Creamy, sweet & earthy bites mixed with ooey gooey cheese makes this slow cooker mac and cheese recipe a crowd pleaser!
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
We love pasta and we love to find easy, delicious ways to make pasta dinners. This slow cooker mac and cheese is the perfect dish to make on those days when you want to spend little to no time in the kitchen but still want bold and satisfying flavors. It’s creamy, savory and way more nutritious and delicious than store bought mac and cheese. Prep time is only 5 minutes and the rest is left mostly unattended.
I made this recipe using the Tiger JAX-T10U rice cooker set on the slow cooker function.
The base for this mac and cheese recipe consists of 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, 2% milk, chicken broth and a dash of soy sauce. I know, there’s nothing traditional about this slow cooker mac and cheese (plus the fact that it was made in a rice cooker) but the flavors are all there!
This is my way of compromising for using full fat cheese as opposed to low fat (which I don’t particularly like) while still keeping this recipe somewhat healthy.
I figured if IÂ use full fat cheese, I wil cut down on other high fat dairy products and focus on flavor bombing this pasta meal. And it totally worked!
YUMMY!
The idea of using cream of mushroom soup comes from a recipe I make for green bean casserole every Thanksgiving.
I like that it gives the dish a thick and creamy texture and adds an extra layer of umami next to the cheese. And since I was doubling up on umami I thought “why not triple it with a dash of soy sauce” for a super duper savory slow cooker mac and cheese.
I finished the dish by adding green peas as requested by Ben, and some quick fried caramelized mushrooms. Beautiful! This is a very filling, satisfying, comforting bowl of slow cooker mac and cheese that’s a little more haute cuisine than its store bought counterpart. Bon appetit!
Other yummy umami packed dishes: Szechuan chicken, kimchi udon stir fry, spaghetti squash yakisoba style, easy Thai red curry.
Did you like this Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintSlow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 180 minutes
- Total Time: 190 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Slow cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy, sweet & earthy bites mixed with gooey cheese makes this slow cooker mac and cheese recipe a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 298 grams can 98% fat free cream of mushroom
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup milk (room temperature)
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (room temperature)
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 1 cup frozen green peas (thawed)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar (shredded)
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 2 cups sliced button mushrooms (optional)
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, cream of mushrooms, soy sauce and dry mustard to slow cooker (or rice cooker) and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth and mix until smooth.
- Add macaroni and green peas and stir well.
- Cook on low for 3 hours, until pasta is tender.
- In a pan over high heat, add remaining extra virgin olive oil, mushrooms and fry until golden brown (this step is optional).
- When the macaroni is cooked, add cheese and mushrooms and stir until creamy.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
This Slow Cooker Mushroom Mac And Cheese Recipe Is:
High in calcium
High in vitamin B6
Nutrition
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 4.7
- Sodium: 934
- Fat: 24.6
- Saturated Fat: 12.9
- Carbohydrates: 40.9
- Fiber: 3.2
- Protein: 24.1
- Cholesterol: 53
This mac and cheese looks awesome to try next to a nice brisket or ribs!
I like to cook chicken and rice
I like to cook chili or Jambalaya in my slow cooker.
I love to cook in the slow cooker.
my instagram ID is gmrich22
I had a wonderful rice cooker and it died. I loved the way my rice cooked in it. I don’t have a slow cooker either.
Quinoa and veggies.
I like making turkey chili in the slow cooker
This rice cooker looks simple to use and its very sleek:) i would love to win and try this recipe which looks delicious:)good luck to everyone
i like to cool chili in the slow cooker
My family loves stir fry so I would make that with rice.
I like to cook Jasmine Rice in a rice cooker. I also love Hot Fudge Cake made in a slow cooker.
I love to make pot roast in the slow cooker.
I could like to cook a mild chili.
I would try to make white rice first.
Great recipe! I usually like to make soups or stews in slow cookers and haven’t really experimented with a rice cooker besides making white rice, lol.
I enjoy making chili in my slow cooker
I would cook a stew first.
I love to cook different rice in it and pork.
Chicken and rice.
I would love to make some homemade chili for the cold nights here.
Corned beef is delicious in the slow cooker!
Macaroni and Cheese
rice
The rice cooker I currently use is from my bridal shower from 20 years ago, so all I use it for is to cook rice. I’d love to win this Tiger rice cooker and be able make all kinds of dishes.
I have never used a slow cooker or a rice cooker before! I loved this recipe and would like to try it out, but I also kind of dream of cooking a delicious ragu in a slow cooker!
My boyfriend is the one who cooks, not me! This would so be for him to make me stuff. If I used one I would say I would make pot-stickers in it! If you can.. lol
I like to cook white bean turkey chili.
My family loves beef stew in the slow cooker especially in the winter!
I would love to try your recipe!
I like to cook pot roast in a slow cooker. I’ve never owned a rice cooker before, but I would be excited to use and own one.
I like to steam fruits and veggies in my rice cooker when I do baby food
I love making carnitas!
brown rice, we also like to cook omlets, oatmeal , so many goodies 🙂
We love to make beef stew in our slow cooker. My son loves it and we have it all the time.
We cook beef stew in slow cooker.
I like to cook cheesy potatoes in the slow cooker.
I like cooking in our slow cooker. We don’t have a rice cooker quite yet.
I’d use a rice cooker for rice (stir-fry, etc) and breakfast grains.
I love making beef stew or chicken and noodles in my slow cooker. I would love to have a rice cooker to make rice in!
