Slow-Baked Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese, it's a total guilty pleasure and comfort food.  I try not to make it too often since I've been watching my calorie intake and trying to eat better/less.  But I've been doing well lately, and wanted to try a new recipe/version of mac & cheese, and I found this one.  I was skeptical, because it's a slow-cooker recipe, but decided to give it a shot.  To be honest, it wasn't everything I hoped it'd be, but it was still really good, and an interesting take on the ol' mac & cheese.  To our disappointment, along the bottom edges it got crusty and brown.  But the middle turned out fine.  Next time I might add breadcrumbs and experiment with different spices, I just went with normal salt, pepper & added onion powder.  Overall, not bad, it was definitely fun to try!

1 1/2 c. milk
12 oz. can evaporated milk (I used skim; evaporated milk apparently keeps the egg & milk from curdling)
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted & cooled to room temperature
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. shredded cheese (I used 2 cups colby jack blend, 1 cup mozzarella)
8 oz. (1/2 lb.) elbow macaroni, par cooked & drained (only cook for about 5 mins until tender but not completely cooked)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
pepper & other spices to taste

1.  Spray the inside of slow-cooker with cooking spray.  Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes--don't cook all the way.
2.  Combine butter and eggs in slow-cooker.  Slowly add in milk, salt, evaporated milk and whisk until smooth.
3.  Add shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and pasta.  Sprinkle with pepper and other spices.  Gently stir with a spatula to coat evenly.
4.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
5.  Change temperature to LOW and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, until middle is set and pasta is tender.  It can sit in the slow-cooker for 30 minutes on the warm setting before serving.

I didn't get amazing pictures, but here is what I got.

right before serving

so cheesy! 

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 6
amount per serving

Calories: 493.1
Total Fat: 27 g
Saturated Fat: 14.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 4.1 g
Cholesterol: 166.5 mg
Sodium: 767 mg
Potassium: 137.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 36.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Sugar: 7.8 g
Protein: 27.2 g
Vitamin A: 23.1 %
Vitamin C: --
Calcium: 61.5 %
Iron: 2.6 %