it was super rich. Thanks. To each is own. My son did say it didn't look good but taste good!lol

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  67. Made this for a work party last week and it was definitely a hit...everyone was coming back for seconds!

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  68. YUM!!! I just got a Crockpot and have been looking for good recipes to make so this is absolutely perfect! I can't wait to give this a try! I saw this on pinterest and the picture just sucked me right in and when I saw that it was Crockpot recipe I was beyond excited. Thanks for a great recipe!

    http://adashofmegnut.blogspot.com

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  69. I'm trying all new crock pot recipes this week while on vacay. Hope it's as tasty as your pics. :)

    http://www.luxberry.blogspot.com/

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  70. Added some minced onion and a smidge of cayenne pepper. Mmmm, delish! Thanks for posting.

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  71. I've got this simmering in the crock pot right now...10 minutes left. I already snuck in for a taste (I know this is forbidden!) I've been trying out different mac & cheese recipes...this is definitely up there with my all time favorite baked mac & cheese. Adding dry mustard is key. Thanks for sharing!

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  72. I made this tonight and it turned out more like quiche than a cheese sauce. Is this what everyone is referring to when they say it curdled on them? Such a shame :( It was not as good as i expected

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    1. I just made it and I must agree with you Shannon, it was more of a quiche than a cheesey-saucey mac n cheese.
      Still delicious, I spiced it up to what I thought would go good (dry mustard rub, oregano & basil).

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    2. Best example for what they mean by curdled- cottage cheese. You get those small chunks of curds with liquid around it.

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  73. So many times I click on a picture of a great looking food item and it leads me to your site! Keep up the great work! Come check out my food blog?
    http://gigglingbites.blogspot.com

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  74. This looks so dang yummy .... everything on your blog looks delish .... can't wait to try some of these recipes out!

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  75. Made this tonight and it was DELISH! I kept eating it out of the crock pot before dinner time! It would also be really good with chicken!

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  76. I just made this and with the spices I added (oregano, basil, garlic and onion powders) I LOVED the taste. However, I accidentally par-cooked the pasta too long and it ended up rather mushy after the slow cooking. Also, I added the suggested sauteed breadcrumbs as well as some fresh bacon bits. It was great!

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  77. I'm drooling over these pictures. Now I know what to make for dinner.... Thank you!

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  78. Mine started curdling as soon as I put all the first ingredients together (the milk, eggs, etc.) and I was very careful to make sure everything was cool. I used whole wheat elbow macaroni, added some additional spices and the breadcrumbs, and left out one of the eggs. I think if I made this again I would leave out all but one of the eggs. It was definitely good. Used as a side dish, I would say this recipe feeds 6.

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  79. I'm really disappointed. I'm one of those texture eaters and the texture was so gross. The taste was only so-so though that may be because I only had tony's in the way of seasoning. Even my 2 yr old refused to eat it. :/

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  80. My stomach is grumbling! This looks fabulous! Nettie

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  81. It's possible that what a lot of you think is curdling is actually freezing. When you put cold milk in with the eggs and butter, it'll actually crystalize. So let your eggs and milk come to room temperature as well before you mix it all up. (At least, that's what just happened to me. And I should have known better because it happens in a dessert I often make.)

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  82. I made this wheat and soy free. It was fantastic!

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  83. LOVE this recipe! I made it about 6 months ago, and it was PERFECT! Unfortunately I made this last night, and it curdled this time! I got a new crockpot since I cooked this last, and I think the new one probably cooks hotter than the old one. Oh well. Still such a good flavor. Next time I probably won't cook it on high at all!

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  84. Making this tonite but going Mexican style, adding a can of diced tomatoes, Cumin, and crushed home made tortillas on top when it is finished! I'll be in touch! :D

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  85. YUM! Love the picture with the cheesy strings, it totally makes we want to take a bite!

