Slow Cooked Triple Cheddar Mac And Cheese – When it comes to slow cooking macaroni and cheese, there are literally 1000’s of recipes. They’re all so similar, I couldn’t begin to discuss every single method. So, I would like to show you how I make mine…yes? I usually turn to slow cooked mac & cheese on a busy day in my kitchen, when I need my oven to prepare other dishes.
Why do I mention this? Funny you should ask…I make a special effort to make sure all of my recipes are presented in a way that you can be successful recreating my dishes. In this slow cooker with the heat source on the bottom only, my mac & cheese cooks in around 2-2 1/4 hours on low. So, in a conventional slow cooker, I recommend you cook on low for 2 hours, and check the center for doneness. It may be completely cooked in that time. After testing a tiny bit from the center sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and keep warm until it melts. If not completely cooked, you may need to increase the time by 30 minutes to 1 hour, based on how your slow cooker cooks…Now, that said, let’s move on to the good stuff…
See it at “Whatcha Crockin’? here
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 can [12 oz] evaporated milk
- 1 can [10¾ oz] cheddar cheese soup
- 8 oz sour cream (Full fat works best)
- ½ cup [1 stick] butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- ¼-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (To your taste]
- ½ tsp salt
- 3½ cups of triple cheddar cheese, divided [I used Kraft Triple Cheddar]
- Set your slow cooker on the low setting, and spray the inside with cooking spray.
- Parboil the macaroni in salted water for 6 minutes.
- While the macaroni is cooking, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together, the melted butter, evaporated milk, cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, eggs and seasonings. Whisk until fully combined.
- After cooking the macaroni for 6 minutes, drain well. Add to the slow cooker
- Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni along with 3 cups of shredded triple cheddar cheese.
- Stir all of the ingredients together until the macaroni is coated and the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove the lid and check the middle for doneness. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Replace the lid and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
- Keep warm until serving.
Instead of cooking the pasta first, could it be put in dry and have the same outcome?
How do you know if one has a crock-pot with only Bottom Heat?
Gary
Most have surround heat, no worries at all. Cook this for 2 hours then check the center and you’ll be good to go.
Hi Kasha, I’ve never made this dish without eggs, but, I suspect it would still work. The eggs serve as a binder for the cheese sauce, so, it would likely have just a bit more liquid. If you try it, let me know! ~ Melissa
Hi Robyn, I wouldn’t recommend making this without parboiling the macaroni first. The key is not to overcook the pasta, or the outcome could be mushy. Thanks for your visit, Melissa
Do you have to use an egg in this mac n cheese dish? I have an egg allergy and tend to stay away when i can.
I tried this recipe. This was off the chain and my whole household ate plenty of it. I had to hide me some so I can have some tomorrow. Awesome Recipe!!!!!!
Hello! That’s wonderful, I’m so happy your family enjoyed this simple dish. I appreciate your comment! ~ Melissa
This looks great! Now all I need a slow-cooker…
Hi taruc, Check out the Cook’s note, you can also make this in the oven.
Might could add ham…make it a meal! Not that mac and cheese alone isn’t a meal…it’s my FAV food group!
Hi Rhonda, sounds good to me, go for it!
Melissa, I do most of my cooking in a Celebrating Home Bean Pot. I will bake it for 45 minutes and check it. It generally cuts the time at least in half. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
What temperature would you use in the Bean Pot? That’s how I like to make recipes also.
Hi Roxanne, I’ve never made this in a bean pot, sorry.
What is triple cheddar cheese? I do not recall seeing this. Does it come in a package? And what are three cheddars? I am guessing white, mild and sharp?????
Any blend of cheddar cheese will work you have complete control of what you use. The triple blend I used was Vermont, New York and sharp cheddar. You can use any blend of cheese that suits your fancy. This recipe was designed to be quick, easy and low stress so, I used a packaged triple cheddar cheese however, freshly grated cheese is always best.
Hi Linda, how cool is that? Enjoy, thanks for your visit. ~ Melissa
Looks yummy. My kids love Mac and cheese and have been looking for some other ways to cook it but just the original way. Hoping they love it.
I sure hope so too, happy slow cooking! ~ Melissa
I forgot the soup and evap milk. I left list at home and tried to remb, all the ingred. Will this be a problem? I cant leave again sweet munchkin is sleeping.
