After many inches of snow, ice and rain over the past week, I decided to make one of my favorite cold weather comfort foods – mac and cheese.

This is no ordinary mac and cheese. There is nothing healthy about this dish; sure you can substitute some healthier ingredients like low fat sour cream or whole wheat pasta without ruining the integrity of the dish, but if you substitute any of the other ingredients I guarantee you will not have the creamy goodness that is my mac and cheese stand by.

I also typically pair a few toppings with my mac and cheese: bacon pieces, diced ham, crispy onions, various veggies or even some jalapeños to take the heat up a notch. As pictured, I carmelized some onions, added some green onions and andouille sausage and voila! So pull out the crock pot, slip on those sweat pants and join me on the couch while you enjoy this feast!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. box elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated smoked gouda cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce of your choice

Directions

1. Turn your crockpot on high and place the butter in the crockpot, replace lid.
2. Once butter has melted, add 1.5 cups of whole milk, egg, sour cream and condensed cheddar cheese soup to pot, mixing well, replace lid.
3. After 10 minutes, add grated cheese, salt, pepper, hot sauce and mustard. Stir contents well.
4. Replace lid and allow mixture to sit in the crock pot for 30 minutes on high.
5. While your cheese mixture is melting, boil the macaroni in a saucepan according to package directions. Drain in colander, removing as much water as possible to prevent water from diluting the cheese mixture. Add some fresh ground black pepper to dried noodles.
6. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
7. If your mixture starts to dry out, use the reserved .5 cup of whole milk to bring back some creaminess to the mixture.