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  86. Wow! Reading through all these comments is interesting! I am glad the recipe worked out so well for most of you. For those that had curdling, please see Tianna's comment as this could be the answer to that issue. I am going to be making this again soon and will update the recipe with my findings. I havn't made it in quite a while and I have never had the curdling problem, but I have a new crock pot so we will have to see how it goes. I am sorry that some have not had the best experience with the recipe, please continue to comment and add your suggestions! I love the idea of adding bacon, or making it mexican style with diced tomatoes. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a Happy St. Patty's day!

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  87. I often do not comment on blogs but your blog has such a method and writing model that I have no choices but to remark here. Nice submit, keep it up.
    rumah dijual

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  88. Thank you for an excellent weblog !! I discovered some useful information for my jakarta hotel restaurant menu and will suggest your blog for all my buddies.
    Thank you.

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  89. Wow, very nice recipe! I request to save this post please.
    Jac@Fotokopi

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  90. This is in my crockpot right now! I added a small amount of nutmeg...we will see how it goes! Love the blog!

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  91. Mine was fine until I switched it to high, then it curdled and got yucky. :( I'm guessing newer crockpots just cook to hot? Will try again sometime on low.

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  92. YUM! I've been looking for a recipe like this!

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  93. I plan to make it this weekend for a Bbq. Will follow all the suggestions on the curdling Problem. I plan to add plenty of salt and pepper and fresh Nutmeg is the best in Mac n Cheese!! I found this on Pinterest and repinned it!!!! Please check out my Blog @ www.sweettreatsfromcapecod.blogspot.com TY!!!

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  94. It does look good...that's why I made it. However, there was zero for taste. It's incredibly bland--despite the 4 different kinds of cheese I use, including lots of sharp cheddar. I made this for the first time with people coming over tonight and it finished cooking before everyone got here. So I tried it. Yech. I'll be high tailing it to the store to pick up some chicken or something because this mac and cheese will definitely not be the star. Good thing I made an amazing dessert.

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  95. OK, I saw this on Pinterest, love a good mac & cheese and this looked good. Read all the comments and approached the recipe accordingly - everything room temperature (inlcuding the noodles), only did the hot time for 15 minutes to heat up the ingredients then turned it down to low to 2 hours & 15 mins. It smelled great, hot and bubbly on the edges and was set in the middle. When I dished it out, the liquid seperated from the solids immediately, giving the whole dish a 'curds and whey' consistency. It was gross looking and instead of being creamy and cheesy it was lumpy and watery. Definately a huge fail!

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  96. OMG! This recipe was so amazingly delicious, something about the texture and cheese made me think I was eating home made lasagna! I followed the recipe exactly, except used Italian cheese with mild and sharp cheddar (I couldn't find Fontina cheese). After reading the reviews I was scared, but I think if you follow the instructions full out you will get a delicious stack of Mac N Cheese for may be 5 or more. Warning: when its done it does not look done, the ending result does not look miraculous but dig in anyways because its delicious!!!

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  97. Someone else may have already asked this but: Why melt the butter and then cool it to room temperature? Why not just use half a stick of butter at room temperature?

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  98. Hello, you have this recipe saved on Ziplist marking Flip2Tasty as the publisher. Was this an error? Flip2Tasty did not publish this recipe.

    By the way, your site looks great

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  99. Oh man! This did not turn out like I had hoped. I'm not sure I used the correct amount of cheese. Is it 12oz by bag weight? Or 12oz by liquid measurement cups? We went by bag and the cheese was way toooooo much. Ugh. I was gagging. I couldn't tell if I was eating chunks of cheese or noodles. And we forgot to turn it down after a half hour and it cooked on high for an hour. Not sure if that made our noodles too soft or what. Taste was good, but curdling and too much cheese made me not be able to eat it. :(

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  100. I see where it says to use 3 cups (12 oz) of shredded cheese, 3 cups should be 24 oz shouldnt it? 8oz per cup? correct me if im wrong, please so i dont mess it up. lol

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  101. Is there something I can use instead of the evaporated milk? My grocery getter forgot this ingredient. I really don't want to run out just for that!

