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Slow Cooker Creamy Velvety Mac-N-Cheese

J and I were invited to a potluck barbecue in which I decided I would bring Macaroni and cheese! Who doesn’t love mac-n-cheese? Well I have never loved homemade mac-n-cheese. Most times, it’s stringy, and not very flavorful. Not at all creamy like the boxed macaroni & cheese! So I set out to make a good, creamy Mac-n-cheese that I could bring to the potluck! 
I did my research on what makes a good Mac-n-cheese. Seems it originated from England where they first make a “white sauce” to melt the cheese in. If made correctly, it will also help the cheese stick to the noodles.  
The cheese itself also makes a difference. Some cheeses melt better than others. I read that sharp white cheddar is the best for this type of dish, while gruyere adds a nice flavor. I have always liked gouda, and love it on grilled cheese, so I just mixed my cheeses! I figured, if I mixed flavors and mixed cheap with expensive, then I would get a nice “full-bodied” flavor. Ha ha! It turned out awesome! 
PS….I read a recipe with the squash idea so decided to try it. It’s a keeper! 🙂

The smoked gruyere added a really nice smoky scent and flavor! Easy does it though, its potent! I mixed my smoked Gruyere and regular Gouda to have about 2 cups shredded combined (about 8oz total)(right, below). You could reverse and have regular Gruyere and smoked Gouda too. Taste it at the deli to decide what you like. 🙂 

I mixed higher end sharp white cheddar , with store brand NewYork Extra sharp white cheddar to have about 4 1/2 cups shredded combined (about 1lb, 6oz total)(on the left). I didn’t use all the Gouda or one whole brick of white cheddar. 

 Creamy Velvety Mac-n-Cheese

Ingredients:

1lb good quality elbow macaroni noodles
1lb butternut squash
5-1/2 C. milk (any, even skim works fine!)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter (this is mac-n-cheese…please use butter!)
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayene pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp salt
4-1/2 C shredded sharp white cheddar (see note above)
2 C shredded gruyere/gouda (see note above)

Directions:

First thing is to roast your butternut squash. To do so, you will need to cut it in half with a sharp knife (watch your fingers!), and spoon out all the seeds and guts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the cut sides of the squash with non-stick spray, and sprinkle with a little S&P. Place squash cut side down on the baking sheet, and bake on the top rack of a 375º oven for about 40-45 minutes. You want them to be fork tender….like a boiled potato.

My squash cut off-center so I ended up with three slices. Bonus: it didn’t take as long to roast!

Remove them from the oven and let cool until you can handle them. Scoop the flesh out and into a bowl. Discard the skin.

You will need a pound of squash, but mine was 2lbs….I just used half of it. 🙂
Then use a potato masher to mash it to baby food consistency. Set aside. 

Next (or meanwhile if you like to do it all at once like I do! ;)) bring a large pot of water to a boil and toss in the macaroni. This dish is finished in a crockpot (or oven if you prefer) but I did not want the starch from the noodles to mix with the cheese. So I boiled them until al dente (just before “done” they are semi-soft), and then strained and rinsed with cold water. Set aside. 
Now you need to heat up the milk. Use a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot. Don’t try to rush this! If you scald the milk you will have to start all over because that burnt taste never goes away! Heat and set aside…momentarily.
The white sauce starts with a roux, so in a large, deep-sided pot, start with melting your butter. Once the butter is bubbling, add your flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for another minute or two over medium heat, stirring constantly. This will be like a paste to thicken the sauce and help it stick to the pasta. 
A roux comes from french cooking….it is used to thicken sauces. 

 Slowly add your hot milk into your roux, stirring constantly. You will need to continue cooking this, over medium heat, until the sauce bubbles again and thickens. You have to stir this constantly. If the milk burns to the bottom of the pan, it will turn brown and lumpy and have a scorched flavor that will ruin your sauce!

When the sauce thickens and bubbles, remove it from heat. Now we add the pepper, cayenne, salt, and nutmeg, along with 3 C. of the cheddar cheese, and 1-1/2 C of the gruyere.
Mmmmm….cheese!

 Mix until smooth and creamy!

 Now is where the velvet comes in! Add your pureed squash and mix well.

This helps give your white sauce the traditional orange mac-n-cheese color! And oh, it is so good!
Give this a little taste and make sure your seasoning is good. I think I ended up adding a bit more salt and pepper

Now you are ready to combine your noodles with your sauce! Tada! Yum!
Let it steep in a crockpot on high for an hour or two. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets and the softer the noodles get. Just don’t let it go so long that your noodles fall apart! About 20 minutes before your party, sprinkle the remaining 1-1/2 C cheddar and 1/2 C gruyere on top and let melt to gooey goodness!

nom nom nom!

Get in my belly!!

If you prefer to do this in the oven, I would suggest a greased baking dish and 30-ish minutes in a 375º oven. Just until the cheese melts and browns a bit! Enjoy!

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