Description
Creamy, cheesy, and crowd-pleasing, this crockpot mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food side dish. Perfect for holidays or family dinners.
Ingredients
1 pound elbow pasta (uncooked, sturdy noodles recommended)
2 ½ cups whole milk
12 ounces evaporated milk
12 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese (3 cups shredded, deli cheese, shred yourself)
4 ounces American cheese (1 cup shredded, deli cheese, not processed slices)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)
¼ cup butter (cubed)
Instructions
1. Spray 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick spray.
2. Rinse uncooked pasta well in cold water and drain.
3. Add pasta, whole milk, evaporated milk, cheddar, American cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, and cayenne to slow cooker. Stir to combine, ensure pasta is submerged.
4. Dot with cubed butter.
5. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Remove lid and stir quickly, then replace lid.
6. Depending on slow cooker, dish may be done at this point or may take up to 2 more hours. Stir and check every 30 minutes.
7. Finished when pasta is tender, liquid is thick and creamy. Sauce thickens further after resting uncovered.
Notes
Do not use bagged shredded cheese (anti-caking agents cause grittiness). Buy deli cheese and shred yourself.
Use sturdy pasta brands like Barilla or Creamette. Thin noodles will cook too fast and get mushy.
Gluten-free pasta works but gets mushy quickly (done in ~90 minutes).
Cook only on low heat; do not switch to high.
Each slow cooker cooks differently; total cook time may range from 1 hr 45 min to 3 hrs.
For holidays, test the recipe beforehand since cookers vary.
Doubling recipe works with a larger slow cooker; cook time unchanged.
White cheese substitutes: Muenster, White American, White Cheddar, or Vermont sharp cheddar.
Avoid reheating if possible; reheated mac and cheese can become mushy. If reheating, add milk to loosen sauce.
Grittiness may come from pre-shredded cheese or cheaper cheeses.
To substitute evaporated milk: simmer 2 ¼ cups regular milk until reduced to 1 cup (cannot use condensed milk).
Whole milk required for recipe (lower-fat milk makes sauce watery).
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 574
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 923mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 90mg