cooked just short of al dente (see savvy)
½ cup crushed buttery crackers such as Ritz or Pepperidge Farm Golden Butter Crackers
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add the broth and milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.
add the Tabasco and remove the sauce from the heat. Add 3 cups of the cheese to the sauce and stir to melt. Spread half the macaroni in the slow-cooker insert and pour half the sauce over the macaroni.
sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the layer. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and sauce and 1 cup of the cheese. Cover and cook for on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the mac and cheese is bubbling and cooked through.
sprinkle a little more cheese and the crackers over the top of the mac and cheese. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Allow the mac and cheese to rest about 10 minutes.
serve in the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
BLUE CHEESE MAC AND CHEESE
follow the directions for the Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese. add 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce with the Tabasco. substitute crumbled blue cheese for 3 cups of the Cheddar. Use half the blue cheese in the sauce and the rest between the layers and sprinkled on top. Proceed as directed.
SMOKY GOUDA MAC AND CHEESE
follow the directions for the Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese. substitute 3 cups finely shredded smoked Gouda and 2 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese for the Cheddar. combine the cheeses in a bowl and use them equally as directed in the sauce, between the layers, and on top. Proceed as directed.
MAC AND FOURCHEESE ITALIANO
follow the directions for the Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese. substitute 1¼ cups each finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano, 1¼ cups fresh mozzarella, and 1¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola for the Cheddar cheeses. use the Parmigiano and pecorino in the sauce and layer the mozzarella and Gorgonzola in between the layers and sprinkled on top. Proceed as directed.
APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON, CARAMELIZED ONION, AND WHITE CHEDDAR MAC AND CHEESE
cook 8 strips of applewood smoked bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove it from the pan to drain, and crumble. caramelize 4 large sweet onions in a sauté pan with ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon dried thyme until onions are golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. use all sharp white Cheddar for the cheese. Distribute the bacon and onions between the layers and proceed as directed.
----
onion savvy
Onion-phobic children may not like the onion in here. In that case leave it out, and just cook the butter-and-flour roux as directed.
macaroni savvy
Since the macaroni will cook again in the slow cooker, don’t cook it any longer than al dente, or the resulting mac and cheese will be mushy and the noodles will fall apart. To avoid this, undercook the noodles by 2 to 4 minutes, until they are soft but still chewy.
Rice
Rice casseroles are a terrific supplement to a weeknight dinner or a gala occasion. Plan ahead by cooking extra rice and freezing it in 1- or 2-cup portions in zipper-top plastic bags. Although brown rice might seem like a healthier option, I don’t recommend it. It is too coarse and the texture fights with the other ingredients in the casseroles. For all the rice dishes in this chapter we used converted rice, like Uncle Ben’s, because it is reliable in the slow cooker. Other rice tends to absorb too much liquid, or not enough. I discourage the use of short-grain or scented rice, like jasmine rice. Short-grain rice doesn’t absorb sauce well and becomes gummy, and jasmine rice will take over the flavor of the
½ cup crushed buttery crackers such as Ritz or Pepperidge Farm Golden Butter Crackers
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add the broth and milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.
add the Tabasco and remove the sauce from the heat. Add 3 cups of the cheese to the sauce and stir to melt. Spread half the macaroni in the slow-cooker insert and pour half the sauce over the macaroni.
sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the layer. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and sauce and 1 cup of the cheese. Cover and cook for on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the mac and cheese is bubbling and cooked through.
sprinkle a little more cheese and the crackers over the top of the mac and cheese. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Allow the mac and cheese to rest about 10 minutes.
serve in the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
BLUE CHEESE MAC AND CHEESE
follow the directions for the Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese. add 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce with the Tabasco. substitute crumbled blue cheese for 3 cups of the Cheddar. Use half the blue cheese in the sauce and the rest between the layers and sprinkled on top. Proceed as directed.
SMOKY GOUDA MAC AND CHEESE
follow the directions for the Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese. substitute 3 cups finely shredded smoked Gouda and 2 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese for the Cheddar. combine the cheeses in a bowl and use them equally as directed in the sauce, between the layers, and on top. Proceed as directed.
MAC AND FOURCHEESE ITALIANO
follow the directions for the Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese. substitute 1¼ cups each finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino romano, 1¼ cups fresh mozzarella, and 1¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola for the Cheddar cheeses. use the Parmigiano and pecorino in the sauce and layer the mozzarella and Gorgonzola in between the layers and sprinkled on top. Proceed as directed.
APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON, CARAMELIZED ONION, AND WHITE CHEDDAR MAC AND CHEESE
cook 8 strips of applewood smoked bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove it from the pan to drain, and crumble. caramelize 4 large sweet onions in a sauté pan with ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon dried thyme until onions are golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. use all sharp white Cheddar for the cheese. Distribute the bacon and onions between the layers and proceed as directed.
----
onion savvy
Onion-phobic children may not like the onion in here. In that case leave it out, and just cook the butter-and-flour roux as directed.
macaroni savvy
Since the macaroni will cook again in the slow cooker, don’t cook it any longer than al dente, or the resulting mac and cheese will be mushy and the noodles will fall apart. To avoid this, undercook the noodles by 2 to 4 minutes, until they are soft but still chewy.
Rice
Rice casseroles are a terrific supplement to a weeknight dinner or a gala occasion. Plan ahead by cooking extra rice and freezing it in 1- or 2-cup portions in zipper-top plastic bags. Although brown rice might seem like a healthier option, I don’t recommend it. It is too coarse and the texture fights with the other ingredients in the casseroles. For all the rice dishes in this chapter we used converted rice, like Uncle Ben’s, because it is reliable in the slow cooker. Other rice tends to absorb too much liquid, or not enough. I discourage the use of short-grain or scented rice, like jasmine rice. Short-grain rice doesn’t absorb sauce well and becomes gummy, and jasmine rice will take over the flavor of the
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