Crockpot Buffalo Mac n' Cheese

It's been 5 months since my last post and a lot has changed. Remember the big move? Well, I am officially a Rhode Islander! So let me rewind a bit and tell you how I did it. I wanted to find the cheapest but also easiest way to move across country. I rented a 16ft Penske truck for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment though I could have probably rented a 12 ft truck and been fine. Plus it would have been easier to drive and most insurance companies will cover you in the 12ft (single axle) truck but not the 16ft. So you end up paying more to buy Penske's insurance. Word of the wise, rent the trucks early because you can get a really good deal AND always look for a coupon code. I did get rid of a lot of stuff, but I would have changed this. Moving is EXPENSIVE and all those little things that make up a household add up quickly. So, I would have waited to throw out big things, until we were settled. We hired movers to load our truck because it was just me and the hubby and I did not want to burden our friends plus they know how to pack a truck. Sadly the moving company I hired, flaked on me last minute so I hired this "student moving" company and they sucked and some of our furniture got scratched :(

I had 3 drivers (my sister, hubby and me). Yup, my wonderful big sister flew in to help me make the drive up. I had 2 cars and 1 truck. You are probably thinking, perfect -- 3 drivers. And that is what I originally wanted to do (to save the most money) but my very practical dad explained we would be very tired and having an extra driver to rotate in would be better. We ended up shipping one car (and its costly but was definitely worth it because 3, 10-12 hour days of driving was tough). So we had one car with Ninja in it and the truck. We rotated every 4 hours-ish. FYI for those with pets, Bring Fido is an excellent site for finding nice, pet friendly hotels. We also hired movers to unload the truck but it was a mess because it started POURING rain :/ I got everything we needed (in terms of furniture and decor) from either antique stores (love antique stores) and Amazon (love me some Amazon Prime).

Alright, so food ... since I was gone so long, I needed to come back with something pretty nifty. Well there are a few things I really like, two of them being mac n' cheese and Crockpot recipes. A recipe that includes both?!? Awesome sauce. And while we are on the topic of sauce ... this recipe is not just an easy, Crockpot mac n' cheese but a BUFFALO mac n' cheese! Say whaaaaa? You are right. Dump some yumminess in a Crockpot and voila you got yourself the coolest dish to bring to a party or to, you know, shamelessly eat by yourself. #sorrynotsorry

CROCKPOT BUFFALO MAC N' CHEESE

Slightly adapted from The Frugal Girls 

INGREDIENTS 

1 lb. elbow pasta, cooked and drained

2 (10.75 oz) cans of Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Soup

2 (10.75 oz) cans of Campbell's Condensed Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup

2 c. of Cheddar Cheese 

1/2 - 3/4 c. Buffalo Wing Sauce*

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper 

*Add more sauce for a spicier "kick"

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot of salted boiling water -- cook pasta according to package directions. Drain excess water and run cold water through pasta to prevent sticking. Return pasta to pot.

While pasta is cooking, spray Crockpot with cooking spray. Then combine pasta, condensed soups, shredded cheese, buffalo wing sauce, salt and pepper. Cook on high for 1.5 hours. Once cooked, stir well and then serve.

Enjoy,