Paula Deen's Mac and Cheese recipe is one of my favorite recipes for mac and cheese. When you bite into the mac and cheese you get bites of melted gooey cheddar surrounding creamy cheesy noodles.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
For the beginning of this recipe there is a lot of stirring involved. Once you combine the cheese sauce with the noodles you could actually serve it right there. I think the crock pot is just used to keep the cheese sauce warm and or heat it up more.
This recipe can be made all year long. Not just for Holidays. I like to add some cut-up hot dogs to this or some cheddar wursts. Use your air fryer and cook them at 350 for 5 to 7 minutes. Then slice them up and throw it in there.
Air fry some breaded chicken patties and cut them up to add on top of the mac and cheese. Then drizzle some buffalo sauce over it. It's delicious. 🙂
Looking for more easy cheesy appetizer recipes? Try out Paula Deen's Corn Casserole, Paula Deen's Corn Salad with Fritos, Banana Pudding Cake (Not Yo Mama's) Crock Pot Potato Soup, Cheesy Hash Brown and Potato Casserole or Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
Ingredients Needed for Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Uncooked elbow macaroni - I also like using cavatappi noodles with this recipe.
- Butter - always use unsalted butter to control the salt
- Sharp cheddar cheese - If you really want to be spontaneous try a mix of different cheese like Asiago or White Cheddar
- Large eggs - a lot of people have better results omitting the eggs in the recipe. Check out the comments below. If not made properly the eggs might scramble.
- Sour cream - light sour cream or regular and be used
- Condensed cheddar cheese soup
- Salt - Kosher
- Whole milk - 2% or skim milk also works
- Dry mustard - grounded
- Black pepper - grounded
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes. Drain and set aside in a crock pot.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Slowly incorporate the sour cream, cheddar soup, milk, and spices. Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit. About 3 - 5 minutes.
Step 3: Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and slowly start incorporating them into the cheese sauce.
Step 4: In a slow cooker, combine the cheese mixture and noodles.
Cook on low for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Tips
Make this mac and cheese fancy by adding some lobster to it. Try Lobster Mac and Cheese or make Alton Brown Stovetop Mac and Cheese.
Paula Deen adds in the whisked eggs when all the other ingredients are slowly starting to warm up so that the eggs don't scramble. You can however do all that in a sauce pan like step 2 says.
This is a very popular recipe that is made a lot for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you're wondering what else to serve this with I have ideas below.
This is not a slow cooker recipe you can leave sitting in the pot for 6 hours. The whole entire recipe is made in less than 3 hours. Probably even 2 hours depending how hot your slow cooker gets. It's a great dish to make on the weekend and not during the weekday when you know you are home.
What to serve Crock Pot Mac and Cheese?
People love to make this recipe as a side dish on Christmas or Thanksgiving.
For a protein, I would also make her Pepper Jelly Glazed Ham recipe which I also love or maybe serve it with Alton Brown's City Ham.
I'd make smoked asparagus, twice baked potatoes, or bacon-wrapped green beans for some vegetable options.
Recipe FAQs
No you do not, if you are worried about the eggs scrambling in the crock pot or slow cooker leave them out.
This depends on how much liquid is in the crock pot that the recipe calls for. I think it is just easier to cook the noodles in a sauce pan prior to making this recipe.
Make ahead by prepping all the noodles and cheese sauce and let it cool down before adding it to a slow cooker. Cover and put in the refrigerator over night. Heat the macorani and cheese 1 to 2 hours in the slow cooker before ready to start serving.
Other Crock Pot Recipes
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Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 2 ½ hrs
- Total Time: 29 minute
- Yield: 8
- Category: Medium
- Method: Crock Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Paula Deen's Mac and Cheese recipe is one of my favorite recipes for mac and cheese. When you bite into the mac and cheese you get bites of melted gooey cheddar surrounding creamy cheesy noodles.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 eggs (optional)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes. Drain.
- In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
- In slow cooker, combine cheese mixture and add the eggs (I omitted the eggs), sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper. Add the drained macaroni and stir again.
- Cook on low for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Notes
My WW Personal Points: 12 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
If you are planning on serving this at a party plan on heating the crock pot up 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Adding the eggs isn't necessary but to stop them from scrambling in the crock pot you need to add them into the cheese mixture when its warm and not really hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 676mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 16g
Aubrey O'Neal says
Seriously so delicious! Don't use the eggs! There's so many bad comments from people using them and mine was perfect without. Also for those who said their cheese was clumpy, don't use pre-shredded cheese it has anti caking agents that make it melt oddly. Just shred a block yourself, you'll save some money while you're at it. I also added a bit of red pepper flakes,garlic powder, broccoli, and parmesan- definitely recommended!
P. Kasten says
We make this recipe all the time for group gatherings and it is always a hit. Never much left over. I usually double the recipe: use an entire box of Corkscrew (Cavatappi) pasta (cook for only 6 min), 1 stick of butter, etc. As mentioned, I do not melt the cheese with the butter. Rather I simply mix the eggs (only 3, even when I double it) with the sour cream and spices in a large glass measuring cup. Then I layer the cooked pasta, pats of butter, cheese soup by dollops and shredded cheddar in the crock pot, ending with shredded cheese. Then I pour the egg-sour cream mixture over the top. After about an hour cooking, I stir from the bottom and then recover to continue cooking. We also usually add a pound of cooked turkey sausage or beef sausage cut up into pieces. Comes out great!!
Dawn Jensen says
Best Man & Cheese recipe. Great for potlucks. Cheesey goodness and simple to make. Sometimes I add the eggs. Sometimes I don't. I really can't tell the difference. If I am cooking for a larger group, I increase the macaroni to 3 cups and the milk and cheese by 1/2 cup. I like to use large shell pasta instead of elbow.
Jenna says
Sometimes I get the floppy chunk too lol I just keep on stirring it and it eventually melts but I like the big chunks of cheese.
Stephanie says
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s delicious! Sometimes the cheese melts perfectly and other times I get a big floppy chunk and I can’t figure out what I’m doing differently each time? Suggestions?
Katie R says
Does anyone have any suggestions how to make this ahead of time and not have it lose it's tasty goodness? I've made it many times the day of an event but it's my daughter's favorite and she would be over the moon if I made it for her graduation party. But it's going to be a very large party and a very busy day.
Jennifer says
I melted the butter and cheese in the pot in the oven let it cool slightly then added the eggs. Making this a one pot meal plus not losing any cheesy gooeyness
Jenna says
Lol. Thanks for the review Tamra!
Tamra says
I have been making this for years although I tweeked it a little. It is delicious. My family calls it my famous Mac n cheese. Sorry Mrs. Paula. I dont have the heart to tell them it aint mine. I don't cook much that taste very good so I'll take what I can get.
Lisa says
Office potluck was a homerun.
I whisked the eggs and then combined them with the wet ingredients and it was fine.