Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

How to keep mac and cheese from drying out in the crockpot? ›

How do you keep mac and cheese from drying out? If you plan to hold slow cooker mac and cheese on warm, add extra milk as needed to keep the sauce nice and creamy.

There are a few different ways to keep your macaroni and cheese moist, from adding a solid layer of shredded cheese on top to holding back on the cream when making your sauce.

Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix to incorprate as much as possible.

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

Gruyere is a classic addition because it melts much like Cheddar, but has a lovely nutty flavor. Other classics include Gouda, Muenster, Parmesan, fontina, Havarti and Monterey Jack. Brie works well too, just make sure you remove the rind before mixing it in.

Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese is a simplified recipe. Just boil pasta in milk and then, add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper to it. Merge all the elements and Gordon Ramsay's mac and cheese will be ready in no time.

Feta, queso fresco and paneer

As delicious as feta is in a salad or sprinkled over soup, this dry and crumbly cheese just isn't ideal for mac and cheese. Feta has a high moisture level and doesn't melt properly, so it would clump rather than give you a smooth sauce.

To summarize, rinsing your cooked pasta would be detrimental to your final dish because that excess starch is instrumental in providing some structure and flavor to the pasta sauce that you're creating. In fact, that's the logic behind using pasta water instead of plain tap water in a pasta sauce.

Why add sour cream to mac and cheese? ›

Sour cream is the perfect ingredient to substitute for milk when making mac and cheese, giving it a rich and creamy flavor without sacrificing texture. It's easy to add in, and you can adjust it to your liking — add extra sour cream for more creaminess, and counter with extra cheese for more cheesiness.

If you don't have any American cheese, try using cream cheese instead. It will taste a little more creamy than cheesy, but it will still add tons of delicious flavor. Spices: A little garlic powder and onion powder goes a long way in making this the best easy mac and cheese ever!

Sauce too thick? Stir in a splash of milk and mix until the sauce has loosened up. (This is also a great trick for reheating mac and cheese - if you're microwaving leftovers and the sauce seems to have dried up, stir a splash of milk or half-and-half into the pasta to bring the sauce back to life!)

Here are a few tips to keep in mind: Avoid adding cold pasta to a hot cheese sauce, as this can cause the sauce to solidify and the emulsion of the cheese to weaken. Instead, make sure to keep the pasta hot while preparing the cheese sauce and add it to the sauce while it's still warm.

How to reheat Crock Pot Mac and Cheese: you can reheat the macaroni and cheese in the slow cooker on the “WARM” setting. This recipe calls for cheddar cheese, but you can also use any combination of cheeses that you prefer.

Meanwhile, add a portion of mac and cheese and 2 tablespoons of milk or water to a microwave-safe dish. Microwave until the pasta and sauce is bubbling hot. Fill the thermos with the mac and cheese, and seal. Add it to a lunch bag along with your choice of snacks and an ice pack.

this is how I keep my daughter's mac and cheese warm for lunch. I'll pour in a little of the boiled water into a thermos and just let that sit. then I'll make the mac and cheese. I'll pour out the boiled water add in the mac and cheese and then it's ready for lunch.