Weird Barbie Mac & Cheese

This came about as a result of trying to modify a standard slow cooker Mac & Cheese into something different. What resulted was a trip down a very strange road, one that became even stranger once I started getting the ingredients.

When these are the cheeses that call my name, the result is not going to be normal.

Also, once I decided on a blue-cheese Mac & cheese, I decided to work with a different topping than breadcrumbs. Since walnuts and blue cheese work so well, I decided to toast walnuts to act as the topping.

This ultimately was a VERY loose interpretation of the recipe found here: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/slow-cooker-mac-and-cheese/. I say “very loose” because I changed the cheeses… and some of the spices…

Difficulty Level: Easy Servings: 9
Prep Time: 30-45 min. Cook Time: 2 hrs.
Recipe Type Side Dish Cuisine American Ingredients Pasta Diet Compatibility Vegetarian

Submitted by Nicola Elle

Oven Coven Original

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, melted (half stick) + 1 TBSP butter, melted (for toasting walnuts)
4 oz. Chopped Walnuts
2 cups dry elbow macaroni, 9 ounces (I used orichiette instead; basically, use any bronze-extruded pasta that can hold sauce well)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk, no substitutions
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream*
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder, for flavor, not heat
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika, for flavor, not heat
8 ounces Philly Cream Cheese.
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (1 and 1/4 cups packed)
5 ounces blue cheese, the more intense the better, freshly shredded (1 and 1/4 cups packed)
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded (1/2 cup packed)

Directions

Walnuts:

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a skillet on medium heat until it just begins to brown.
Pour 4 oz Walnuts into skillet; smooth the walnuts into a thin layer along the bottom of the skillet. Toast walnuts for 7 minutes, stirring frequently (at least once every thirty seconds).
Remove skillet from heat; set walnuts aside until the Mac & cheese is ready.

Mac & cheese:

Add 1/4 cup melted butter to a 4 quart slow cooker (a larger slow cooker is fine). Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with the butter.
Add 2 cups (9 oz) uncooked elbow macaroni to the butter and stir to coat.
Add a 12-ounce can evaporated milk, 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika, and stir the mixture well.
Chop your cream cheese into 1 inch chunks. Add to the slow cooker.
Shred 5 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese. Do not use pre shredded cheddar cheese. It does not melt as well, and will make your mac and cheese less creamy. Shred the cheese from a block, and if you are measuring in cups, make sure you pack the cheese in the cup to get the proper measurement. Add the cheese to your cup and smash it in with your fist until you can fit any more in. 1 and 1/4 cups well-packed shredded cheese will be about 5 ounces. Add to the slow cooker.
Shred 5 ounces of blue cheese. Do not use pre shredded or pre crumbled blue cheese. Shred the cheese from a block, and if you are measuring in cups, make sure you pack the cheese in the cup to get the proper measurement. Add the cheese to your cup and smash it in with your fist until you can fit any more in. 1 and 1/4 cups well-packed shredded cheese will be about 5 ounces. Add to the slow cooker.
Add 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded parmesan cheese to the slow cooker. Same rules apply here: Do not use pre shredded cheese. Pack the cheese into the 1/2 cup measuring cup with your fist until you can't fit anymore in.
Once all the cheese is added in, stir the mixture together. Turn the heat to the LOW setting and put on the lid.
Stir after 1 hour, moving quickly to keep as much of the heat in as you can. Focus on scraping the bottom and edges well. Eventually the cheese will start to form a crust on the outer edges. I love these cheesy crunchy bits, and stir them into my creamy mac and cheese, but if you want a very smooth mac and cheese, just avoid scraping the edges too much once the crust has formed.
Put the lid back on and cook on low for another 30-60 minutes.
If your macaroni seemed like it was close to being cooked after the first stir, you will want to check it again after 30 minutes. If it seemed like it had a long way to go, check after 60 minutes. Keep the lid on as much as possible.
The macaroni and cheese is done when the noodles are al dente and the sauce is creamy and smooth. If you like a thicker texture, simply leave it in the crock pot with the lid on for a few more minutes. The mac and cheese will continue to thicken as is cools.
Once it is cooked, turn the setting on your slow cooker to "WARM." This will keep your mac and cheese nice and creamy. Serve immediately, or leave on the warm setting for up to 2-3 hours, stirring every 30-60 minutes. Add a bit of cream and stir if the mixture starts to get too thick for your liking.
When serving, top the Mac and cheese with some of the toasted walnuts.

Notes

This is a remarkably gnarly mac & cheese. The walnuts were a perfect choice as a topper; it provided both texture to the bite and a flavor complement to the blue cheese. This would be the perfect side dish for a medium-rare steak!