Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

A two tone blue ceramic bowl of macaroni cheese in front of slow cooker, grated cheese and a glass jug of milk.

This is a dump-and-go crockpot mac and cheese recipe, ie dump the ingredients into a slow cooker (including dry pasta) come back in a few hours and the macaroni cheese is ready to eat!

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Course: Family Dinner Ideas

Cuisine: New Zealand

Keyword: Crockpot mac and cheese, slow cooker mac and cheese, crockpot macaroni, crock pot mac and cheese, crockpot mac n cheese, macaroni cheese

Servings: servings

Calories: 678kcal

RATE THIS RECIPE

4.68 from 83 votes

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.

Ingredient notes and substitutes

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