Crockpot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese + Video
Ingredients
- 1 lbcellentani pasta
corkscrew
- 4 tbspunsalted butter
sliced into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 4 ozcream cheese
cut into 1 ounce pieces
- 1 tspkosher salt
- ½ tspcayenne pepper
- 3 cwhole milk
- ½ cheavy cream
- 2 cfreshly shredded cheddar cheese
i use sharp cheddar
- 1 cfreshly shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
- 1
Pour the uncooked pasta onto the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Scatter the butter and cream cheese pieces over the pasta.
- 2
Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the top and pour the milk and cream into the slow cooker.Stir to combine everything and smooth the pasta into one even layer coated in sauce.
- 3
Cover and cook on low for 1 to 2 hours, until the pasta is chewy (not quite crunchy, but very al dente). Your cook time will vary if you use a different pasta or different size crockpot, so start with 1 hour and adjust from there.
- 4
Stir once halfway through the cook time and be sure to smooth the pasta into one layer so it is well coated with the sauce.
- 5
Once the pasta is ready, sprinkle on the cheddar and pepper Jack cheeses and stir to combine. Cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes. The cheeses will melt into the sauce to create the most luxurious creamy cheese sauce.
- 6
Stir before serving. Enjoy!
Crockpot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese + Video
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Based on 3 ratings
Rating Breakdown
About this Recipe
Craving the ultimate in cheesy comfort food without the constant stirring? This Crockpot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese delivers an incredibly rich and satisfying experience, making it perfect for cozy weeknights or a hearty family gathering.
What makes this recipe stand out is the ingenious use of not just two, but three cheeses, with cream cheese being the star. This unexpected addition, combined with the slow cooker method, creates a luxuriously creamy texture that traditional stovetop versions often struggle to achieve. You'll find it melts into the sauce, creating an unparalleled smoothness that truly makes this the cheesiest comfort food meal ever.
Prepare for a spoonful of pure indulgence. Each bite of this slow cooker mac and cheese offers tender cellentani (corkscrew) pasta enrobed in a velvety sauce, bursting with the sharp, savory notes of cheddar and a subtle kick from pepper jack cheese. The hint of cayenne pepper adds a gentle warmth, balancing the richness without making it overtly spicy. This dish is designed to be deeply satisfying and incredibly easy, allowing the slow cooker to do most of the work.
Customization is simple with this 3 cheese mac and cheese. While cellentani pasta is excellent, feel free to use other small pasta shapes like elbow macaroni or cavatappi. If you prefer less spice, you can easily reduce or omit the cayenne pepper. For those who love an extra tang, a different sharp cheddar can amplify that classic mac and cheese flavor.
Serve this hearty Crockpot Mac and Cheese as a comforting main course on its own, or alongside a simple green salad for a balanced meal. It’s an ideal choice for effortless entertaining or when you simply need a supremely cheesy pick-me-up.