First, grease the inside of your slow cooker with a little butter or non-stick spray. This prevents any sticking later. Then, add the dried macaroni, melted butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder directly into the crock. Stir everything together until the pasta looks lightly coated and glossy.

Pour the evaporated milk and whole milk over the pasta. The liquid should just about cover the macaroni. Stir gently to combine. The mixture will look very liquid, and the pasta will be mostly submerged.

Add the grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, and the cubes of cream cheese. Stir again to distribute the cheese. The sauce will look thick and lumpy, but don't worry, it will melt down beautifully.

Place the lid on and cook on the LOW setting for 1 hour and 15 minutes. After this time, lift the lid and give it a good stir. The pasta should be soft and the cheese fully melted. The sauce will look very thin and soupy at this stage, with a pale, creamy colour.

Replace the lid and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has a slight bite to it. The sauce should have thickened noticeably and now clings to the pasta. You’ll smell a rich, nutty cheese aroma filling the kitchen.

Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the macaroni and cheese rest for 10 minutes with the lid off. As it rests, the sauce will continue to thicken to the perfect creamy consistency. The surface will look slightly matte as it sets.