Love to cook chicken meals of all types in a slow cooker
I would love to try Spanish Rice in the rice cooker.
I like to cook jasmine or brown rice in my rice cooker!
White rice to go with my awesome slowcooked orange chicken!
I have never tried a rice cooker!
I’ve recently discovered Jasmine rice and we love it! But, I’d like to cook just about anything I can in this cooker because it looks so convenient and versatile to use.
I like to cook chicken with veggies in a slow cooker.
I have never tried a rice cooker, but would love to.
I have always wanted a rice cooker. Rice is one of my favorites. I love to cook in my slow cooker, though. Soups and fajita chicken are my favorites!
We only cook rice in our rice cooker, I hadn’t thought about mac and cheese, that looks very good.
mmm beef stew or pulled pork, it’s slow cooker season!
some meat balls pork roast with drpepper
I love to make white rice!
I love to make chili in slow cookers, and I so miss the perfect rice I could make when I had a rice cooker in Japan!
I like making cabbage rolls or pot roast in the slow cooker.
I usually cook jasmine rice.
I would love to cook rice for stir fries and macaroni and cheese.
I’ve never used a rice cooker. I love roast, potatoes, veggies and rice cooked in a slow cooker. Yum!
I like to cook rice and peas.
I like to cook Vegetable fried rice
I would have to say seasoned pork lion
I would cook the best rice ever or my spicy Morracan Cinnamon Chicken. The Macaroni and Cheese looks yummy also.
I like to cook spinach and artichoke soup.
A pot roast is always a must do for the cold weekends!!!
I don’t own a rice cooker. I use my slow cooker all the time!!
short ribs
I have never cooked with a rice cooker before, but pot roast is one of my favorite things to cook in a slow cooker! This mac n cheese sounds delicious!
I love to use a rice cooker.
Mushroom Rissotto
I have never used a rice cooker, but I love to make soups, stews and roasts in a slow cooker.
I love to make stews, soups, chili, and pulled pork in my slow cooker!
I like it b/c it frees up a burner to use for something else and I also like not worrying about messing it up.
I would cook a roast beef in it.
I would like to slow cook some bbq ribs.
I like to cook roasts, potatoes and carrots.
I like to cook white rice, soups and sauces.
I love to make a huge pot of spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker. I make it early so there is less I have to do for dinner. 🙂
rice is our favorite staple
My favorite slow cooker recipe is for my Cuban pulled pork. Every single time I make it for someone they request the recipe. It’s so easy and so incredibly flavorful!
I would make brown rice so I can make fried rice.
I love to make soup in my slow cooker, but I have never tried a rice cooker before! I really want to though!
Stew in a slow cooker for nice soft meat.
I love to cook barbeque chicken in a slowcooker.
I would like to cook beef stew or pot roast
I love to make chili in a slow cooker.
I’ve never had a rice cooker, I’ve heard you can use it for other than rice. I’d love to try this one and hopefully make meals easier
i like slowcooking chicken and rice dishes
beef soup
Rice or malt o meal. Thank you for the chance.
I would cook so many things including cheesy ham and potatoes.
id like to cook white rice.
I usually cook pork in a slow cooker, but my kids would love this mac and cheese!
I like to cook sweet sticky rice with coconut milk and shredded coconut in the rice cooker.
I like to make meatballs
I like making pulled pork or chicken in a slow cooker.
I love to make Indian vegetable stews in the slow cooker!
I like to cook chili
I cook rice in my simple rice cooker
My rice cooker only does rice but I make so many things in the slow cooker. Stews, casseroles, roasts, curries. It’s my favorite appliance.
I like to make Italian pot roast in my slow cooker. The family loves it.
Don’t have a rice cooker yet — on my wish list, but cook soups and pot roasts in the slow cooker.
I dont have a rice cooker yet !! but i love to cook pulled pork in the crock pot
Love the idea of a rice cooker / slow cooker combo. Saves counter and storage space. 🙂
Rice
This recipe looks good and very easy! I would make farro or spelt in the rice cooker.
I would like to make quinoa in this rice cooker and also some shredded buffalo chicken.
The mac and cheese looks delicious! I’ll have to try it out this weekend 🙂
I love cooking Swedish meatballs in the slow cooker.
I love making risotto in the slow cooker.
I use a rice cooker to cook rice and other grains. I did not know you can use it as a slow cooker too. Coconut rice is one of my favorites.
I don’t have a rice cooker or a slow cooker. I’ve been wanting one of each for a long time but have yet to decide which is best for the price point. How cool that this is a two in one! I have saved so many slow cooker recipes on my Pinterest page that I’d love to try, but I would start with the one above. It looks sooo yummy!
Your Mac n Cheese looks wonderful! I love to slow cook. One favorite is slow cooker carnitas.
I like to cook chili in the slow cooker.
I would like to cook white rice in the rice cooker.
We don’t have a rice cooker, but in our slow cooker we like to cook pot roast, soups and chili.
I cook macaroni and cheese
I love to cook either a pot roast or pulled pork in my crock pot.
I like to cook rice and potatoes the most.
Thanks for the chance to win
Chili.
I love your Slow cooker mac and cheese recipe. It looks easy to make and delicious! I want to make my Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker. I love making the stew this time of year!
Need one of these, so cool!
my Wife has this pork chop recipe she cooks in the crock pot
I love to cook chili and my pork roast in ti!
I want cook Ragu alla bolognese from lamb