A uniquely cheesy and creamy slow cooked mac and cheese recipe that will have your family craving seconds, and perhaps even thirds.
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.
PrintSlow Cooked Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A uniquely cheesy and creamy slow cooked mac and cheese recipe that will have your family craving seconds, and perhaps even thirds.
Ingredients
- 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
Had this on the Easter table this year, and it was by far the most popular dish. Kids and grownups alike loved it!
I see the 3 eggs needed in the ingredients but they are not mentioned in the directions. How/when are they used?
Really tasty! I did not cook the macaroni before hand, but rather mixed the dry macaroni with the milk/cheese mixture. So tasty! Added garlic per a friend’s suggestion and also added broccoli florets. Absolutely superb!