Description
This creamy and comforting Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is the perfect hands-off meal for busy days. Using a slow cooker, tender macaroni pasta is cooked with evaporated milk, chicken broth, and a blend of cheddar and cream cheese to create a rich, cheesy dish with a slight kick of sriracha and mustard for added depth of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 375 grams uncooked macaroni (1 box, white with fiber)
- 354 ml evaporated or whole milk (about 1 ⅓ cups)
- 1 ¾ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (175 grams)
Instructions
- Prepare the Crock Pot: Spray a 2.5 to 4 quart crock pot generously with non-stick spray to prevent sticking during cooking.
- Add Ingredients: Pour the dry macaroni into the crock pot. Add evaporated milk, low sodium chicken broth, butter pieces, salt, sriracha sauce, ground mustard, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine, trying to break up the butter as much as possible, while expecting some chunkiness.
- Cook Pasta: Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 1 hour. After this time, stir the mixture well; it may look clumpy but will loosen with stirring. Cover again and cook for an additional 30 minutes until the pasta is al dente and slightly firm without being too soft.
- Add Cheese: Cut the cream cheese into very small pieces and stir them into the pasta along with the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the crock pot and let the cheese melt for 10 minutes.
- Final Stir and Serve: Stir the mac and cheese until smooth and creamy, then serve warm and enjoy this comforting dish.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, increase the sriracha sauce according to taste.
- You can substitute low sodium vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
- Use whole milk instead of evaporated milk for a slightly lighter texture.
- If cream cheese is too firm, warm it slightly for easier mixing.
- Feel free to add cooked vegetables like peas or broccoli for a nutritious twist.
- Non-stick spray helps avoid scraping but you can also grease with butter.
- Do not overcook the pasta in the crock pot to avoid mushy mac and cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
