Feel Better Crock Pot Mac & Cheese {Combating Cold & Flu Season With Kleenex}

 This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Kleenex but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #KleenexTarget  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

I am a high school teacher married to a firefighter paramedic which means in our house cold and flu season can take on a whole new meaning. Justin and I do our best to load up on vitamin C, wash our hands religiously and in general try to stay as far away from sick people as we can. Given our jobs, that last one can be impossible.

And while we are both very lucky (knock on wood, fingers crossed) to have avoided any major illness so far this flu season, I have had a few days where I have woken up just feeling crummy: headache, cough, sore throat, the works. This past Sunday was one of those days.

Personally when I am sick all I want to do is lay on the couch with movies, books, lots of fluids and a huge box of Kleenex. One thing I never want to do when I am sick is cook or drive to pick something up. But I still want something hearty and warming to eat. I usually end up grabbing a can of soup or a box of pasta but lately those just haven't been cutting it for me. I wanted something homemade, something warming, and something easy. Cue: my crock pot.

I have heard about people making Mac & Cheese in a crock pot forever but I never believed it was true. I felt like there was no way it could work. But it does. And it is so easy. Lay on the couch and read half of the Hunger Games while it's cooking easy. After the initial prep work, all I had to do was get up twice to stir it and then a few hours later get up and serve myself a bowl of warm, cheesy goodness. Which can make anyone feel better.

So don't wait until you are too sick to run out to the store, stock up on the needed ingredients now and brush off your crock pot so that you will be ready just in case you need a day on the couch with blanket, Kleenex, a book and bowl of Mac & Cheese. And before you make sure you print out this $1 off any Kleenex 4 Pack Target coupon so you can stock up for the cold and flu season. This is a store coupon so be sure to stack it with a manufacturer coupon like this one from Kleenex's website. Target Cartwheel also has a 5% off Kleenex offer going on right now too so you can save even more!

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese adapted from Paula Deen

• 1 box of pasta shells (8oz)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 grated Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Panko bread crumbs for topping

1.) Boil the pasta for 7 minutes or until just barely tender. Strain and set aside.

2.) While pasta is boiling, melt and combine butter and cheese.

3.) In the crock pot, combine all of the ingredients except the pasta and stir to combine. Add in the pasta shells and stir to completely coat the pasta in the sauce.

4.) Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring every hour or so. Serve warm and top with panko bread crumbs for a little crunch on top. 

Feel better & enjoy!