New Year's Easy Recipes

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
4. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake (24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven) Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl
3. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
4. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add eggs, beat on high speed again for 2 minutes.
6. Measure out into cupcake pan lined with cupcake papers. A 2 ice cream scoop works great for this.
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
   

Chocolate Buttercreamenough to lightly frost 24 cupcakes

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter on high for about 30 seconds until soft.
2. Add cocoa and 1 cup of sugar and beat until incorporated
3. Add half of the milk and the remainder of sugar and beat until incorporated.
4. Continue to add milk until you get to the consistency you want.
   AssembleThere are many ways to go here, in this case, I simply piped the frosting onto the cupcakes with a large star tip.