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  102. Fabulous idea!! I really cannot wait to try it!

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  103. Thanks for the recipe! I didn't have time to get it in the crockpot, so I stuck it in the oven in my covered baker for an hour. It was fabulous and the entire family ate so much there were only enough leftovers for one person the next day. I did change a couple things. We never have milk on hand because we don't drink it, so I used coconut milk. And, for the bread crumb topping I ground up some garlic/cheese croutons. Next time, I'm planning it ahead and trying it in the crockpot. Thanks, again! :)

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    1. Almost forgot... I used the Italian blend as I didn't want to pay so much for the fontina. :)

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  104. I was crossing my fingers for this one after reading through all the comments. I made sure that all of my ingredients were room temperature, and used lot of spices (oregano, paprika, onion and garlic powder), three kind of cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella) and I ended up with curdled, bland, mushy, pasta :(

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  105. I made this last night and my kids were soooooooo looking forward to it. I cooked an hour less than it called for and it was a muchy mess. The flavor was good but you couldn't even tell there was macaroni in it because they turned to mush. I am so disappointed

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  106. This sounds delicious! I'm going to have to try this SOON!

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  107. For the folks struggling with the curdling/lumps: I just started and was a little impatient with the room temp. I saw the lumps and the whisk wasn't going to fix it. So here's what I did - dumped it all in my blender and let it run a few minutes. It is now perfectly smooth and has been cooking on high with no signs of lumpiness.

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  108. Mine curdled too, it wasn't that great. Any ideas on what I might have done wrong?

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  109. I made this tonight we liked it. I whisked the milk and eggs straight from the fridge in the cold crock pot, then I added the evap. milk, butter, and seasoning and whisked again. Then I stirred in 1/2 shredded mozzarella, 2 cups shredded cobly/jack (what I had on hand) and 1 cup cubed velveeta cheese (also because it's what I had on hand). Next I added the macaroni (I rinsed under cold water for a few minutes until it was cold). I plugged in my crock pot and set it to low for 2.5 hours. It came out fine. I will be making this again when the cold days start! Thanks!

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  110. Oh...btw...I used 1 lb of pasta and only 2 eggs.

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  111. I used 3 cups of cream, no curdling, fat in milk stops curdling lol. Also had a huge chunk of Leicester cheese so just used all that for cheese, it's got a good nip to it.

    Elizabeth, you should post a few more of your site recipes to your Pinterest board. I initially found it on someone else's pin board, then went later to your board to re-find it to make it, but you only have 3 of your recipes on your board. Eventually found this through Googling.

    Randal Oulton
    cooksinfo.com

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  112. Today called for comfort food and this just looked irresistible. I doubled it to make a larger crock pot version, and it did appear to have a bit more liquid than was needed; not sure how that compares to the recipe as written. I spooned off a bit of the extra (close to a cup) and now I'm anxiously waiting for the timer to go off to signal I should dive in! Thanks for this recipe--I suspect this will have encore performances...maybe with some diced ham or bacon added in. Mmmmmmm...

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  113. Mine curdled as well. The taste was there, but curdled nonetheless. I had it with an amazing porkloin I made. Maybe I'll make this further into the future and try it again.

    I highly doubt that the ingredients were freezing, or whatever. But I suppose I should have let all the ingredients come to room temp completely.

    I also had some excess liquid in the pot which I was afraid of. Ultimately, it curdled, and the flavor was good. 6/10.

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  114. This is not a great recipe. The noodles were overcooked and mushy even though I only cooked them for 3 minutes before adding them to the crock-pot. There are so many better ways to making mac and cheese than this.

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  115. Where is the link to the printable version? I am looking for a direct link to the recipe with out all of the additional commentary so I can use this in the kitchen

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  116. I am going to make this tomorrow for my birthday party! Thanks for sharing a great looking recipe.

