Want to know how to make the best mac and cheese? Paula Deen’s creamy crockpot mac and cheese recipe is absolutely amazeballs! This is basically her recipe with just a few minor tweaks.
Do you tend to stress out when it comes to making all the different sides (like mac and cheese, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, ect) all at once, especially during the holidays?
Knowing you will need your oven for all of them AND all of those damn sides use a different temperature! Me too friend, me too.
In this post I am going to help you free up some of that space in your oven this holiday season by showing you how to make outstanding mac and cheese in your crockpot!
Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe
I. Love. My. Crockpot. That’s why I try to utilize it every chance I get. If you don’t have one, GET ONE! They are the bomb dot com.
It’s awesome to dump everything in a crockpot before you leave for work to come home and dinner already be finished. Or knowing your kids have practice that night and you don’t feel like dealing with dinner. BAM, dinner is ready because you made it ahead of time in your crockpot.
And Mainly because you will need one for this recipe. I have four, don’t judge.
I discovered this easy mac and cheese recipe a couple of years ago. I decided to make it one year for Christmas dinner. Since it’s made in the crockpot that’s one less thing I had to cook in the oven. It did not go well. The only thing I can come up with is I cooked it too long. It was dry and the consistency was blah. I never tried making it again. Until…
Fast forward to when I decided to give it another go for Thanksgiving.
I have no idea why I always decide to attempt “a new recipe” on the biggest family holiday gatherings. I guess it excites me not knowing how it will turn out, YOLO bitches! HaHa
So, for Thanksgiving I decided to attempt Paula Deen’s creamy crockpot macaroni and cheese recipe AGAIN. The reason being, because that particular Thanksgiving it was only going to be my husband’s parents and us. My mother-in-law had just had knee surgery so I didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed and over do it on Thanksgiving. So we decided she would provide the honey baked ham, regular green beans (because, kids) and pies. I would make all the rest of the sides (mac and cheese, green bean casserole, hash brown casserole, sweet potato casserole, creamed corn, and deviled eggs) along with the fried turkey.
Needless to say I had a lot going on and I wanted one less thing to have to bake in the oven. This time it turned out fanfuckingtastic! But I was worried there for a hot minute. I was so bent out of shape and worried it was going to be another flop that at the last minute I decided to throw together my usual macaroni and cheese casserole. Even after I didn’t want the extra dish in my oven. (insert whacking the forehead)
All I have to say is trust the process!
It may look like the cheese is never going to melt and that it will end up being a clump of cheese mixed with runny noodles. But at the very end it all melts together and becomes this creamy dish of awesomeness.
I brought both mac and cheese dishes to my mother-in-laws. And I believe just about everyone tried both, with the exception of the kids. The verdict was both were really delicious but the majority, myself included, preferred the crockpot mac and cheese recipe. It was just so damn creamy and cheesy. A definite must try if you ask my opinion.
Let’s move on to the recipe.
- condensed cheddar cheese soup
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- uncooked elbow macaroni
- whole milk
- sour cream
- butter
- eggs
- dry mustard
- salt
- pepper
Just a side note: Paula Deen’s recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese and no mozzarella. I changed it because my peeps like it when I mix in different cheeses and the cheesier the better. So you can do it the way I make it or you can veto the mozzarella and just stick to the 2 1/2 cups cheddar.
In at least a 2 qt pot boil 2 cups elbow (or your noodle of choice) macaroni for 7 minutes. Do NOT Follow Instructions On Back Of Box. Once finished boiling, drain your noodles and set aside for a moment.
In a medium size pan, preferably one that is somewhat deep, melt 4 tbsp butter with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Make sure to stir it the whole time.
Once all that buttery cheesy goodness is melted pour it into your crockpot. Next add in 1/2 cup sour cream, your can of condensed cheddar cheese soup, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 cup milk. Make sure to stir all of that together really well.
In a small bowl beat 3 eggs and then pour that into your crockpot of amazingness.
Last but not least add your drained macaroni noodles and stir everything together one last time.
FYI: the cheese you melted in your pan will be one big lump. Don’t worry, it will melt eventually. Just stir it in the best that you can and trust the process.
Now throw the lid on your crockpot mac and cheese, put it on low, and cook for 3 hours (stirring every now and then). THREE HOURS!!! If you cook any longer than that it will get curdy and have a weird texture. So don’t come at me if you make this mistake. It’s nobody’s fault but your own. Just saying.
That’s it. It’s finished. Stir really well to make sure all the cheese is mixed in, serve it up, and enjoy!
Here are a couple of my other crockpot recipes you may want to try:
Creamy Mac And Cheese – Crockpot
Equipment
- 4qt crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 10¾oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 cup milk
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 eggs (beaten)
Instructions
- Boil macaroni for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In medium saucepan combine butter, sharp cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until everything is melted. Add to crockpot.
- Then add sour cream, cheddar cheese soup, milk, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together.
- Pour in your 3 beaten eggs.
- Add your macaroni and stir again until everything is well combined.
- Add the lid to your crockpot and cook for 3 hours on low. Stirring occasionally.
- Enjoy!