Are you looking for a decadent Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe? This reader requested recipe is rich, creamy and the ULTIMATE comfort food.
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We absolutely love it when our readers reach out to us and share some of their favorite recipes.
Recently, James- one of our Crock Partners over on Patreon-– reached out to us and told us about an oven recipe that he loved and asked if we could work on adapting it for the slow cooker (with a suggested ingredient addition). We knew when had to give a slow cooker version a try when we saw the original oven recipe came from one of our favorite bloggers – Shell over on ThingsICantSay.com. AND then James shared that he actually traveled to the restaurant that inspired this copycat recipe! We were sold. A recipe THAT good had to be tried. So we got to testing with our crock pots. We based our method and cooking times off of one of our favorite crock pot mac and cheese recipes while using James’ adaptation of the original recipe ingredients and this decadent slow cooker mac and cheese was born. Big thanks to James (and Shell) for bringing this deliciousness into our lives!
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe
Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable version of this recipe.
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- 1 cup Duke’s mayo
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 3/4 cup uncooked macaroni
- salt and pepper to taste
- approximately 1/2 sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers
How to Make Mac and Cheese in a Slow Cooker
- Cook your macaroni according to the package until it is on the firmer side of tender and drain.
- Meanwhile mix together remaining ingredients except for Ritz crackers in a large bowl.
- Stir in your macaroni.
- Coat your 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray or melted butter.
- Pour mixture into your slow cooker and cook on high for 1-2 hours until the edges are golden.
- Top with crushed Ritz and serve.
Notes on Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- This recipe is a slow cooker adaptation inspired by this oven recipe.
- James added the ricotta to the original recipe and also insists that the Duke’s mayo is essential to the unique flavor of this recipe (and we totally agree).
- We agree with Shell that this recipe makes a LOT more than you think it will. It is very rich and everyone absolutely loved it, but a little goes a very long way. This isn’t a recipe I would recommend doubling unless you are feeding a VERY large army.
- As with any of our recipes, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline and should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
Printable Version of Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup Duke’s mayo
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1.75 cup uncooked macaroni
- salt and pepper to taste
- approximately 1/2 sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers
Instructions
- Cook your macaroni according to the package until it is on the firmer side of tender and drain.
- Meanwhile mix together remaining ingredients except for Ritz crackers in a large bowl.
- Stir in your macaroni.
- Coat your 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray or melted butter.
- Pour mixture into your slow cooker and cook on high for 1-2 hours until the edges are golden.
- Top with crushed Ritz and serve.
Notes
- This recipe is a slow cooker adaptation inspired by this oven recipe.
- James added the ricotta to the original recipe and also insists that the Duke's mayo is essential to the unique flavor of this recipe (and we totally agree).
- We agree with Shell that this recipe makes a LOT more than you think it will. It is very rich and everyone absolutely loved it, but a little goes a very long way. This isn't a recipe I would recommend doubling unless you are feeding a VERY large army.
- As with any of our recipes, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline and should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
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In casseroles I substitute cottage cheese for ricotta. Will that work in the crock pot?
I haven’t tried it in this recipe but I have done it successfully with lasagna/Italian inspired dishes often with great success. Let me know if you give it a try. Enjoy!!
Thanks. My husband says no, I’m only allowed to make your Cheese Lovers Crock Pot Shells, but next time I make a big batch of that (with Christmas ham chunks thrown in) I’m going to make a small batch of this to try anyway.