Two more easy crockpot recipes...

I was scrolling through the Crock Pot Girls Facebook page, as I often do these days, and I came across a recipe for "Corn Spaghetti" that made me giggle because it was so...declasse'. I read it aloud to my roommate, and she made great fun of its general trashiness. So while she was taking a nap, I snuck into the kitchen and made a batch of it for our dinner. The joke was on us, because it was pretty tasty, basically like macaroni and cheese. I would definitely make it again, perhaps adding some peas next time for color and nutritional value. I also think that this would be very appealing to children.

Cheesy Corn Spaghetti

1 can whole kernel corn (with juice)
1 can cream-style corn
1/2 lb uncooked spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces
1 stick melted butter (I just cut the butter up and threw it in--but one whole stick was WAY too much; I would cut this in half next time, or perhaps omit altogether as there is plenty of fat from the cheese)
2 tablespoons minced or dehydrated onion (I used about four thinly-sliced green onions--added a mild oniony flavor, and much-needed color)
2 cups shredded cheese (any kind--but I think sharp cheddar adds good flavor)
1/2 can of water

*I also added about 1/2 pound of ham, coarsely chopped. (Next time, I might also add some green peas.)

Mix all together and pour into crockpot. Cook on high for 3 hours. (I cooked it on high for an hour, but it looked like it was getting done too fast for my planned dinner time, so I turned it to low. It was still done in three hours.)

And now for an easy dessert to go with your tacky entree.  This is how I created TERRIFIC, old-fashioned, luscious vanilla rice pudding in my crockpot (say goodbye to Cozy Shack!):

On the stove, I heated a quart of whole milk and two cups of half-n-half with one cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until it just came to a boil. I added a generous cup of arborio rice, and then poured it all into my crockpot. I cooked this on high for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every half hour or so.

When it was as thick as I wanted it, I whisked together 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup half-n-half, and two teaspoons of vanilla bean paste. Then I tempered the egg mixture with perhaps a half cup of the hot pudding, a couple of tablespoons at a time. I added this back to the pot, along with two tablespoons of butter, and cooked it on low for twenty minutes, stirring once after ten minutes.

I transferred the pudding to a storage container and pressed plastic wrap down on top of it to keep a skim from forming. It was DELICIOUS hot from the crockpot, and the consistency was lovely and creamy. And of course, it sets up a little more in the fridge overnight. YUMMY!