Oh my, you could substitute whole milk for the evaporated milk. if you have Velveeta on hand you could use it instead,. Melt prior to adding it to the slow cooker.
My crock pot is a large oval one. Do you think a doubled recipe will fit?
This recipe will work in a 6 quart oval, and yes, it would also do fine if you need to double the recipe. Depending on how your crock pot cooks, the time may need to be increased, but, I would still check it at the 2 hour point and make any necessary adjustments from there. Hope this helps!
How do I know when its completely cooked, im cooking it now and I doubled the recipe for a party, im a little iffy on whether our not its done…thanks!
The best way to test is to take a small sample from the center. You can tell if it’s cooked through in the center by the warmth and texture. Sure hope your guests enjoy, we love it!
Bowing can you keep on warm before serving , so it doesn’t dry out?
Sure, I haven’t had a problem with it drying out. However, I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for an extended length of time.
I made this tonight & it was amazing. I left the eggs out & used medium shell noodles because I didn’t have any elbows. Wonderfully moist & cheesy!
Michelle, thanks so much for leaving a comment about how this dish is without eggs. I’m delighted you enjoyed it! ~ Melissa
Can I freeze the left overs Melissa?
Sure!
Hi melissa, what brand of cheese soup do you use?
I use Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup. It holds up quite well to the slow cooking process, and blends with the milk and cheese beautifully. Enjoy!
I just made this tonight for dinner! It was very yummy! I added French’s french fried onions for a bit of a crunch!
Great idea, so happy you enjoyed.
I made this tonight to go with dinner and omg is it ever yummy!! I used the oven method as nobody wanted to wait for it to cook in the crockpot. Thank you so much for this recipe…no more boxed mac n cheese here! This is just yummy gooey cheesy goodness, and so easy! I didn’t have elbow macaroni so I used rotini…it really holds the cheese sauce in!
Wonderful, so happy to hear you enjoyed this dish. Rotini pasta does make a yummy mac-n-cheese, good call. ☺
It’s in the crock pot and looks yummy! What does it look like in the middle when you check if it’s ready? Mines a little watery still
It should be creamy, but set when gently shaken.
Looks fantastic!
For some reason, my slow cooker does nothing on low. How long would I cook this on high?
When slow cooking, generally a dish that cooks on low for 2 hours, would cook in 1 hour on high. This could vary based on how your slow cooker performs. So, I would recommend checking it at 1 hour. If the center is creamy but set when gently shaken, it’s done. If not, continue to cook and check it every 15 minutes to avoid over cooking.
after reading recipe and comments…i think i am gonna try your mac n cheese…..i have a thanksgiving lunch at work on tues…about 20 people i suppose….i have a 6 qrt crock pot and you mentioned that doubling recipe is ok….you did mean doubling in a 6qrt right….it will all fit right ? 🙂 any suggestions on cooking/keeping warm?….i go to work at 5 am and we’ll b eating lunch about 11?
Yes, doubling in a 6 quart slow cooker should be fine. An oval would be ideal, so be mindful of your slow cooker, and it’s shape, and adjust the time as needed. Once cooked, for the best results, serve it then. If it’s necessary, once cooked, keep it on the lowest setting to prevent changing the texture of the pasta.
I made this today for Thanksgiving and it came out beautifully. I about doubled the recipe in my slow cooker, but didn’t seem to matter. Everyone talked about how good it tasted. Definite two thumbs up.
Gina, I’m so happy to hear, it, thanks for stopping by! ~ Melissa
in a regular oven should you cook covered or uncovered— its cooking now please respond!!
I never cover mac and cheese when baking, so, definitely uncovered.
Hi. I live somewhere where we can’t buy Cheese soup. Any suggestions. This looks so Yummy, and I really want to try it! Shelley (Ontario, Canada)
Hi Shelley, thanks for visiting. Oh sure, a basic cheddar cheese bechamel would work beautifully!
Will this taste much different if I leave out the dry mustard? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, if you don’t have it, leave it out, it will still be delicious, enjoy!
Why not kick it up with a pinch of cumin and Chipolte Pepper powder???
Go for it, Jim!
What would your suggestion be for the triple cheese as we don’t have the kraft triple cheese block here in Australia. .
Triple cheddar is a blend of mild, medium and sharp cheddar cheese. Any of your favorite 3 flavors of cheese in equal amounts will work perfectly. Thanks for visiting!
I never cooked with dry mustard, can I get it at any grocery store? If so, what dept. Please?
