Mac and cheese is a popular dish for a reason—it's absolutely delicious! But if there's one surefire way to make mac and cheese even tastier, it's by using a slow cooker to prepare it. If that sounds like a dish to try out with the family for dinner, then check out this slow-cooker mac and cheese recipe—it's easy to make and easy to follow. It makes for six servings, and it's extremely tasty. After trying out this recipe, please make sure to rate and review it. Also, please feel free to share this recipe with friends and family on social media to—we can't wait to hear what others have to say about this scrumptious dish!
This slow-cooker mac and cheese calls for some rather basic ingredients. All that's needed to get this dish going are four tablespoons of Cabot Salted Butter, a quarter cup of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, salt, milk, elbow macaroni (that one's crucial!), four cups of grated Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar (or Cabot Sharp Cheddar), a half cup of dry bread crumbs and vegetable oil. The crockpot or slow cooker does most of the work when it comes to preparing this dish, so just make sure to stay patient. Also you can add some breadcrumbs to this dish after you make it to add a little extra flavor and crunch.
At Cabot, we take pride in our award-winning cheeses, and because of that, we're confident that any recipe that calls for our popular dairy products will be a definite hit in your home. So, after trying this recipe, please make sure to rate and review it. Secondly, after trying this recipe, please feel free to share pictures of your meal (along with this recipe) on social media. So go ahead and start cooking!
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Ingredients
4 tablespoons Cabot Salted Butter
¼ cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
¾ teaspoon salt
4½ cups milk
12 ounces (about 2½ cups) uncooked elbow macaroni
16 ounces Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar or Cabot Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 4 cups)
½ cup unflavored dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
Directions
PLACE butter in large microwave-safe bowl and cover top loosely with plastic wrap (to prevent spattering); microwave on high power until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and salt until well combined and microwave, uncovered, for 1 ½ minutes longer.
WHISK in milk, adding it gradually at first; stir in macaroni. Microwave, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir well to break up any clumps of macaroni, then microwave for 9 minutes longer, or until sauce is thickened and macaroni is starting to soften.
COAT inside of crockpot with nonstick cooking spray or rub with oil. Add macaroni mixture. Stir in cheese until well combined.
WORK together breadcrumbs and oil with fingertips, in a small bowl, until well blended; sprinkle evenly over macaroni. Cover and cook on high setting for 1 hour, or until tender and bubbling on edges.
Calories: 722
% Daily Value
Total Fat: 38.5g
59%
Saturated Fat: 21g
105%
Sodium: 986mg
41%
Carbohydrates: 63g
21%
Dietary Fiber: 2.5g
10%
Protein: 34g
Calcium: 782mg
78%
4.5 out of 5 stars (based on 2 reviews)
Kate from Carlisle, PA
November 15, 2015
Surprisingly good for how easy this recipe is to make. This is the first mac and cheese – even in the crockpot – that doesn’t require you to all but make the macaroni and cheese and just heat it in through in the crockpot. At that point, what’s the point of making crock pot mac and cheese?! This, on the other hand, requires a few steps of prep in the microwave, doesn’t require you to pre-cook the pasta on the stove like most recipes do, and is truly a recipe you can easily make while you’re busy getting other dishes or the main meal ready. Taste-wise, the cheddar specified is quite sharp, so consider taking down a notch in sharpness especially for kiddos. The consistency was creamy, but not as creamy as a mac and cheese that you give a lot of attention to on the stovetop (simmering the roux, etc.) but that I’m willing to make that compromise for a quick and easy side. Husband loves this too, and it seems to reheat well in the microwave.
Halley
January 26, 2014
WOW! this is amazingly good. I substituted a some of the milk for a cup of low fat cream. I thought this was as good or better than my Father’s secret (oven) baked Mac’n cheese recipe. I added a little more bread crumbs than suggested in the recipe as well. I highly recommend this recipe!
