Easy Crockpot Mac and Cheese!

This is hands the absolute easiest way to make macaroni and cheese! Believe it or not, it's unbelievably creamy, no broken curdled sauce, no mushy noodles, and the taste is simply perfect.

My tricks to a good crockpot mac and cheese are to use a combination of cream, water, and evaporated milk - instead of regular or whole milk so it doesn't curdle in the cheese sauce. Then also wait until closer to the end to add the shredded cheese so that doesn't overheat and separate.

And another important key is to use a combination of cheeses for great flavor and texture. Sharp cheddar builds up the best traditional macaroni and cheese flavor, while each American cheese and Monterey Jack cheese create a velvety sauce.

The starches of cooking everything together in one pot (or slow cooker insert technically) also help create a smooth sauce.

This is a family favorite! It has a well-balanced flavor that isn't too harsh so people of all ages love it, and the cook will love the ease of preparation.

It's jam-packed flavorful goodness in every bite and undoubtedly worthy of the holidays (it's perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or potlucks), but yet simple enough for a weeknight side dish!

Watch the Video for Crock Pot Mac and Cheese!

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About This Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe

Sweet, savory, salty, smokey, tangy and with great depth of flavor. Here you get all the things you are looking for in homestyle BBQ pulled chicken and then some.

But no need to break out the grill or smoker. Here the crockpot does most of the work!

At the end you just shred (or in other words "pull") the chicken into pieces and pile over (optionally) buttered and toasted hamburger buns. And if you want to make it extra delicious mound on the easiest coleslaw as well (with blue cheese if you'd like!).

To finish, pair it with a side of buttered corn (on the cob is best!), crisp potato chips, and sweet apple slices or fruit salad for a super easy summer inspired meal!

What is Barbacoa?

Barbacoa is an authentic Mexican dish typically made with beef, goat or lamb. It is traditionally seasoned with dried chilies and spices and slowly cooked until perfectly tender. From there it's used as a delicious filling for tacos, burritos and so forth.

Barbacoa Beef Video

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This is my favorite Barbacoa Beef recipe! I first shared the recipe back in April 2015 but have since decided those photos needed some updating.

It's an easy to make dish, nothing complicated and it doesn't use hard to find ingredients. It's incredibly flavorful and you'll love the brightness of the lime.

Most definitely a recipe easily worthy of your dinner rotation!

Photography credit: Jess Larson

This is just classic, homestyle, stick-to-your-ribs good food made with basic, real ingredients. Plus it's the best thing to come home to, cooked in the crock pot and ready to eat after a long day! My perfect slow cooker pot roast is an excellent option for lazy Sundays or busy winter workdays. 

Crock Pot Roast Recipe

I've been making slow cooker pot roast for as long as I can remember. But in the beginning, I was doing it all wrong.

We've all had the super easy, lazy slow cooker roast that skips the browning in a skillet, but once you try it browned you'll never look back! Browing helps to seal in the moisture and creates the most delicious texture for a juicy pot roast.

Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast Video

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Another mistake was using onion powder and garlic powder in place of the real thing. Those have their place, but not here. The fresh onion and garlic add so much flavor to a pot roast.

And have you ever tried crock pot roast with fresh herbs? It's so much better than dried, so it's worth the splurge. You can often even find them bundled together in a blended package to make this slow cooker pot roast recipe even easier.

Last but not least—the vegetables. I was always adding potatoes in cubes and using Russet potatoes. How does that turn out in the end? Potato soup! Instead, using a waxier potato (Yukons) and keeping the potatoes whole will help keep your potatoes moist and fork-tender, but not gluey. Cut them up at the end if you'd like, or just serve them whole.

Everyone will be too busy savoring each bite to care about the potato size details. This is the ultimate pot roast recipe! Simple ingredients yet layers of rich, satisfying flavor.

It's one of those dump and go soups that's perfect for busy days and a great way to use up a leftover ham.

Easy Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and bean soup was one of my mom's go-to dinners growing up. Almost every single Sunday she made roast beef or ham and so of course when it was ham that always meant a leftover ham bone.

My mom had to feed 6 kids on a very tight budget so that often meant she made the most of the leftover ham bone and made ham and bean soup the next day. It was also a great option for her because she was a single working mom and it's a recipe that requires minimal effort.

Here go-to method was on the stovetop but I prefer this slow cooker set-and-forget method and I love how the ham comes out so unbelievably tender.

This soup is so comforting and though it only requires a few simple ingredients it has such a satisfying flavor. Just don't forget a lot of the flavor comes from the ham bone so I don't recommend using ham without the bone.

Serve it with fresh bread or crackers and you've got a perfectly comforting dinner, just like mom or grandma used to make!

Love this recipe? Be sure to try my highly-rated White Chicken Chili too!

The Best Crockpot Chili Recipe Ever!

Chili is actually one of my favorite fall foods and I make it all the time. It's a recipe everyone in the family loves and it's just good for the soul; a perfect comfort food. Everyone needs a go-to easy chili recipe for fall! This easy slow cooker chili uses simple ingredients that you can adjust based on how you like your chili (spicy chili? sweet chili? meaty chili?) or your family's dietary needs.

This slow cooker method is my favorite for easy chili—low effort and high reward. The flavor of the crockpot chili is rich and robust, the texture of the beef is so tender, and it turns out perfect every time! All it takes is a few minutes of prep work earlier in the day, and you're ready to enjoy a delicious bowl of chili for dinner or to serve to a crowd for your Super Bowl Party!

French Dip Sandwiches

French dip is one of my go to dinners for a number of reasons. First off - the flavor of course! The flavor of the rich beef combined with the well seasoned homemade au jus is the perfect match. And did I mention, there's cheese and buttery buns?

Other reasons I love these include the fact that they're so easy to make, my whole family loves them, it uses ingredients I usually have on hand (I freeze the chuck roasts and buns), and it's just a totally comforting homestyle meal that's perfect for any day of the year.

These ribs are unbelievably tender. We've had bad ribs that you have to chew of the bone and that are unfavorably tough. These are anything but. The meat falls right off the bone and melts in your mouth!

Slow Cooker Ribs with a Homemade BBQ Sauce

Another thing I really love about this recipe is this homemade bbq sauce. It's flavored just how I like. It's lightly sweet and tangy, it's rich and has good depth, and it's slightly smokey with a little kick.

The other great thing is that there will be extra sauce so you can grill chicken the next day and slather it with lots of this bbq sauce.

When in a rush you can use some of your favorite bottled barbecue sauce but I highly highly recommend trying this homemade sauce when you've got the time. It's so easy to throw together it's just a bit of measuring and simmering.

And talk about comforting soup after a long day. The cheesy tortellini and cream in this soup just make it truly irresistible!

Tortellini Soup

One of my favorite things to make for dinner is a tasty slow cooker soup recipe. They just have such a delicious slow simmered flavor, and all that cook time really allows the flavors to blend together.

This soup is probably one of the easiest you'll ever make and you wouldn't believe how amazing it tastes (especially considering it's ease of prep). And have I said yet I just can't get over this flavor??