Sort through the beans and discard any debris. Place the beans in a colander and rinse in cold water. Add the beans to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
Add the diced ham, carrots, onion, celery, dried thyme and pepper with the beans in the slow cooker. Pour over the chicken broth. Wait to add the ham flavor packet.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
After the cooking time is up add the ham flavor packet, stir. Add salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Do I need to soak the beans?
No! this recipe works great without soaking. Be sure to cook on HIGH, and keep the lid on the entire time.
Can I use a ham hock?
Yes! You can use 1-2 ham hocks or shanks instead of diced ham.
Remove the ham hock after cooked and remove any meat, add to the slow cooker.
Degrease the soup by laying a paper towel over it and removing.
CHEESEBURGER MAC AND CHEESE
Bacon Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Recipe – comfort food at its best! Effortless to make with only a few simple ingredients. Uncooked elbow macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, ground beef, bacon, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal steak seasoning, garlic, onion powder, Velveeta, and sharp cheddar cheese. This Crockpot Cheeseburger Macaroni is creamy, cheesy, beefy, and oh-so delicious. Whip this up for a meal the whole family will love!
Equipment:
6-qt Slow Cooker
12-inch Non-Stick Skillet
Ingredients:
2lblean ground beef
½cupcooked chopped baconoptional
1(16-oz)box elbow macaroni, uncooked
1-lbVelveetacut into cubes
4cupsmilk
1(12-oz)can evaporated milk
1cubebeef bouillon
¾cupketchup
¼cupyellow mustard
2tspWorcestershire sauce
2glovesgarlicminced
½tsponion powder
2TbspMontreal Steak Seasoningor to taste
1cupshredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions:
In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain excess grease. Transfer meat to slow cooker.
Add all remaining ingredients except cheddar cheese to the crockpot. Stir to combine.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH heat for 1 hour.
Remove the lid and stir. Check the pasta for doneness. If the pasta isn’t tender, cover the slow cooker and check it every 15 minutes.
Top the pasta with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Notes:
Can substitute ground turkey for ground beef to reduce the calories.
I add cooked bacon to the casserole. Feel free to omit it.
Do not boil the pasta before adding it to the slow cooker. You are going to use the pasta dry – uncooked.
I suggest using Barilla elbow macaroni pasta.
Barilla is a thicker pasta and holds up well in this recipe.
Can substitute penne or rotini pasta.
Velveeta works great in this recipe because it melts easily and is smooth. If you aren’t a fan of Velveeta you can substitute American cheese from the deli department.
Can I mix all of the ingredients ahead of time and refrigerate the crockpot before cooking? Yes, with the exception of the pasta. Wait until you take it out of the fridge and are turning the slow cooker on before you add the macaroni.
Please keep in mind that all slow cookers cook differently. An older slow cooker may cook hotter (even on low) than a newer crock pot. Check the pasta at one hour. Stir and test the noodles for doneness. Don’t overcook the pasta as it will get mushy.
If the mac and cheese sauce is too thick, thin it out with some milk or water.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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