My almost famous Super Creamy Special Occasion Macaroni and Cheese downsized and adapted for the slow cooker, shown here on my plated Christmas dinner.
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
If you've been around here any length of time, you probably already know about my Big Batch, No Calories Left Behind, Special Occasion Macaroni and Cheese. It's become a holiday favorite for so many of you over the years.
The one thing though?
It really is a "big batch," and you don't always need that much, so I published a smaller version for those not so huge gatherings too and y'all loved that just as much.
It's become a favorite for our family holiday meals too, but, the one thing about that is, at least for me, serving it for our holiday involves traveling with it already cooked, and not taking it straight out of the oven to the table. Sometimes that involves a longer wait than expected for everybody to arrive, and the mac and cheese suffers a bit and loses some of the creaminess that we all love about it.
This year I decided to try my recipe in the slow cooker!
Just a quick reminder.... if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips and such on a blog, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!Past experiences with slow cooker mac and cheese didn't give me the results I was after, so I had to make a few adjustments to my recipe, like leaving out the eggs. Custard can be tricky in a crock pot.
For the liquid I settled on using whole milk with a can of evaporated milk, hoping to make up for the creaminess I would have gotten with the egg custard. Instead of layering, I just mixed it all up and finished it with some cheese at the end when I got to my destination.
It turned out wonderful although I only had my phone to get the finished pics. We'll correct that when we next make it at home.
Here's how to make my Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese.
First things first. Boil a pound of elbow macaroni stovetop to al dente - the lower of the recommended time according to package directions; drain. Butter up that 4 to 6-quart slow cooker, or use a slow cooker liner.
Transfer macaroni to slow cooker.
Set the slow cooker on high. This just helps to give the cooker a little head start. I'm using my Hamilton Beach Stay or Go® 4-Quart Slow Cooker that has a locking lid since I'm traveling with it.
Stir in melted butter until pasta is coated.
While the pasta is cooking, combine the evaporated milk with the half and half or whole milk and heat in the microwave or stovetop. I was a little low on my half and half so I used whole milk, a dairy product we usually have plenty of because my husband, aka The Cajun, drinks milk like a 10 year old. I'm not kidding y'all... I usually have to make sure there are two gallons in the fridge at all times, just in case I need some for a recipe!
Shred the blocks of cheeses, mix together and set aside 1 cup of the mix, that you'll use to top the finished mac and cheese with later. To avoid those fillers found in pre-shredded cheese, I recommend buying it by the block and shredding it yourself and since it's not a big job, if you have one of those rotary shredders, which is exactly what I used here, it makes an easy job of it!
Stir the remaining shredded cheese into the milk mixture and pour over macaroni.
Stir in the Velveeta or American cheese.
Add salt, pepper and Creole or Cajun seasoning, if using.
Give it a stir then taste and adjust.
Cover and set on low. Cook on low for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, stirring a few times if possible.
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, top with the reserved cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Cover and turn slow cooker to warm to hold until ready to serve.
For more of my macaroni and cheese recipes, check out this collection on my Pinterest page!
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