Hamburger Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (cooked until no longer pink)
• 1 lb elbow pasta (or any shape you prefer; cooked to al dente)
• 5 tbsp butter (divided (1 tbsp for pasta, 4 tbsp for slow cooker))
• 12 oz evaporated milk (1 can)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 2 cup monterey jack cheese (shredded)
• 4 oz cream cheese (optional)
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.25 tsp nutmeg
• cooking spray
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• chili flakes (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

2. 2

   Cook 1 pound of elbow pasta according to package instructions until al dente.

3. 3

   Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix in one tablespoon of butter; set aside.

4. 4

   Over medium-high heat, spray a large pan with cooking spray and cook 1 pound of ground beef until no longer pink.

5. 5

   Season the ground beef with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

6. 6

   Add the cooked ground beef, cooked pasta, remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, 12 ounces of evaporated milk, 1 cup of whole milk, 4 cups of sharp cheddar, 2 cups of monterey jack, and optional cream cheese directly to your Crockpot® Slow Cooker.

7. 7

   Add salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, chili flakes to taste, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

8. 8

   Stir well until everything is thoroughly combined.

9. 9

   Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3 hours.

10. 10

    Stir the mixture once halfway through the cook time (at approximately 1.5 hours).

11. 11

    Give the mac and cheese a final stir before serving. Add hot sauce for an optional kick if desired.

Notes

For an extra kick, add hot sauce before serving. You can substitute the elbow pasta with any pasta shape you prefer. The cream cheese is optional but adds extra creaminess.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• slow-cooker
• casserole
• beef
• pasta
• comfort food
• kid-friendly