Lazy Slow Cooker Old Bay®️ Mac & Cheese

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Slow cooker Old Bay®️ mac & cheese is a creamy and wonderful classic. This easy twist on everyone's favorite comfort food is not to be missed.

A bowl of macaroni and cheese with a fork in it

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📝Shopping list
🥣Putting it together
Storing leftovers
😉Hints & hacks
❓Frequently asked questions
📖 Recipe

Macaroni and cheese in a crockpot should be easy, right? Everyone under the sun seems to make it and rave about it. Why then did it take me almost 10 tries to come up with a recipe I loved? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have many self proclaimed mac and cheese "experts" living in my house! Nothing I made got the seal of approval from them all.....until this!

📝Shopping list

shredded cheddar cheese - Shredding it yourself is always best and freshest, but I am lazy(!) and always buy it already shredded. Still delicious!
grated parmesan cheese - again, fresh grated is best - but... (refer to bullet point above)
cream cheese - full fat works best here, but if you can only get the lighter kind, it will work as well
whole milk
evaporated milk - the kind in the can is great
Old Bay Seasoning®!
Dijon mustard - any brand will do
macaroni/elbow pasta - a full 16 oz box!

Exact quantities can be found here

🥣Putting it together

There are two ways to put this dish together. The first involves boiling the pasta the old fashioned way - stove top. I started on my crockpot macaroni and cheese quest assuming that there is no way I would ever cook the pasta separately. After all, this requires both time standing at a stove as well as extra dishes to wash (pot and strainer!!!). But, I have done a full 180º. Boiling the pasta is my preferred method. The key is to just slightly undercook the pasta. If your pasta package has al dente cooking instructions, those are the ones to follow.

All ingredients in crockpot other than macaroni being stirred

Making the entire dish in your slow cooker may sound appealing, but it was more work than I bargained for. If you cook it too long, your macaroni can quickly go from delicious to mush. Therefore, it requires a lot of babysitting. By boiling the pasta separately, you can add all of your other ingredients into your slow cooker and walk away for a while. Half an hour before you are ready to serve, you can boil your pasta while you set the table and prep any other dishes you plan to serve. When you are ready to eat, just stir the pasta into the melted ingredients in your slow cooker and your are set.

Storing leftovers

IF you have leftovers (and that's a big IF), they will store very well in both the fridge and freezer. Wrapping up leftovers in individual sized portions works well for grab and go snacks and meals. Airtight containers or plastic food storage bags work best. Refrigerated leftovers should last 3-4 days and frozen will last up to 3 months.

The easiest way to reheat leftovers is in the microwave. If your reheated leftovers are thicker than you would like, you can thin them out by stirring in a few tablespoons of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached.

😉Hints & hacks

Sharp cheddar cheese adds the most flavor to this dish, although any type of cheddar will work.
To make it even sharper tasting, you can sub out one cup cheddar for one cup shredded gruyere cheese.
Are you a HUGE fan of Old Bay Spice? Sprinkle a little more on top for even more goodness.
I generally recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. As always, this an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price. Here are the liners I buy.
In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after.

Large spoonful of slow cooker old bay mac and cheese held over a full crockpot of the same

❓Frequently asked questions

Can you turn this mac and cheese into a whole meal?

Absolutely! Some great mix ins that will turn this dish into a stellar one pot meal are: grilled chicken pieces, steamed broccoli, cooked baby shrimp, crumbled bacon, sautéed mushrooms, roasted asparagus pieces and or bean free chili.

Why use evaporated milk?

Evaporated milk is thicker than regular milk and adds to the creaminess of the finished dish. If you don't have evaporated milk, you can substitute with whole milk.