Slow Cooker Cajun Mac and Cheese

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Bring a taste of Cajun cooking to your dinner table with this spiced up macaroni and cheese recipe. Spicy chicken and andouille sausage take this slow cooker dinner from plain to flavorful.

Slow Cooker Cajun Mac and Cheese
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Prep Time:
20 mins
Slow Cook Time:
6 hrs
Stand Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
6 hrs 25 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
7 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

  • ½ teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

  • 8 ounce cooked andouille or other spicy sausage links, halved lengthwise and sliced

  • 2 ½ cup water

  • 1 medium red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • ½ cup chopped onion

  • 4 ¾ cup dried bow tie pasta

  • 6 ounce sliced American cheese, torn into bite-size pieces

  • ½ cup shredded smoked Gouda or cheddar cheese (2 oz.)

  • ¼ - ½ cup milk

Directions

  1. In a 3 1/2- or 4-qt. slow cooker combine chicken, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce; toss to coat. Stir in next four ingredients (through onion).

  2. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours. If using low, turn to high. Stir in pasta. Cover and cook 10 minutes; stir. Cover and cook 10 minutes more; stir again.

  3. Turn off cooker. If possible, remove crockery liner from cooker. Top mixture with both cheeses (do not stir). Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in enough of the milk to reach desired consistency.

Tips

If your slow cooker has a warm setting, you can hold the macaroni and cheese up to 2 hours. If mixture begins to look dry, stir in up to 1/2 cup additional milk to reach desired consistency.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

382 Calories
16g Fat
37g Carbs
21g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 382
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 627mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 20.6mg 103%
Calcium 271mg 21%
Iron 1.7mg 9%
Potassium 149mg 3%
Folate, total 13.6mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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