Crockpot Mac and Cheese
This is a dump-and-go crock pot mac and cheese recipe, ie dump the ingredients into a slow cooker (including dry macaroni) come back in a few hours and the macaroni cheese is ready to eat!
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy dump and go recipe
- Four ingredients
- A slow cooker recipe
- It's mac and cheese, what's not to like!
Ingredients you will need
To make my crock pot mac and cheese you will need, four ingredients, milk cheese, pasta, and seasoning, I use onion powder as my seasoning.
Substitutes
- Dry pasta: In this recipe, you can use most small shapes of dry pasta (elbow macaroni, penne, shells, spiral). Unfortunately, gluten-free pasta does not work in this recipe.
- Cream: This can be left out and you can just use extra milk, or you can substitute this for evaporated milk.
- Cheese: You will need shredded cheese but you can use your favourite. I use a combination of colby for its meltiness and parmesan for its flavour, if you prefer stronger flavours opt for sharp cheddars.
- Seasoning: I like to use onion powder in my macaroni cheese, but other flavourings are salt and pepper, a little mustard.
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my crock pot mac and cheese, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.
Step one: Put the dry pasta into your slow cooker(that's right no need for cooked pasta). Add the onion powder, and grated cheese, Give it a good mix.
Step two: Pour in the cream followed by the milk. Most of the pasta should be submerged, some won't be, that's ok.
Step three: Switch on your slow cooker, it will take around three hours to cook the macaroni cheese to aldente on low, and around 1 hour to cook the macaroni on high. (This will depend a little on your slow cooker though).
Step four: If you are able, give your mac and cheese an occasional stir, the most important stir is around 15 mins before you serve so that any of the macaroni on the top gets the chance to soak up some of the cheese sauce.
Serve
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Serving Ideas
I love serving this rich macaroni cheese as a side dish to a family meal. It's a great partner to my paprika chicken drumsticks, and sticky oven baked chops.
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Top Tips
Here are my tips for making dump and go slow cooker mac and cheese.
- Trust the process it does work!
- Please know making mac and cheese in your slow cooker is delcious but it may not be picture perfect, I think that's ok though, but you may get a more perfect result.
- know, that this is not the healthiest of mac and cheese, but what it lacks in health factor it makes up in ease! I usually use this recipe as a side dish as an alternative to mashed potato.
- The first time you make it I would be home when you do, this is because all slow cookers are a little different when it comes to cooking times.
- Use your favorite cheeses, sharp cheddars, cheddar cheese, melty swiss cheese.
- I store the leftover mac and cheese in the fridge for up to 4 days and heat it in the microwave as required.
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
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Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 500 g dry pasta
- 230 g grated cheese 3 cups grated. I use a combination 200g colby, and 30g parmesan
- 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 3 cups milk 750 ml
- 1 cup cream 250 ml
Instructions
- Put the dry pasta into your slow cooker. Add the onion powder, and grated cheese, Give it a good mix.
- Pour in the cream followed by the milk. Most of the pasta should be submerged, some won't be, thats ok.
- Switch on your slow cooker, it will take around three hours to cook the macaroni cheese on low, and around 1 hour to cook the macaroni on high. (This will depend a little on your slow cooker though).
- If you are able, give your mac and cheese an occasional stir, the most important stir is around 15 mins before you serve so that any of the macaroni on the top gets the chance to soak up some of the cheese sauce.
- Serve
Notes
Tips
- Trust the process it does work!
- Please know making mac and cheese in your slow cooker is delicious but it may not be picture perfect, I think that's ok though, but you may get a more perfect result.
- No, that this is not the healthiest of mac and cheese, but what it lacks in health factor it makes up in ease! I usually use this recipe as a side dish as an alternative to mashed potato.
- The first time you make it I would be home when you do, this is because all slow cookers are a little different when it comes to cooking times.
- Use your favorite cheeses
- I store the leftover mac and cheese in the fridge for up to 4 days and heat it in the microwave as required.
- Dry pasta: In this recipe, you can use most small shapes of dry pasta (macaroni, penne, shells, spiral). Unfortunately, gluten-free pasta does not work in this recipe.
- Cream: This can be left out and you can just use extra milk
- Cheese: You will need grated cheese but you can use your favourite. I use a combination of colby for its meltiness and parmesan for its flavour.
- Seasoning: I like to use onion powder in my mac and cheese, but other flavourings are salt and pepper, a little mustard.
Nutrition
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I chucked this together and whacked it in the fridge as I had long work day today. Hubby popped it on in the afternoon and when I walked through the door at 5:30pm it smelt lovely. The kids (6&2) asked for multiple servings which is a change from the normal dinner time battle! Excited to try the healthy version next time too. Quick honest and delicious! Loved it.
Hi Stacey, thanks so much for your recipes! I cook at least one of your recipes every week and enjoy them with my daughter.
This recipe looks super efficient and easy, great to be able to pop it all in the slow-cooker. Do you think any tweaks could be made to make it work with some cauliflower/zucchini - to make it a bit more like your healthy mac & cheese w veggies... but all done in the slow-cooker? Wishful thinking perhaps.
Thanks again!
Thanks I snuck home between school and music lessons and came home on a cold day to a yummy warm pot of Mac cheese. Kids and I loved it and had left overs for lunch. I added some bacon (microwaved it first)