This Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, made with a combination of cheddar and American cheeses, is incredibly creamy and simple to prepare. Simply combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low. There's no need to precook the pasta!
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Easy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Even though I adore my baked mac and cheese recipe, there are evenings when I just want something that doesn't involve turning on the oven. Macaroni and cheese is a big hit in our home. Even though it requires very little work, like in my stove top mac and cheese recipe, there are nights when I don't even want to stand in front of the burner. This mac and cheese in a crock pot is the solution! Another excellent choice is Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese.
All you have to do is put the ingredients in the crockpot and turn it on, making this recipe incredibly simple. There's no need to boil the pasta first. Simply dump, stir, and leave. Additionally, it just takes an hour to cook, so don't worry if you have trouble remembering to switch on your crock pot in the morning. You don't even need to plan ahead to make this mac and cheese in the slow cooker.
This mac and cheese in a crock pot is incredibly creamy, which is its best feature. Many recipes for creamy mac and cheese call for cream soup or Velveeta, neither of which I particularly enjoy. This recipe just calls for a small amount of evaporated milk.The sharp cheddar provides a ton of flavor, but American cheese melts quite smoothly and creamy. This combination is ideal!
Ingredients
This slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipe requires only a few ingredients.
- Elbow pasta - One of the best parts about this simple mac and cheese dish is that the pasta does not have to be cooked first.
- Whole milk provides the liquid base for the cheese sauce.
- Evaporated milk - This actually helps to create the richness in the sauce, allowing you to use real cheese rather than Velveeta.
- Cheese - To add flavor and a cheesy, creamy texture, I combine sharp cheddar and cubed American cheese.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and garlic powder are the only seasonings required.
- Butter
Can I Use Other Types of Cheese?
Using American cheese makes a big difference for the most creamy mac and cheese since it melts wonderfully and gets incredibly creamy. If you don't like yellow cheese, you can substitute other melty cheeses, such as Monterrey Jack or white American. Another option is to use a different flavor in place of the cheddar. Just be aware that the texture may vary because different cheeses melt in different ways.
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Are you prepared for the simplest macaroni and cheese dish you'll ever come across? Here's how to prepare mac & cheese in a slow cooker.
- Put all of this in the slow cooker. Add the whole milk, cheeses, spices, and evaporated milk to the uncooked pasta. Mix until all of the noodles are covered. Top with the cubed butter.
- Cook. Cook for one hour on low heat. Stir and continue to simmer for another hour.
- Serve. To give the sauce time to thicken, take off the top, stir, and leave for a few minutes. Serve and savor!
Why Is My Macaroni Mushy?
This dish has several potential causes of mushy pasta. First, if you use thin pasta that cooks too rapidly or if you cook it for too long.
The second is if you cook it too fast. This dish is one that should always be cooked on low; do not attempt to speed up the cooking process by turning it up to high.
Serving Suggestions
This mac and cheese in a slow cooker is ideal for potlucks, picnics, and holidays. To keep the food hot, you can prepare it right before you leave and leave the slow cooker on warm.
For a quick and simple lunch or dinner, the kids adore this with cheese nuggets or hot dogs, and it goes well with meatloaf. Due in part to its deliciousness and in part to the fact that it requires no oven or stove space, it is undoubtedly a hit at large holiday dinners!
How to Store Leftovers
This creamy mac and cheese recipe's leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container. You may microwave individual portions or reheat them in the crockpot. In order to keep the sauce from drying out while it's being reheated, I occasionally add a little milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a large enough slow cooker, you can double this recipe. There will be no difference in the cooking time.
White American, White Cheddar, and Monterey Jack all work well. It should also work with a marble cheese. This dish will taste best with sharp cheddar—try Vermont white sharp cheddar!
Reheating macaroni and cheese never tastes exactly the same, and there's a chance the macaroni will get mushy, so we don't advise doing it. You may reheat it, though, if this is a deal-breaker. Just add little milk to thin out the thickened sauce. We advise preparing it and having it prepared just before you depart. Keep the lid on the slow cooker even after turning it off. Stir it when you get there, and if necessary, loosen it with milk.
The anti-caking ingredient in prepackaged shredded cheese may make the finished product taste grainy. Shred your own cheese after buying it from the deli. Additionally, we've found that certain less costly cheeses remain grainy even when you shred them manually, but that the graininess disappears once the mac and cheese sets for a time.
Certainly, except for the spaghetti. Don't add the macaroni until you've taken it out of the refrigerator and turned on the slow cooker.
It's actually up to three hours. After an hour of cooking on low, mix the dish and check its doneness. After that, keep checking it until it's finished, around every half an hour. The "up to 3 hours" warning is because the actual cooking time depends entirely on the slow cooker you have (much like ovens, each one cooks differently).
If you tried this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- ½ pound elbow pasta uncooked
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 6 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar
- 1 cup American cheese cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons butter cubed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Apply nonstick cooking spray to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the cheeses, whole milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and evaporated milk to the slow cooker along with the uncooked pasta. Cover all of the noodles with a stir to mix.
- Apply a dot of cubed butter.
- Cook, covered, over low heat for one hour. Take off the lid and give it a stir. Cook for a another hour with the lid back on.
- After removing the lid and letting it sit for a few minutes, the sauce will thicken.
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