Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

By Lori

8 Person

125 Minutes

0 Calories

Slow cooker, meet mac and cheese! If you're looking for a hands-off recipe for delicious mac and cheese, you've found it. I have a few tricks to avoid mushy pasta and watery sauce, too! This Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese doesn’t have any odd or expensive cheeses that will challenge young palates.

Ingredients

Crispy Bacon Topper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup breadcrumbs
4 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried mustard powder
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
12 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups whole milk
24 oz. evaporated milk
1 pound cavatappi pasta

Method

01

Combine everything in the slow cooker: Add all the macaroni and cheese ingredients to the slow cooker. Reserve one cup of cheddar cheese to top at the end. Stir ingredients together very well.
02

Cover and cook on low heat for 90 minutes. Make the Crispy Bacon Topper while the mac and cheese cook: In a small skillet over low heat, add chopped bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and the bacon is very crispy 8 to 10 minutes. Stir it occasionally to evenly cook the bacon.
03

Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes and stir them into the bacon fat. Continue to cook on low heat until the breadcrumbs are toasted, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 3 minutes.
04

If the breadcrumbs seem dry, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Chop bacon finely and stir into toasted breadcrumbs. (This can be refrigerated for up to a week.)
05

Check the pasta: After 90 minutes, lift the lid off the top of the slow cooker. It may look like a solid mass and may trick you into thinking it's done.
06

Give it a quick stir to incorporate any liquid that may be lingering underneath, making sure the noodles are completely covered or almost completely covered, but not swimming in liquid. Quickly replace the lid, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes on low.
07

Keep cooking the mac and cheese: At the 2-hour mark, check the mac and cheese again by stirring it together. Make sure it's loose and creamy but not soupy.
08

If it is loose and creamy, congratulations: it's ready. If it seems dry and the cheese seems like it's clumping together or not integrating, it means you need more liquid. Add another 1/2 cup of milk, stock, or water, and stir together.
09

Top with the reserved cheese: Once your pasta is cooked and the sauce is the right consistency, stir in the reserved cup of cheddar cheese to make it extra cheesy.
10

Serve: Serve the mac and cheese with crispy bacon topper and steamed veggies or a side salad. If you're omitting the bacon topping, taste and see if it needs salt and/or some freshly cracked black pepper.

Related Tags

Mac and Cheese Recipes

Pot Recipes

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

4.4

( By Lori )

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 8 servings
Prep Time 5 Mins
Cook Time 120 Mins
Total Time 125 Mins

02 Ingredients

Crispy Bacon Topper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 cup breadcrumbs

4 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried mustard powder

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

12 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. cream cheese

2 cups whole milk

24 oz. evaporated milk

1 pound cavatappi pasta

03 Method

Step 1

Combine everything in the slow cooker: Add all the macaroni and cheese ingredients to the slow cooker. Reserve one cup of cheddar cheese to top at the end. Stir ingredients together very well.

Step 2

Cover and cook on low heat for 90 minutes. Make the Crispy Bacon Topper while the mac and cheese cook: In a small skillet over low heat, add chopped bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and the bacon is very crispy 8 to 10 minutes. Stir it occasionally to evenly cook the bacon.

Step 3

Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes and stir them into the bacon fat. Continue to cook on low heat until the breadcrumbs are toasted, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 3 minutes.

Step 4

If the breadcrumbs seem dry, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Chop bacon finely and stir into toasted breadcrumbs. (This can be refrigerated for up to a week.)

Step 5

Check the pasta: After 90 minutes, lift the lid off the top of the slow cooker. It may look like a solid mass and may trick you into thinking it's done.

Step 6

Give it a quick stir to incorporate any liquid that may be lingering underneath, making sure the noodles are completely covered or almost completely covered, but not swimming in liquid. Quickly replace the lid, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes on low.

Step 7

Keep cooking the mac and cheese: At the 2-hour mark, check the mac and cheese again by stirring it together. Make sure it's loose and creamy but not soupy.

Step 8

If it is loose and creamy, congratulations: it's ready. If it seems dry and the cheese seems like it's clumping together or not integrating, it means you need more liquid. Add another 1/2 cup of milk, stock, or water, and stir together.

Step 9

Top with the reserved cheese: Once your pasta is cooked and the sauce is the right consistency, stir in the reserved cup of cheddar cheese to make it extra cheesy.

Step 10

Serve: Serve the mac and cheese with crispy bacon topper and steamed veggies or a side salad. If you're omitting the bacon topping, taste and see if it needs salt and/or some freshly cracked black pepper.

04 Author