With enough to feed a small army, this vegetarian recipe is one of my top go-to dinner menu items. Stop right here if you don’t have a crock pot; you’ll need that. Previous versions of this recipe were attempted in the oven, but it didn’t yield the gooey, melty goodness that my kids love.

Ingredients:

32oz pasta (I use a mix of rotini, farfalle and shells)

12oz evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups milk (higher fat = better taste)

1 stick of butter, melted

2 links of Tofurky sausage, or your choice of meat links

2 heads broccoli

1 tsp salt

dash of pepper

2 eggs, beaten

dash of paprika

10 cups shredded cheese! (cheddar is best, but feel free to mix)

2oz chopped garlic

Boil the pasta according to the packaging; it should take about 10 minutes once the water starts boiling. I like to cut up my broccoli and steam it over the pasta for 10 minutes; it comes out just right once it’s done. You’ll want to pre-cook the veggie sausage (or hotdogs or whatever you choose) before you add it to the slow cooker (especially if it’s real meat). Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly: milk, evaporated milk, melted butter, eggs. Add the spices and stir well. Coat the inside of the slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray. Drain the pasta, and start layering it with the shredded cheese, broccoli and veggie sausage. Gradually pour the wet mix over the top of the pasta and stir in. Add more cheese until all of the pasta is covered. Leave on low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Each slow cooker is different, but mine was ready to eat at the end of 2 hours. If not, leave it on and keep stirring until it looks ready.