Everyone’s favorite family classic can be made in hundreds of different ways, but here at Honest Cooking, we’ve found that this slow-cooker version is one of the most decadent, cheesy and creamy.

Using a variety of cheese can change the flavor of this dish so I do encourage you to change those every now and then so that you can find the best blend of cheese for your family.

Slow Cooked Mac and Cheese

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5 from 2 reviews

Author: Sherron Watson
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Yield: 4 1x

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Description

A uniquely cheesy and creamy slow cooked mac and cheese recipe that will have your family craving seconds, and perhaps even thirds.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1.5 cups of whole milk
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
1/4 cup of melted butter
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of small curd cottage cheese
3 cups of grated cheese: cheddar, swiss, jack, etc (see note above)
1/2 pound of elbow macaroni (I used gluten free)
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top

Instructions

Boil a large pot of water and cook your noodles for 5 minutes. Do not over cook or cook until tender.
Drain and add to the bottom of the slow cooker.
In a bowl, combine milks, butter, salt and cottage cheese. Add cheese and mix.
Pour over the elbow noodles and stir.
Cook on high for 30 minutes. At the end of the 30 minutes, stir a few times and lower heat setting to low.
Cook for 2 hours.

Notes

NOTE: During the two hours I usually stir it one more time. This is because my slow cooker has a tendency to over cook things around the edges. After the two hours you may see a little bit of the milk liquid still on top. Turn heat off, stir this in and let sit for 15 minutes. The mac and cheese will get thicker. If you choose to let it continue cooking, the noodles will get very soggy – they will still taste good just not texturally pleasing to some folks.
I like individual portion sizes and this is how I served mine. See below.
I portioned the mac and cheese into white ramekins, added a bit of parmesan cheese and broiled until the cheese started to brown and melt OR you can add the parmesan cheese to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes and let it cook into the macaroni and cheese.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 2 hours 40 mins

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I only parboil the macaroni for 5 minutes instead of cooking it fully?

Because the noodles keep cooking for another 2.5 hours in the slow cooker. If you cook them to tender before adding them, you’ll end up with mush. Five minutes gets them about halfway, firm enough to hold their shape through the long low-and-slow cook. Drain them immediately and get them into the slow cooker right away so they don’t continue cooking from residual heat. Gluten-free pasta, which can turn soft faster, especially benefits from this parboil-only approach.

What cheese blend gives the best result, and what should I avoid?

We use 3 cups of a mix, cheddar, swiss, and jack all melt smoothly and bring different notes: cheddar for sharpness, swiss for nuttiness, jack for creaminess. Avoid pre-shredded bags; the anti-caking coating on packaged shredded cheese interferes with melting and can make the sauce grainy. Grate it yourself. Aged or very dry cheeses like Parmesan work great as the broiled topping (the recipe uses 1/2 cup on top) but are too lean to carry the main sauce on their own.

Can I leave it on low longer than 2 hours if I’m not ready to serve?

Resist the urge. After 2 hours on low, turn the heat off and stir. If liquid is pooling on top, stir it in and let the mac and cheese sit for 15 minutes, it thickens as it rests. Leaving it on low beyond 2 hours makes the noodles soggy. The notes are clear on this: they’ll still taste good, but the texture suffers. If your slow cooker runs hot around the edges (as mine does), give it a stir around the 1-hour mark to redistribute the heat.