Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

For the richest, creamiest homemade mac and cheese recipe, look no further than your slow cooker!

Pull out your slow cooker! This macaroni and cheese recipe is so easy and it tastes amazing. (Say what! You don’t have one? You definitely should get one. We recommend this slow cooker.)

You don’t have to fuss with making a roux or melting cheese into sauce, although if you need dinner faster than slow cooker time you can totally make this Stovetop Mac and Cheese or a Baked Mac and Cheese, which both call for a roux. You don’t even have to cook the macaroni! That’s right – you add it to your slow cooker straight from the box. It will absorb the milk and butter and soften up right in the sauce. It’s pretty magical.

This recipe uses two types of cheese: sharp cheddar for that rich cheesy flavor and cream cheese to help the sauce emulsify into a thick creamy blanket that coats each piece of pasta. For best results, buy a brick of cheddar and shred it yourself. The pre-shredded kind melts just fine but it isn’t quite the same. You also want to be sure to use full fat cream cheese, which melts into a rich, luscious sauce. (The reduced fat stuff just melts into a greasy mess.)

This ultra-creamy mac and cheese works best as a side dish. If you want it to be the star of the meal, try pairing it with a simple green salad dressed in an acidic vinaigrette to help cut through the richness.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Contributor: Lauren Keating

For the richest, creamiest homemade mac and cheese recipe, look no further than your slow cooker!

• Author: Lauren Keating
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

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• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 and ½ cups whole milk
• ¼ cup butter, cut into small cubes
• 8 oz. sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• 16 oz. elbow macaroni
• 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• ½ tsp. pepper (or to taste)

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Instructions

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in your slow cooker.
2. Pour in the macaroni; stir everything well and try to submerge as much of the pasta as you can.
3. Cover and cook on low heat without stirring for 2 hours.
4. Uncover and stir well to combine. Test the macaroni for doneness; if necessary, cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, stir in more milk to help loosen it.