Easy Slow Cooker Bacon Mac & Cheese

First off, Happy Thanksgiving! ‘Tis the season to be thankful. And I’m thankful for all my family & friends, all the fun I get to have day in & day out, and I’m even thankful for all the tough things. Lucky for you, this isn’t one of them.

Introducing my “Thanksgiving no muss, no fuss, simple slow-cooked bacon mac & cheese”!

Long title, I know. But don’t worry, the steps are short! If you’re newer to cooking or need something easy to make with your new slow cooker, why not try some mac & cheese? I used my 4.5 quart Crock Pot which is currently on pre-Black Friday sale at Target for only $14.99!

I’ve made this a few times now and it’s great for a meal (4 or 5 hungry people) or as a Thanksgiving side (10 people). It takes about 2.5 hours including prep time, and all you gotta do is follow these steps:

Ingredients
(1) 12 oz box of small/medium elbow macaroni
(1) 8 oz cheese block, cut into cubes (I use mild cheddar)
(1) 12 oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
(1.5) cups of half & half [about 12 oz]
(1) 12 oz can of evaporated milk
(1) half stick of butter, cut into slices
(2) teaspoons Dijon mustard
(1/4) teaspoon salt
(1/4) teaspoon pepper
(8) slices of chopped bacon

Cook your elbow macaroni as directed but cook to the minimum time recommended. There’ll be plenty of time for it to continue in the slow cooker. Meanwhile, use cooking spray or butter to cover the surface of your slow cooker. A little bit helps even if it’s non-stick material.

Then pour the drained macaroni into the slow cooker & stir/melt your butter slices in there.

Throw in all your cheese cubes & 1/3 of your shredded cheese, and stir! Once that’s mixed, add the half & half, the evaporated milk, mustard, and salt & pepper.

Cover your slow cooker and cook on low. After 1 hour, give everything a good stir. Add 1/3 more of your shredded cheese (you should have about 4 oz left). Cook for another 45 minutes. Check on it: