best crock pot mac and cheese for a crowd

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Veggies and bread are great – so are salads. There are so many great sides to go with this recipe. When you’re ready to use, thaw it in the fridge and reheat slowly over low heat. This pasta dish can be frozen for 2-3 months. Note: Discard Crockpot Pot Mac and Cheese if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.įREEZE. You can reheat in the slow cooker, covered in the oven, stovetop, or microwave. Adding in a bit more milk can help smooth out the texture. Store leftover slow cooker Mac and Cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

garlic powder, dry mustard, onion powder, red pepper flakes, or paprika.

cooked bacon bits, diced cooked ham, grilled chicken, or cooked hamburger.

When there are about 30 minutes left in the cooking time, add in some of these suggestions: Other cheeses that melt well, or add a twist of flavor, include manchego, muenster, provolone, monterey jack, fontina, gruyere, or american cheese.Īdd-ins. Stay away from sharp cheddar cheeses and stick with mild cheddar to get the best melt. Elbow macaroni noodles are a Mac and Cheese classic, but you can use other similarly sized noodles like shell, cavatappi, penne, farfalle, fusilli, or rotini.Ĭheese.

Stir it into the Mac and Cheese and the dish will thicken as it continues to cook.

cornstarch slurry: in a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of COLD water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

remove the lid of the crock pot to allow for liquid to evaporate.

To thicken your Mac and Cheese, use a few methods: This can happen when cheese/dairy is cooked at too high of a temperature, is overheated, or the temperature changes too quickly. The gritty texture is actually little clumps of protein that have separated from the cheese. For this recipe, stir it every once in a while to make sure everything is heated all the way through.

Food on the bottom tends to cook faster than the food on top.

Take care to pre-cook the noodles to al dente and don’t let them cook in the crock pot for longer than suggested.

Pasta will become gluey when cooked for too long.

Since we want to avoid the cheese sauce from getting too hot and curdling, keep the crock pot on LOW and then turn it to the warm setting. The result is a super cheesy, tasty macaroni that the kids go nuts over! Crock Pot Tips

Mix until combined and cook on low for 2 hours stirring every once in awhile. Add this mixture to the slow cooker along with the cooked macaroni. Add sour cream, soup, salt, milk and pepper until combined. In a medium pan, mix butter and cheese until cheese melts. Bring water to a boil and cook macaroni for 6 minutes. As you can imagine having 6 little kids, macaroni is ALWAYS a hit at dinner time! You’ll love this easy and tasty Mac and Cheese recipe!

Best crock pot mac and cheese for a crowd