Oh sure, dry [ground] mustard is readily available on the spice aisle.
This looks awesome! Just wanted to let you know I featured you in this recipe round-up. Thanks for all the great recipes. 🙂 http://www.recipechatter.com/southern-cooking-in-your-slow-cooker-cookbook-giveaway/
Yay! I’m gonna chunk up some cream cheese and add it in! Yummmy!
Hi Jill, in the picture is my Oven Fried Provolone Stuffed Chicken Breast and a homemade marinara sauce that I’ve never posted. However, here’s the link to the chicken.
http://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/2012/05/oven-fried-provolone-stuffed-chicken.html
Melissa, this looks great!! I’m dying to know what the meal next to it on your plate is, though! That sauce looks divine. 🙂
Could you substitute the butter with margarine?
-Alison
Thank you!!!
Sure Alison, if you prefer margarine.
This is on my to do list. I have one question, how bad is the clean-up? I generally use disposable pans when making mac & cheese.
They sell crock pot disposable liners & I use them all the time !! If there are leftovers just pull the liner out & seal with a twist tie & freeze it in a freezer zipped bag or just store if you want to eat it later on in the week !!!
My slow cooker tends to clean-up quite easily after making this, so it should do well.
I’m making this now. I doubled the recipe. But the pan I had to use is taller rather than short and long. Do you think it will take longer to cook?
It could. It depends on how your slow cooker cooks. I would check it around 2 hours, testing the enter for doneness. You should be able to tell if it needs to go another 30 minutes at that point. Hope it works out well for you.
I just made this and it was AMAZING! I cooked the pasta 6 minutes and I then cooked it in the crockpot 2 hours and I am in cheese overload. Perfect!! Love it, love it! Thanks bunches.
Wonderful Sandy, I’m delighted to hear it!
Sounds Yummy! I love using my Slow Pot(which looks like yours)especially during hot months. My base has setting 1-5. If yours has that, what number would be low?
hi i love the sound of this but being in the uk i am finding it difficult to find a plain cheese soup ( we like ours with Stilton and broccoli) would a cheese sauce be the same cos i would love to try this thanks
I cooked this mac and cheese on the #2. The #1 setting serves more like a warm setting. Hope this helps!
Hi Angel, yes of course! A homemade cheese sauce will work fine, just adjust the remaining liquid to avoid over “saucing.” Thanks so much for visiting from the UK!
So I made this recipe exactly as written with the exception that I used 2% evaporated milk instead of regular evaporated milk. The Mac/Cheese tasted fine but looked curdled…not creamy like everyone commented. Do you think it was the 2% evaporated milk? I was trialing this recipe for a potluck and am hesitant to use it again due to the curdling. Any thoughts?
Hi Lisa, it could have been the quality of the milk and/or cheese. I recommend that after you put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker stir to mix. Don’t be tempted to stir it AFTER it has cooked as that could also cause the sauce to clump. Sorry you had trouble I hope this helps!
This site wouldn’t let me print. I usually don’t have a problem. Love the recipes though.
I love this recipe and have made it several times! I was wondering if it would be possible it mix it up tonight and put it in the fridge so my husband can cook it tomorrow while I’m at work? -Sarah
Hi Sarah, I’m so happy you’re enjoying this recipe. Honestly, I have never done it so I can’t answer from experience. What you could do, is parboil the macaroni ahead of time, and chill. Then it would only take minutes to layer with the cheese and whisk the sauce. If you try putting it together in advance, come back and comment to let others know how it worked out.
Hi, Melissa, you had me at ‘southern style.’ I noticed that you said conventional slow cookers have heat coming from the sides and from the bottom. This is true for some, yes, but not for all. The original Rival Crock*Pot has heat on the sides only. If Rival has changed their pots, if if no one still has a Rival like that, then you could be correct. However, I think of the conventional slow cooker as being heated only from the sides and not from the bottom.
I assure you my slow cooker heats on the bottom and sides. In fact every single conventional slow cooker I’ve ever owned cooks that way. However, there are always variables between brands and this should be considered by each person evaluating their own appliance for the best slow cooking results.
Looks so good!! I’m going to try and do the oven version, can I prepare the dish early in the day and put in fridge to be put in the oven for tonight? Or will it get to soggy sitting for so long?
Sure! If you have time to bring to room temperature before baking that’s ideal. If not, just increase the baking time around 10 minutes.
