With the colder temps here and the holidays on the horizon, it’s only natural that I’ve been craving comfort foods lately. While I’ve had the sudden urge to prepare heartier meals, I’ve also been on a mission to simplify the cooking process. ‘Cause honestly, I’m tired of spending so much time in the kitchen… standing, prepping, wiping, cluttering and then staring at the mountain of dishes as if they’re going to clean themselves!
My Crock-Pot has been coming in handy lately and it has been saving my sanity. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve used my Crock-Pot only a few times… partly because I had it put away to where I had forgotten about it and because I truly didn’t understand the hype of the appliance. Although I’m a little late to the Crock-Pot party, I’m now reaping the benefits… especially since I’ve acquired a second one. My second Crock-Pot is a smaller 4-qt, perfect for side dishes like homemade macaroni and cheese. I decided to jazz up a simple, yet ridiculously tasty dish with some Johnsonville Smoked Sausage and broccoli. The outcome was praise-worthy. In this dish, I used Jalapeno Cheddar Smoked Sausages, but you can use the flavor of your choice. I’ve used the Chili Cheese flavor as well and they were equally delish.
This recipe is foolproof. You just dump everything in and let the Crock-Pot work its magic. You will never ever cook homemade mac and cheese in the oven again. I hope you enjoy this recipe especially as Thanksgiving approaches! I’m no longer stressing about what I’m bringing to dinner. This is my go-to dish!
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- ½ stick butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2½ (8 oz) bags of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 Johnsonville Smoked Sausages (Jalapeno Cheddar), chopped
- 1 (12 oz) bag of frozen broccoli
- Rub the inside of a 4 qt slow cooker with vegetable oil or and add macaroni, evaporated milk, whole milk, butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and eggs.
- Stir in most of the cheese, setting ½ cup to the side. Stir in broccoli and sausage. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and paprika on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours and 15 minutes.
What dishes have you simplified by using the Crock-Pot? What dishes have you jazzed up using sausage? We’d love to know!
This post was sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage. I received product and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Kate
Friday 5th of April 2019
This was wonderful! Never knew that those flavors would come out as they did in this beautiful dish! Follow the recipe word for word!!!