Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Crockpot Recipe: Trisha Yearwood's Macaroni & Cheese


This year we're having a rather quiet and peaceful Thanksgiving celebration. We're not traveling anywhere and the only one joining the four of us for dinner will be my Mom. We're planning a simple meal, revolving around a roast chicken, the only meat my son isn't allergic to. It's going to be an easy going Thanksgiving around here and I'm loving that.

Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving or simply bringing a dish, don't forget about your crockpot! It is a great way to free up space on your stove and in your oven. It's also a great way to keep food warm if you're transporting a dish to a family member or friend's house.

We almost always have macaroni and cheese, especially for the kids, on Thanksgiving. This year I tested out a crockpot recipe from Trisha Yearwood's newest book and we found it to be quite good.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood
Serves 12
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
1- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
2 10-ounce bricks sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 5 cups)
Dash of paprika

In a large 4-quart crockpot sprayed with cooking spray, mix the macaroni, milks, eggs, butter, salt, pepper, and all but 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with paprika. Cook on low heat for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Turn off the crockpot, stir the mixture, and serve hot.

Another Crockpot Note:
I'm also using my crockpot tomorrow to cook fresh corn on the cob for my son's preschool celebration. Fresh corn on the cob is husked, wrapped in foil and placed on high in the crockpot for 2 hours. The corn steams in it's own juices and is actually quite delicious.

I'm submitting this crockpot recipe to Reeni's Thanksgiving Side Dish Showdown over at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.

I wanted to take this time to say that I am thankful for each and every one of you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, friends, fun, laughter and memories!

34 comments:

  1. Mac n cheese looks delish!! The fresh corn sounds absolutely divine:)

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  2. Macaroni and cheese is wonderful comfort food. I know your family will love it.

    Hope you and yours have a fabulous Thanksgiving Kim.
    Sam

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  3. I love easy-going holidays, too...I hope yours is wonderful! The mac and cheese sounds and looks so mouthwatering!

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  4. Wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving. May you always have much to be thankful for daaahling. I would be thankful for some of your mac and cheese ;)
    *kisses* HH

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  5. Happy Thanksgiving, Kim! You are such a sweetie.

    Thanks for the reminder...I do forget about my crockpot. I'm kind of a crockpot doofus. Things tend not to go well when I use it. I know--how can you mess it up, right?

    Great idea since practically everything people cook for TG requires a stay in the oven. It's difficult to orchestrate all the different temps and cooking times.

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  6. We've actually never had mac and cheese and thanksgiving! And that seems like one serious mistake. Since I'll take any excuse to eat mac and cheese in obscene amounts. This sounds delicious! I'm thankful for you too Kim. So glad to have encountered you through this crazy food blogger world.

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  7. That looks really yummy! I think I'm adding this to my T-giving day list!

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  8. She has some deliciously indulgent recipes in that book, doesn't she? I am glad you have tried this one as I have had my eye on it for a while but just wondered if it turned out ok in the crock pot. I really should use mine more often. Great idea with the corn too. Best wishes to you and all of your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am thankfully to have been able to chat with you a little these past few months. It has been a pleasure.

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  9. Great! I have never made mac and cheese in the slow cooker before - what a fab idea!

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  10. Kim, thanks for the chicken recipe you sent me; I'll definitely try it. We eat so much chicken it's a wonder I don't sprout feathers. We're having a quiet Thanksgiving, too, with just 7 of us. I hope you and your family have a wonderful day. BTW, that mac n' cheese looks too good to have come out of a crockpot.

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  11. Kim, It wouldn't be an authentic Southern table if Mac and Cheese (homemade) was missing! I love this stuff! I'll try and make it when I return from the frigid North where we'll be for Thanksgiving. We NORMALLY never go anywhere for this holiday, but we're throwing a surprise 90th birthday for my dad with all the relatives. I better show up, huh? Have a beautiful Thanksgiving Kim!!!! Enjoy the calm! Hugs, Roz

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  12. sounds like a lovely day, sometimes it's nice to keep things low key without a million people. bummer that your son has meat allergies, but i actually prefer a roasted chicken to a turkey, so i say it's a win! this mac and cheese looks SOO cheesy and delicious, oh my goodness, irresistable! have a wonderful t-day kim!

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  13. This looks like my kind of mac and cheese and I love that it's made in the crockpot!

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  14. Ooh, I saw this in her book and thought it looked so good. I've really got to try it. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!

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  15. I've never heard of mac and cheese in the crockpot..but the crock pot is my best friend during the busy winter months!! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :-)

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  16. I need to use my crockpot more. Love the corn idea. Hope you have a wonderful day!

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  17. Kim I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I've seen this recipe and wondered about it. Your photos make it look delish!!!!

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  18. I have had Paula Deen's crockpot mac and cheese and it was soooo good, I bet this one is equally tasty! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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  19. I wanted to drop by and wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.

    Mac and cheese in the crockpot sounds awesome-as does fresh corn. Delicious.

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  20. I am definitely going to try that recipe. I don't use my crockpot enough and often by 5 p.m. - I'm too worn out to cook. Plus - it looks and sounds scrumptious.

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  21. Mac and cheese is one of my most favorite foods ever! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  22. I had not thought of mac n' cheese in the crock pot before--such a great idea--it looks delicious. Happy Thanksgiving to you! ;-)

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  23. Hi Kim - I couldn't find an email address for you, so hopefully you'll get this comment! You are the winner of the Panko breadcrumbs and Michael Chiarello cookbook from my blog! I just need for you to email me your address to tasteandtell @ Gmail . com so I can have them send it out to you!

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  24. Great tip on using the crock pot to free up space. I do the same thing with our grills. We have 3 ovens that way:)

    Sounds like you had a nice quiet Thanksgiving like we did.

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  25. After just seeing Garth on Oprah, it was fun to see one of Trisha's recipes. I am putting her cook book on my Christmas list.

    Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving.

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  26. We had a quiet one too, Kim. Nice and peaceful with only half our family...but we talked with everyone.
    Must admit, I never would have thought of mac and cheese in a crockpot but it sure turned out beautifully!

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  27. Trisha Yearwood and the Crock Pot are loved dearly in this household. I must say i use my CP at least 4-5 times a month. I don't know if that's a good thing, or if I'm just lazy! LOL! Wish I had a bowl of this yummy dish right about now.

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  28. I was wondering how this would turn out.

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  29. It's a great recipe. For the whole milk ( I used 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 cup 1% milk)very tasty. I will do this recipe again. Remember to salt your elbow pasta water when you're cooking it. I will try the corn next week. Thanks Trish.

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  30. trisha,we love the crockpot mac@cheese my husband said it tasted like his mom's.willamae,still cooking at 93 years old.she taught me all about cooking.thanks for sharing,bebe thrift macclenny,fl.

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  31. I tried this recipe for a potluck today. Some loved it, but I didn't care for it. I thought it was very bland and needed flavor. Not sure how such rich ingredients like real butter, eggs, cheese, pasta, whole milk can turn into a bland dish, but this one truly succeeded. I prefer a creamy texture to my mac&cheese.

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