When preparing a large meal for a family gathering or holiday, sometimes you have to get creative using the stove, oven, and any other kitchen appliances you may own to try and get everything cooked relatively at the same time. Most people simply cook their macaroni and cheese on the stove top or even bake it, but those two options may not be available, especially for a large meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Today's recipe, Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese, combines the stove top with your slow cooker or Instant Pot to create a delicious side dish while freeing up that precious stovetop space for other dishes needing to be cooked. I kept this one simple as possible so you can divert your attention to other dishes once this one has been started so prepare to be amazed just how simple it can be....Let's Get Cooking!
I must caveat this Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese recipe by admitting that I used the normal stovetop to cook the macaroni noodles. It only takes 9 minutes and if you can't sacrifice a stove eye for that long you may be in a world of hurt beyond what this recipe can do to help. That being said, it is possible to cook the noodles in the cheese sauce, but I don't think they turn out as good nor can you truly control their texture and "doneness" so I highly recommend just boiling the noodles on the stove in some heavily salted water. You can do this ahead of time and just set them to the side if you can't get to the mac and cheese right away. The slow cooker will rewarm the noodles and everything will turn out fine. Cook your noodles to al dente, no longer than 9-10 minutes, before draining them and adding to your slow cooker. If you didn't already know, your Instant Pot can also fill in here on its slow cooker setting if you already have your normal slow cooker full of a different tasty recipe cooking away while you prepare the rest of your meal.
As long as your noodles are still relatively warm, add the olive oil and butter. The heat of the noodles should melt the butter and allow you to get every noodle evenly coated with oil and butter. This not only helps prevent anything from sticking in the slow cooker but also adds an additional layer of flavor. If you had to make your noodles ahead of time and they are completely cooled, quickly melt the butter in the microwave and add it with the oil. It all works either way so use whichever method helps you out the most while preparing the rest of your meal.
My pasta was warm so I let it melt the butter and gave everything a good stir once melted. Now it is just a matter of dumping in the remaining ingredients and stirring to incorporate. Add the evaporated milk, regular milk, shredded cheddar (just cheddar or a blend if you like), and the Velveeta cheese. Yes, we are using Velveeta again because it just melts so well and creates a truly ooey gooey cheese sauce for the noodles you just can't deny its use! You can substitute it out of course if you don't like mega processed Nuclear War survivable cheese product, but don't complain that your sauce isn't amazing as mine, just saying! If you are wondering just how many ounces of Velveeta you need, 12 ounces cut into dice-sized cubes is just about 2 cups. Add a little more or a little less, it is up to you, just get it all in the slow cooker or Instant Pot and set the temperature to "Low" for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Be sure to cover with a slow cooker lid and not the standard Pressure Cooker lid if using the Instant Pot. Some steam and heat need to escape during the cooking process.
Let the cheesy pasta mixture cook on low for 45 minutes to an hour before removing the lid and giving it a good stir. Everything should be just about completely melted at this point, meaning overall you can probably call it good after 90 minutes. If you still have a bunch of un-melted cheese, then plan on it taking the full 2 hours. Mine looked like the image below after 1 hour.
Continue to let the macaroni and cheese cook on low for an additional 30 minutes. It should thicken up into a smooth and extra creamy sauce. If yours is still a bit soupy and runny, just let it keep cooking a bit longer while you finish preparing the rest of your meal. If you are running out of time and need it to finish up a bit quicker, simply increase the temperature to medium to help thicken up the cheese sauce.
It is obviously a judgment call when to call it finished, but when your cheese sauce reaches the consistency you and your family prefer simply turn off the slow cooker and keep it covered till you are ready to serve. It really is that simple! Depending on how much Velveeta you used or what kind of cheddar cheese blend, the color of your Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese may slightly vary from mine. Mine was actually quite dull and bland in the slow cooker, but once I got it out and served the bright cheesy colors popped and took it from drab to fab! Be sure to give it a taste test for any additional seasoning required. All the cheese we added should have been plenty of included salt, but some black pepper really helps those flavors pop and finish off this mac and cheese. It isn't necessary, but a little parsley also adds a ton to the final looks of this side dish.
Whether you are cooking a large family holiday meal and need the extra stovetop space or just busy and can't be bothered to constantly monitor your cheese sauce to prevent scorching, this Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese is sure to be a hit with your friends, family, and even the kids! It's extra creamy and cheesy deliciousness without any extra fuss or effort. In fact, many might say it closely resembles that fast food chicken chain's amazing mac and cheese we all love so try it for yourself and let me know what you think. So no matter if you're cooking a normal weeknight meal or a large family holiday feast, get in the kitchen and make something delicious...Just Keep Cooking!
SLOW COOKER MAC & CHEESE
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