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  117. This looked SOOO GOOD, but I wish you had posted the yield. I assumed it was for 6-8 as a side dish so put it all together and began cooking it for a potluck dinner, when I started reading the comments. I panicked at The Wishful Thinker's post saying she was doubling it to serve FOUR. YIKES!
    Turned off the slow cooker and frantically whipped up another batch to add to it. I cut back on eggs and butter in the 2nd batch as I only made about 2 cups of shredded cheese so 1 egg, 1 T butter. Slung it all in and reset the cooker.
    Good news: if there was any curdling, that's all over now. Bad news: Parmesean is all mixed in.
    Patiently waiting for the results.....

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  118. I used three-minute noodles and didn't have to precook them at all! Just threw them in the crock pot! And it was SOO good! Thank you so much!

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  119. I really liked this recipe. Definitely see what some commenters say about the sauce being more like a quiche though. I only used two eggs and got that effect, so I can't imagine what three would do. Next time I'll either use one or none at all, since I don't really see why it would be needed at all for a cream sauce.

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  120. Mine curdled really bad, presentation looks horrible. Eggs is NOT a good idea. For the amount of cheese was not saucy atv

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    Replies
    1. I agree with you! I could not serve this to anyone else!

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  121. Not saucy at all. Would never use this again

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  122. Seems like opinions on this one are divided. I made this at work in the crockpot this morning for a potluck in the afternoon. There was not a single bit left and I got many compliments. I enjoyed it as well.

    I made some unintentional preparation errors that I guess I'll keep:
    - I used a whole box of pasta thinking it was 1/2 lb, so I did not add more than the amount of evaporated milk or eggs that it called for.
    - I used 2 cups of milk so as not to waste the remaining portion in the bottle.
    - I used 3/4 stick of butter because that was what I had handy.
    - I used 3 8 oz bags of cheese (2 mixed varieties plus the parmesan).
    - I added 2 tsp mustard, 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
    - I cooked it on low for 3 hours instead of high.

    All in all I was very pleased with this recipe and it will go in my make again folder exactly as I've described.

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  123. Just made this. Followed the instructions. Was very gritty (curdled). I had to add a buttload of seasonings to make it taste good. Looks NOTHING like the picture. Kind of mushy too. Was cooked (on low) in 1 1/2 hours. It tasted okay. I would rate it a 4/10. I would rather eat Kraft, but it wasn't a total waste. For all the fat and everything you are putting into this dish it would have to be pretty good for me to make it again. I read all the comments before making it, and worried it would curdle... it did. Also, it looks like a very small amount in my large crockpot. so we made a double batch (there are four people in my family, and I wanted leftovers. Previous posts said it made four servings) It made WAY too much. Probably a good 12 cups or more of mac and cheese! I have a large crockpot, and it was almost all the way full with the stuff once it expanded!

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    1. Oh, and there was not any sauce. The noodles were large and it was very thick

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  124. I already had a roast in my crock pot so I made this exactly as instructed, but cooked it at 350 for an hour after assembling all the ingredients. Topped it with parmesean and planko crumbs and broiled for the last 5. Turned out AMAZING.
    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  125. I made this last night, too eggy for my liking. Maybe don't use eggs at all.

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  126. i made this Wed for a TH thanksgiving. It turned out great. I think the trick is adding cooled, rinsed noodles to the milk mixture. THis is what I did and I did not have any curdling. Also the reason to cool the butter is to prevent the curdling. Instead I added the milk mixture to the melted butter, then added that back to the crockpot. I typed up a HUGE comment but of course it was lost when I tried to upload it! grrr. Please email if you have any other questions. pecarooskie@yahoo.com
    This turned out wonderful and I just made ANOTHER crockpot full for Thanksgiving #2

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  127. I cooked this in the oven as well and it did not turn out well. It was like a quiche. It tasted okay, but the texture was awful. I did not cool the noodles. Maybe that had something to do with it. But the butter was cooled to room temp. I will try this again with cooled noodles. If it was saucy, it would be fantastic! I did read the comments, I just didn't have time to cool the noodles. Will definitely make time to do this next time!

