I grew up on Macaroni & Cheese and will never forget the taste and smell of my Grandmother Dycie’s. Our family has been baking different versions of Mac and Cheese for decades, but my dad went on the quest to find the perfect one for our family and we have all fallen head over heels in love with Paula Deen’s Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese recipe.
To say my family loves Mac & Cheese it is nothing short of an understatement, and it is always the most requested side dish in our family. We have tried so many versions from Aretha Franklin’s, Ina Garten’s and some of the “top” recipes out on the web, but we always come back to Paula.
This Mac & Cheese is the perfect fit for our family and reminds us of my Grandmother Dycie’s Baked Mac & Cheese, and need I even mention it can be made in the crockpot to make space in the oven for all of the other dishes that declare oven time??!!
It’s creamy, comforting and the closest to my Grandmother’s Mac & Cheese that we have come across in the convenience of the crockpot! My in-laws now officially request it for the holidays, because the kids always gobble it up and it’s always the first to go!
Creamy Macaroni & Cheese by Paula Deen
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (almost one box of 16 ounces large elbows or 32 ounces) regular size elbow macaroni)
1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (whole preferred, but 2% works just as well)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes.
Drain macaroni in colander.
In a medium saucepan, over low heat mix butter and shredded cheese; stirring until cheese melts.
In crockpot, combine the cheese and butter mixture from above, beaten eggs, sour cream, cheddar cheese soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper.
Stir all together well and add drained macaroni, stirring all ingredients together.
Set on low and cook for three hours stirring occasionally.
Oven version:
If you prefer an oven version and do not want to cook in crockpot, I have also done it this way and I love the way it turns out, however sometimes during the holidays we are always looking for room in our oven and Mac & Cheese is perfect for the crockpot.
For the casserole dish, follow all directions above, but instead of mixing all ingredients in a crockpot use a large bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir ingredients together well and add to a 9×13 casserole dish. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese for topping. Bake at 350° degrees for 30 minutes.
I hope you enjoy this cheesy side dish just as much as both sides of our families and also make sure to check out one of our other favorite cheesy side dishes Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits!
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