I can hardly believe that Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This year I'm trying to be a bit more adventurous in the cooking department. We had two small gatherings this fall (thanks COVID) so I thought I'd try a new go-to...mac and cheese.

There are so many variations this one seemed the easiest to me (not necessarily the healthiest).

CROCKPOT MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

16 oz Elbow Macaroni
1/2 Butter, Cubed
12 oz Evaporated Milk (1 can)
3C Whole Milk
12 oz Velveeta Cheese, Cubed
*4C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt/Pepper to taste
Green Onions Chopped - Optional

*Use a block of cheese and shred yourself - SO much better

Directions:

1. Grease crockpot with butter or non-stick spray - I used a crockpot liner - "HELLO EASY CLEANUP"

2. Add evaporated milk, whole milk, velveeta cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, butter, onion powder, garlic power and salt and pepper - mix well.

3. Add macaroni - mix well. Cover

4. Cook on low 2-2 1/2 hours, stir. Cook additional until macaroni is cooked through

5. Garnish with green onion if desired.

**I made this twice in one weekend. First time I followed the recipe to a T, which was to cook the macaroni on the stove until al dente, drain and add to crockpot. I felt that the noodles were over-cooked by the time we ate. However, the second time I made it, since I wasn't sure what time we were eating, I didn't pre-cook the noodles. 

The original recipe can be found: realhousemoms.com 

Creamy Chicken Soup

WOW! Life has definately flown by and it always seems once fall/winter arrive things "somewhat" slow down. Just so I can have this soup in my back pocket for a later date (it was that good) 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb (450g) cooked shredded or chopped chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken) 

4 cups (1l) low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth 

2 teaspoons olive oil 

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1 cup diced carrots 

1/2 cup diced celery 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar) 

1 cup cream cheese, softened (I used half a block) 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh black pepper 

2 cups uncooked ditalini pasta (or any other small pasta) 

2 cups chopped spinach (give or take what you fancy) 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese for garnish, optional 

 DIRECTIONS: 

 1. To make the creamy chicken pasta soup: In a large dutch oven, add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute in olive oil until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken and continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. 

2. Add the broth, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook for 15 minutes.

3. Lower the heat, then add pasta and cheddar and simmer until pasta is cooked to your liking. Add spinach to the chicken pasta soup toward the end, and stir until wilted. 

4. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve the creamy chicken pasta soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy! 

 Note: If you like a thinner chicken pasta soup, you can cook pasta on the side and add to the soup at the end and reheat before serving. Also, throw in any other veggies you want! I couldn't decide pasta or potato so I did both - extra hearty! 

 **I made over the course of the afternoon. Once I did step one, I went to step two and didn't add the heavy cream or cream cheese until just before serving. I also didn't add the cheddar, spinach or pasta until half hour before serving. 

 Recipe from: eatwell101.com