Jazz up your beans or mac and cheese with toppings like bacon, pulled pork, BBQ sauce, or bread crumbs. Find more great make-and-take side recipes like Pickled Vegetable Salad, Bacon Cornbread Salad, and Slow Cooker Greens with Tomatoes in our May/June 2017 issue!
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Yields: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni, uncooked
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 ounces processed cheese product, cubed
- 4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 3¼ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Garnish: toasted bread crumbs, crumbled bacon, green onion
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Add dried macaroni noodles to slow cooker. Top with butter, cheese product, Cheddar, and Parmesan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, salt, paprika, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour milk mixture over cheese and noodles.
- Cover and cook on low for 2½ to 3 hours, stirring halfway through. Garnish with bread crumbs, bacon, and green onion, if desired.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Yields: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 2 cups dried light red kidney beans
- ½ pound bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1¾ cups beef broth
- ½ cup Dr Pepper
- Barbecue sauce, pulled pork, and crumbled bacon, to serve
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, bring pinto beans, kidney beans, and water to cover by 4 inches to a boil over medium-high heat; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let soak for 1 hour.
- In a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings.
- Drain beans, and rinse. Place beans in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add bacon, 3 tablespoons reserved drippings, onion, and garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Pour mixture over beans. Add broth and Dr Pepper, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook on low until tender, 10 to 12 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with barbecue sauce, pulled pork, and crumbled bacon, if desired.