Hi Melissa I found your site on fb and definitely want to try this as I just bought a slow cooker. Problem is I only have a 3qt pot. Do you think it will fit or will it be too much. Please respond asap as I’m about to start making it. Thank you.
Hi Rose welcome! I think it will work, but depending on the shape you may need to adjust the cooking time. I’ve never made this in a 3 quart crockpot and can’t advise from personal experience. Rest assured, if you pour it in and there’s too much you can bake this in a conventional oven as well.
*** Update ***
Thank you for the reply and for this delicious recipe. I made it that day and added bacon. It fit perfectly. I really thought there wouldn’t be enough for all of us but there was and there was leftovers. I did have to leave it in longer and because my slow cooker heats from the sides the outsides were cooked and not the middle. I ended up having to mix everything around so that it would cook thoroughly. Presentation wasn’t the best but it tasted awesome. I will be making it again. Probably in the oven as it took too long in the slow cooker and we were starving
You make such a valid point. You always have to adjust cooking time based on your equipment. I’m so happy you all enjoyed this one, thanks for letting me know.
Can you also use Velveeta cheese?
Sure, if you like.
You say to use two cups of dry mac.
I measured out two cups looks pretty soupy. Sure I have used the whole16 oz box?
An entire pound would be a lot but, it all depends on your taste. If you prefer more pasta go for it!
Good recipe. Needs tweaks. More noodles and less eggs. It curdled for me but probably because I mixed it up. The edges were custard-like but the center was creamy and lovely. My sister also made this tonight and they loved it. Although she did add extra noodles. A roux will always break on me so I’ll keep working this recipe. Thanks for posting it.
Disappointed, the flavor is ok but the texture is awful, almost has a cottage cheese look. Not appetizing.
Sorry this one didn’t work for you. The texture of the sour cream after cooking is what you refer to that’s why I mention not stirring it again after combined to prevent it from breaking. If you did stir it, that’s what happens.
I overcooked my macaroni, it’s completely cooked! 🙁 How long should I leave it in Crock-Pot?
I’m not certain from your question if you cooked it completely before putting it into the crockpot? If so, follow the recipe instructions for baking if possible.
Wow I doubled this recipe in a large slow cooker and it came out soooo good! I also toasted some panko breadcrumbs in butter and sprinkled on top with the cheese topping. This is a really good recipe. The dry mustard also tastes so good in this.
So happy you enjoyed this one Helen, and I love the addition of a crunchy topping. Thanks so much for letting me know!
I would like to try this recipe but I am not a fan of sour cream can I use something else?
You can use this same technique with a homemade cheese sauce as well. This style of mac & cheese is meant to be quick and easy. For more ideas browse my recipe index I have several kinds of mac & cheese dishes published.
Hi Melissa, I just got your cookbook in the mail today. I cannot wait to try some of the recipes. I bought it AFTER I saw this recipe. I have not tried it yet but planned to today. My husband already went the store for me BUT I forgot to tell him to get the cheddar soup. Now what? How can I get around that s I can fix this today? Susan (Southern girl through and through)
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Susan, thanks so much for picking up my book! You can use this same technique using a homemade cheese sauce as well, this version is designed to be quick and easy. Some people aren’t fans of Velveeta or Cheez Whiz but, either could be used in place of the soup. Think of it as a thickening agent. Also, I have several mac and cheese recipes here on my website browse the archives for ideas.
Just got home from the store and completely forgot the sour cream, Will it make a big difference? Thanks!
Actually, it would make a difference as it will effect the amount of sauce. Feel free to adapt using a homemade sauce or browse the archives here on my website for ideas.
I made this recipe the other night and it turned out fantastic. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I think next time I make it I’ll mix some crispy bacon bits or ground mild Italian sausage.
Do you ever mix in any extras? If so, what?
I used the oven bake version because I just love the crispy edge that I don’t seem to get in a slow cooker.
I’ve mixed rotisserie chicken and steamed broccoli into this and cooked ground beef. It’ easy to turn into a casserole, glad you enjoyed it!
I plan on making this for the family Easter pot luck. My step daughter hosts so thinking I will mix it up then cook at her house as we always go early to help.
Happy Easter to you and yours!
Can you double this,recipe in the crockpot
I’ve never tried doubling it for the slow cooker. honestly. If you give a whirl let me know how it goes.