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  128. Recipie looks amazing and I plan on trying it for a Christmas potluck I'm going to!!! My friends have the taste of 4 year olds and stick to plain homestyle comfort foods (think chicken nuggets, balogna sandwiches, ect). Will the fontina cheese be too crazy for them? Did anyone who made the recipie give it to children? I'm thinking about substituting for cheddar cheese...

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  129. Delicious recipe!! Mine turned out fantastic. Very filling and didn't really need any additional salt or pepper. My husband and I can't have enough garlic on our food so I sprinkled it on our plates when serving. Will use this recipe again for sure!

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  130. Have you tried doubling this recipe? I have a LOT of people coming to my house tomorrow night and thought I would give this recipe a try. Going to add some gruyere cheese to the recipe.

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  131. I only used 10oz of the fontina cheese and had added dry mustard and cayenne pepper, but it was still lacking in seasoning as I think the cheese swallowed up everything. I would also decrease the eggs to 2 and agree that it could be more "saucy" maybe more milk? Definately needed more seasoning though. Made quite a large pot, I would say if it was a side dish, that it could easily serve 10 people. I would try again, but make adjustments as mentioned.

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  132. Thanks for posting! We made this today! :) The only things: I thought it was too heavy on the cheese and my husband said it would have been awesome with bacon. LOL but we still ate it! :)

    I blogged it here and sourced you to the recipe:
    http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=921373172859247683#editor/target=post;postID=2082326061307789649

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  133. Its in the crock-pot cooking as we speak! I could not for the life of me find an Italian cheese blend that looked good or that didn't already have parmesan cheese already. I did find a mac and cheese blend from Tillamook so hopefully it turns out alright. Added a sprinkle of Oregano and a pinch of garlic salt. Thanks for the recipe cannot wait to eat it!

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    Replies
    1. Normal to be burning on the sides an hour in?

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  134. I followed the recipe to a T. Mine did not curdle but the taste was so BLAND. Def. will never make this again. Yuck!

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  135. Ahh I just threw this together in my crock pot right now then realized that I forgot to cook the macaroni noodles. Do you think it's going to be ruined?

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  136. I've never commented on a blog before but feel compelled to warn anyone from attempting this hot mess of a recipe. I have no idea what the reviewers of the glowing reviews were smoking but this mac and cheese is NOT good. Mine did not curdle and my pasta wasn't soggy so that wasn't the issue..it was not saucy enough with a really weird texture and super bland. Went right in the trash...what a waste of money.

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  137. I have been wanting to make this FOREVER and I finally got around to it this past weekend for company. It was a huge success!!! Thanks for the recipe! :)

    toddlindsey.com

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  138. I made this last night, and found it to be too dry. I used all the ingredients as stated, but I'm not sure the crockpot is the way to go when it comes to mac and cheese.

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  139. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  140. I'm trying this for tonight & I don't have a 30 minute thing on my crockpot. but just re read the recipe after all has been in crockpot first mistake USED WHOLE BOX oops =( second mistake FORGOT TO PAR THE NOODLES oops =( I used shredded cheese ,parm and gorgonzola set for 3 hrs please wish me luck that everything is EDIBLE . things I SHOULD NOT DO before COFFEE is PREP FOR DINNER =)

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  141. I made this for a potluck yesterday and it was perfect! I doubled the recipe, but only had one can of evaporated milk. I added a little more regular milk and crossed my fingers. Everything came out great. I added a few things: sharp cheddar, cayenne pepper, yellow mustard, and hot sauce. I let the butter and pasta cool to room temp and had no problems with curdling. Thanks for sharing this yummy and oh so easy recipe.

