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!
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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
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