Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

A couple of weeks ago, or so, I bought the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle, for which I am an affiliate. Each week, I've looked for a recipe to try and this week, I wanted a slow cooker recipe.

I saw Cheeseburger Macaroni and couldn't wait to see how to do it. But I was disappointed to find that it was an Instant Pot meal, and I don't have an Instant Pot. So I found a slow cooker recipe online and tried it, instead, altering it a smidge to make it vegetarian. Plus, I used spaghetti instead of macaroni.

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Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

Recipe from SlowCookerKitchen.com

The cool thing about this meal is that it's a one-pot meal, but for the slow cooker. Much less mess to clean up when the meal is over - and my chief bottle-washer appreciates that fact. :)

Slow Cooker Kitchen says you can turn this into a freeze-ahead meal, too. I like that idea. In fact, I want to learn more about how to do the freeze-aheads, too. There's an ebook for that in the Healthy Meal bundle, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

Ingredients

a pound of macaroni (it can be uncooked or you might want to cook it for a few minutes_

3 cups of milk (I used my regular Lactaid 2% milk)

a 1/2 stick of butter, melted

2 cups of shredded cheddar (or more if you want - I used two)

a cup (or two) of shredded mozzarella

a pound of hamburger, precooked (I used veggie burgers)

salt, pepper and garlic to taste (3 tsp, if you're using garlic powder)


Slow Cooker Kitchen suggested adding cream cheese, bell peppers and paprika, none of which I used when I made it. She also mentioned Italian seasoning or taco seasoning as options. I have some Italian seasoning, but didn't use it.

Instructions

Mix the butter and the milk together, and then add the salt, pepper and garlic. Stir it and then put it aside for a bit. Put butter on the sides of your slow cooker insert and then, add the pasta, the meat and half of the mozzarella & cheddar. Toss and combine it.

Then, pour the milk mixture over it and add the other half of the cheese. Cover it, then let it cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

I'd buy or make some rolls to go with it. There's an all-natural grocery store whose rolls I love!!

Which way would you make it? With cream cheese or not? Would you add Italian seasoning?

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine