Kree, I've used my crock pots for a very long time. They're a very convenient tool, especially for people who have to work and have no time to spend in the kitchen.
However, I don't think they're intended for a lot of things; I think, for example, pasta comes out better either on the stove or in the oven. I don't know how milk would come out in a crock pot, but I doubt it would curdle because crock pots cook at such a low temperature (provided you use the "low" temperature).
If it were me, I'd save the crock pot for chickens stew and instead bake that macaroni and cheese in the oven.
The best crock pot cookbook is Mike Roy's "Crock Cookery" (Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena, 1975). I've used this book to such extent it's all dog-eared and all the pages are falling out. Everything I've made has come out INCREDIBLE -- Mike Roy was a great chef! In it, he says, "There are some things a crock just can't cook as well as standard oven or range-top methods. . . . Rice, noodles, macaroni, barleys, and grains do not bring good results to pot cookery. They mash, mush, and cling together in glutinous masses. That's why you'll not find casseroles in this book. They just aren't practical."
Of course, that's just one chef's opinion.
Good luck!
-------------------- <img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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