Chef Lisa

My kids love mac & cheese, and I wanted something I could cook in the slow cooker. The recipe below is based on Spicy Slow Cooker Mac-n-Cheese – I didn’t use andouille sausage as smoked sausage was on sale. It turned out okay, and was good enough for a “this is a great base to start with” verdict from everyone.

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

2 (11 ounce) cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup
2 3/4 cups water
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked shell pasta
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Whisk the condensed soup and water together in a slow cooker until smooth. Add the shell pasta, sausage, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion flakes. Stir well. Set the slow cooker to HIGH for 1 hour, then reduce to LOW for 2 hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

When the pasta is tender, stir in the sour cream and cheese until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

It’s been a while since I got off my butt and posted a weekly menu. We’re in the midst of a kitchen renovation, so what we’re eating isn’t exactly typical. For cooking, we’re limited to microwave, grill, slow cooker and our George Foreman G# grill (the one with removable plates). Then there’s cold meals or ordering in pizza. The pizzas for ordering in cost us only the gas to pick them up – we won enough coupons for 6 free medium pizzas through a local fundraiser raffle.

So, without further ado, here’s the menu for July 18th through July 24th. Because the kids are off for summer break, I’ve had to plan lunches too.

Saturday
Breakfast: self-serve
Lunch: self-serve
Supper: slow cooker mac-n-cheese
Sunday
Breakfast: Overnight Oatmeal
Lunch: sandwiches
Supper: order in pizza
Monday
Breakfast: self-serve
Lunch: mac & cheese
Supper: bacon cheeseburgers, salad
Tuesday
Breakfast: self-serve
Lunch: BBQ pizza
Supper: chef salad
Wednesday
Breakfast: self-serve
Lunch: sandwiches
Supper: slow cooker chicken stroganoff, salad, rice
Thursday
Breakfast: self-serve
Lunch: frozen meal (family sized something-or-other)
Supper: order in pizza
Friday
Breakfast: self-serve
Lunch: sandwiches
Supper: frozen meal (family sized something-or-other)

Sunday is always “special breakfast” day at our house. It’s the only day of the week where I make breakfast for everyone, and we’re all expected to sit down together and eat. Not having a kitchen could have put a crimp in my plans, but I didn’t want it to. I remembered watching an episode of Good Eats where he made oatmeal in a slow cooker. It turned out really good! Everyone liked it, including Matt.

Below you’ll find the recipe as I made it. Next time, I think I’ll add some cinnamon.

Overnight Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raisins
4 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and turn on to LOW. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.

Stir and remove to serving bowls.

This made enough for two adults and two kids, with a bit left over.