Creamy, sweet & earthy bites mixed with ooey gooey cheese makes this slow cooker mac and cheese recipe a crowd pleaser!
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 I 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!
Print
Slow 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.