Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

A plateful of slow cooker mac and cheese with a fork on the side a sprig of parsley.

5 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Decadent slow cooker mac and cheese made with three different cheeses, perfectly cooked macaroni noodles and a crispy topping!

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

1 Slow Cooker
1 large skillet

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups dry elbow macaroni
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
1 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
8 ounces American cheese thinly sliced and roughly chopped
1 ½ cups milk
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup panko crumbs

Instructions

Prepare inside of your slow cooker with a non stick spray coating all parts.
Next add macaroni, all cheeses, and both milks to the slow cooker and stir together to combine. Once thoroughly mixed, turn on slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high or 4 hours on low.
When 25 minutes are left for cooking the macaroni, stir in the worcestershire sauce, dry mustard and salt and pepper and allow to completely cook.
Finally add butter to a medium skillet on medium heat and allow to melt. Next add panko crumbs and cook to golden brown color. Sprinkle toasted crumbs over macaroni and cheese and serve.

Video

Notes

Use Blocks of Cheese. While pre-shredded cheese feels easy they are loaded with chemicals. Freshly grated block cheese will taste more flavorful. You can easily shred them yourself by hand or using your food processor with the grating blade.

Don't Skip the Breadcrumbs. Yes, it's completely optional but it adds a nice contrast to the creamy cheesy pasta.

Make Sure You Spray Your Crock Pot. This dish is pretty cheesy and messy but spraying the slow cooker liner will make the clean up after much easier.

Check the Pasta During Cooking. Not all slow cooker brands cook the same so be sure to check it at various points in time just in case your pasta cooks faster. You don't want to overcook the pasta.

Doubling the Recipe. It's easy to make this dish in larger quantities but make sure you use a larger (6 quart) slow cooker. Try to avoid filling over two-thirds full. When making double batches you may need to extend the cooking time.

Nutrition