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  142. Made this last night for Father's Day. Did 1.5x recipe in a fairly new crock pot to serve 6. Added bacon and about 1/4 cup beer (Yuengling Lager), and used a "triple cheddar" blend made with cream cheese. I read the comments and used one less egg, waited for all ingredients to arrive at room temp, only heated on high for 20 minutes, and then only on low for 1.5 hours. The result was a curdled mess that tasted more like mushy noodles with cheesy scrambled eggs. I added 2 extra cups of cheese, which helped with the taste somewhat. I drained off 2-3 whole cups of liquid...ick. The reviews from my family were lukewarm (fortunately they're all big bacon fans), so I will not be making anything resembling this recipe again.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, and I could've served this amount (1.5x the recipe) to ten as an entree. Even the original recipe size would've been too much for six as a side.

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  143. I made this awhile ago and I LOVED it! The consistency was great and I love that it was in the slow cooker-it was so easy! Check it out~http://heatskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/06/slow-cooker-mac-n-cheese.html

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  144. I made the pasta the night before and put it in the fridge then I cooled the butter down for about an hour while I did chores... NO CURDLING! That must be the trick! I also added Panko bread crumbs on top and it actually did crisp a bit. I also added a little squeeze of dijon and a little soy sauce for some tang. Served it at a pool party and everyone LOVED IT!!!

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  145. I made this tonight and used mac and cheese blend with regular mustard came out amazing.

    Its that coat your stomach food coma kinda mac and cheese

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  146. I made this tonight and used mac and cheese blend with regular mustard came out amazing.

    Its that coat your stomach food coma kinda mac and cheese

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  147. I love a good mac and cheese recipe. just can't beat it. thanks.

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  148. I couldn't find skim evaporated milk and at what step do you add the noodles to the crockpot. I have read the recipe probably 20 times and I just can't find it :(. Thank you!

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  149. Never mind! Found it the 21st time I read it. Lol

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  150. I have this in the crockpot now, mine curdled as well. So disappointed because it was going to be dinner and I have no backup cheese to remake it tonight. I followed the directions letting things cool but even before the 2 1/2 horus were up, the butter separated to the top and I tried to mix which perhaps made the curdling apparent. I would definitely do without eggs, i was expecting it to turn out gooey and cheesy but even the noodles which i only parcooked look like they are a bit mushy. I think I will try to find a recipe without the eggs and diary for the future.

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  151. Add me to the club of those whose macaroni curdled! HOWEVER, I will own up to the fact that I did not let the butter (or any of the other ingredients) come to room temperature. Coked on high for 30 minutes, cooked on low for 1.25 hours, and ate it anyway--and it was delicious! Texture wasn't what I was expecting, but it still satisfied our macaroni craving. A bit bland, but nothing salt & pepper couldn't fix.

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  152. i just got a small slow-cooker! I'll have to try this out. Thanks for sharing it here

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  153. Thanks for the recipe! I browned some panko in butter and sprinkled on top before serving. Blogged here: http://macandcheeseproject.blogspot.ca/2014/09/38-slow-baked-mac-and-cheese.html

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  154. My gluten-free adaptation of your recipe. Thanks for the inspiration. http://www.rainbootsandbeef.com/2014/10/gluten-free-baked-macaroni-and-cheese.html

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  155. How many servings does this make?

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  156. If I were to double this recipe, should I double the cooking time as well?

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  157. Awful..curdled so bad it was gross..dinner ruined wish I went with another recipe

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  158. Awesome Click, the mac and cheese recipes looks very delicious.

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  159. Emotional eating has been a hot topic for at least 15 years when it comes to weight loss. It is not a new term. Advertisers for mac and cheese products have been touting them as baked recipe for years. Chocolate, ice cream, and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy are just some of the comfort foods we consume.

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  162. Delicious, can't say no to cheese pasta

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  163. I've cooked this the last few thanksgivings. It is a big hit! Everyone insists it's my meal to bring. Mine has curdled when I've made it before, and it was still delicious. Most of the time it comes out perfectly. I do add extra seasonings though. Love this recipe!

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