Easy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Easy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is just the best comfort food. This is my U.K version, made without evaporated milk and without cream cheese but still super quick and easy to prepare. I'm talking cheesy, rib sticking and luxurious baby. Perfect for an easy midweek meal. Get in my slow cooker.

This macaroni cheese recipe is easy throw it all in peesy. No stirring over the hob just let the magic happen all on it's ownsome in the pot. Exactly how I like to roll. Who knew?

I don't add any fancy extras, no mustard, no garlic just lots of cheese. I'm a classic kinda girl. You're welcome.

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• Ingredients
• Method
• Variations
• Easy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Why you'll love this recipe

• one of the best comfort foods ever
• cupboard ingredients
• crowd pleasing
• versatile - throw in veg or anything else that suits.
• can be used as a side or main

*There is a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post*

Ingredients

250 grams (8.8 oz) macaroni or elbow pasta - you need a robust5 pasta here and macaroni is best

250 grams (8.8 oz) extra mature cheddar cheese - if you want it less cheesy then use medium cheddar

30 grams plain flour - self raising will work fine too.

50 grams (1.76 oz) butter - salted or unsalted but not spread

1 litre milk - semi skimmed or full fat milk

half a tsp salt

Method

Switch your slow cooker to high. Put the 50 grams (1.76 oz) butter into the pot and let it melt.

Add in the 30 grams (1 oz) flour and mix into a roux. I use a whisk but just because I'm going to use it for the next step.

Carefully pour in the 1 litre of milk and use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the milk. The roux should be completely dispersed through the milk.

Tip in the 250 grams (8.8 oz) of pasta and stir through the mixture.

Put the lid on and cook for an hour on High.

Stir the mixture well quickly but carefully so you don't get splashed and the lid is off as little time as possible.

Cook for a further 45 minutes or hour. It is cooked when the pasta is soft.

Add in the 250 grams (8.8 oz) of mature grated cheddar and stir throughout well.

Put the lid on for a further five minutes so that the cheese has a chance to melt.

Serve straight away.

How long the pasta takes to cook in your slow cooker depends on how efficient your slow cooker is and how cold your milk was going in. So carefully try a piece of pasta to test when it's ready.

It may also need a splash or two extra of milk. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won't.

Variations

Add 200 grams (7oz) browned crispy lardons and the juices from the pan for a cheesy bacon vibe.

Add butternut squash chunks or sweet potato in at the beginning of the cooking and stir it all through so that it melts throughout the pasta along with the cheese

Use different cheeses to change the cheesy vibe. Blue cheese, mozzarella, gruyere, parmesan would all work well.

Add 1 tbsp dijon mustard for a little something extra.

Swap in 300 mls of double cream instead of milk to make it super luxurious.

Top Tips

This is best eaten as soon as cooked as it can thicken up like all macaroni cheese. Add a splash of milk to loosen.

Leftovers should be cooled as soon as possible and kept covered in the fridge. They can be frozen too for up to 3 months.

All leftovers should be reheated until piping hot and eaten within 2 days.

If you like this recipe then you may wanna have a look at these:

Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings

Easy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Thai Curry

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

Easy Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta

Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken Curry