April 22, 2018

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Creamy mac and cheese in a deliciously flavored sauce. This slow cooker macaroni and cheese couldn’t be easier to make and comes out of the slow cooker tasting like it’s been baked!

Original Post: April 2018

I am taking this blog thing seriously. I just had a birthday and decided that for this year of life, my goal is to not only start a blog, but have one that succeeds … TBD what succeeds means.

But, I love to cook, love to share recipes, and love an excuse to make food for friends, so this seems like the right move. However, people want good photos of the food you’re suggesting they make, and other than using my phone to take 50 pictures of my kids on a daily basis, my photography knowledge is ‘ehh.’ I’m not letting that get me down though – by my next birthday I am determined to have photos that make food look tasty, or at the least, edible.

Step 1 in my plan: I started reading food photography blogs a couple of days ago. Step 2: I made myself a little photography studio in my basement. Lights are a little pricey, and I’m not yet ready for such an investment, so I made a light source myself. And by made, I mean I actually did some wiring for that bad boy. As I was wiring it my husband said, “I’m calling that thing is catching on fire.” Well y’all, I plugged it in, it worked, and there have been zero fires. So, stay tuned for some rockstar photos down the road.

July 2019 Update: Recipe Requests

I posted this recipe when I first began this blog and haven’t paid much attention to the post since. The recipe is one that I use frequently though. This summer I have taken this slow cooker mac and cheese to multiple events and every time I do, I hear rave reviews such as,”this beats my Grandma’s mac and cheese,” and am then frequently asked for the recipe.

I’ve directed several people to this post for the recipe, and realized it was time for a post facelift. So, I have added more photos and a few more recipe specifics.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is easy peasy. I know you can handle it, but here are a few tips in case needed:

Do not substitute anything for the Velveeta cheese. You can slice up the boxed variety, or use the pre-shredded, but use Velveeta. It is magical in this recipe.
Try to stir the mac and cheese every 30 minutes or so. I have forgotten to stir for 2 hours, and it has been fine, but it does cook more evenly when stirred every so often.
Grate your cheddar. Do not use pre-shredded cheddar. It does not melt the same in this recipe.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Creamy mac and cheese in a deliciously flavored sauce. This slow cooker macaroni and cheese couldn't be easier to make and comes out of the slow cooker tasting like it's been baked!

5 from 2 votes

Course: Side Dish

Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 537

Pin Recipe for Later

Ingredients

16 ounce box ziti
1/2 cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
16 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces Velveeta cheese boxed or pre-shredded work
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1.5 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain and set aside.
In small bowl, whisk the eggs, then set aside.
In small pot over medium-low heat, melt 4 tbsp of butter. Whisk in flour and continue whisking for 2 minutes.
Slowly pour in milk. Whisk until smooth. Let cook until thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Slowly pour ½ cup of sauce into the bowl with the eggs. Whisk constantly while pouring and until smooth. Once smooth, whisk eggs back into pot with remaining mixture. Stir in seasoned salt, and salt & pepper.
In slow cooker, slice remaining 4 tbsp of butter evenly onto bottom of pot. Layer 1/3 of cooked pasta on top of butter inpot and cover with 1/3 of the grated cheddar and 1/3 of the Velveeta cheeses. Continue layering until all of the pasta and cheeses are used.
Pour sauce evenly over top of ingredients in pot.
Cover and cook in slow cooker on low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.