Attention Moms: here’s your answered prayer! A meal that is 100% kid friendly, 4 simple ingredients, under 5 minutes of prep, and easy to sneak veggies into. My Crockpot No Boil Mac and Cheese is creamy, simple, and so very delicious!! Clocking in at weeknight recipe #7 out of 52, I’m excited to bring you this tasty classic as a part of my year long challenge to share a new family dinner recipe each week.ÂÂ
A New Dinner Recipe Each Week
Let me first explain my motivation behind the recipe share challenge. I’ve always loved to cook, but as my family has grown it’s become so much more than a hobby. It’s become a love language and a beautiful way to serve my family. A warm home cooked meal puts a smile on everyone’s face, and I consider it a great privilege to be able to be the one who delivers those smiles with my labor of love. But here’s a secret…
It doesn’t have to be a Labor
…It doesn’t have to be laborious. And frankly, in this season of motherhood, it can’t be. It must be quick, convenient, and simple. For those of us who strive to bring a warm meal to the table for our families each night, there are two big challenges we face: finding the time and variety. When we’re short on time, we default to the same few recipes we have memorized. In part because we don’t have the time or energy to try out new ones, but also because we assume a variety involves more skills, tools, and ingredients.
This misconception is precisely why I’ve set out to share a new family friendly dinner recipe each week for you to add a few more simple recipes to your regular rotation. I want to show you that you do not need any unique set of skills or knowledge to prepare great meals, nor do you need a lot of time! So whether you’re a busy mama trying to keep your family fed or a med student looking for a little more variety and a little less time spent in the kitchen, my hope is that these recipes will take a little bit of your load off.
About the Crockpot Mac & Cheese…
Back to the MVP of this post and quite possibly the most simple and delicious dinner I’ve made in 2021. This Mac and cheese recipe is not only superior, but it has one major benefit over any other of it’s kind. It does not require any sort of boiling or prepping the pasta beforehand. Which is HUGE, because it takes this recipe from a 20 minute prep to under 5. And those 15 minutes… well there’s a million other things we could be doing with them. I was not about to share a crockpot mac and cheese recipe that required me to pre-boil any noodles because that instantly takes the convenience off the table. If you’re like me, you need pour, cover, leave. No frills. No bubbles.
What Cheese Should I Use?
The beauty of this Mac and Cheese recipe is that it is completely customizable! You can mix it up and use a variety of cheeses for a little more depth of flavor, or you can keep it simple! I like to use swiss cheese in the crockpot and finish it off with some Italian mixed cheese at the end. It feels fancier somehow… more like a pasta dish from an Italian restaurant. You can use any cheese you like, but you will want to avoid cheeses that are too sticky such as mozzarella. Muenster, cheddar, and swiss are all great options, but you can experiment to find your own favorite!
Not only does this recipe lend itself to versatility in cheese base, it also provides a nice canvas for sneaking some veggies into your meal! For this post I decided to keep it standard, but I like to throw some broccoli into it for a little more value! Finish it off with some bacon bits and green onion, and you’ve got a real show stopper!
Perfect for a Mac & Cheese Bar
Not only is this recipe delicious as is, but it lends itself perfectly to a “mac & cheese bar” style of serving! The ability to leave this meal on the crockpot for a while makes this an ideal serving option. For example, a “ships passing” dinner, super bowl party, or summer BBQ buffet!
Simply prepare the mac & cheese ahead of time. Then, when it’s finished, turn the crockpot to warm and let it sit hot and ready for several more hours as needed. In fact, you can dress it up by setting out bowls of assorted toppings to choose from!
Here are some things you can add into your mac & cheese:
- Pulled pork
- Rotisserie chicken
- Bacon
- Veggies
- Garnish herbs
- Diced Ham
- Sausage
- Mushrooms
The mac and cheese pictured here was prepared with pulled pork and topped with chives.
It’s time for the main event! Find my Crockpot No Boil Mac and Cheese recipe below!
Crockpot No Boil Mac and Cheese
Crockpot No Boil Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 C Pasta shells or uncooked macaroni noodles of choice
- 1 can Cream of chicken soup
- 3 C Milk
- 4 oz low-fat cream cheese (or 5 cheese slices of choice)
- 2 T Butter
- 2 C Shredded Italian Cheese (or shredded cheese of choice)
- 1 tsp paprika
- to taste salt and pepper
- Optional rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, veggies
Instructions
- Throw pasta, milk, cream of chicken, cream cheese, and butter into the crockpot. Season with paprika and a bit of salt/pepper. If you want to add an optional cup or so of veggies (broccoli, mixed, etc), do so now!
- Stir and set on Low for about 3 hours (until pasta is tender).
- When pasta is tender, turn to warm and add shredded cheese. Stir to melt and add extra seasoning to taste! You may also want to add more milk to make it creamier - do so and stir to combine to your desired consistency. The pasta can sit at warm until you're ready to serve!
- Garnish with bacon bits, green onion, chives, or anything else you like! Or better yet, serve as a "mac & cheese bar" with assorted toppings and mix-ins!
Notes
- Season a ~4 lb pork shoulder/butt and place it (alone) in a crockpot.
- Cook on low for about 8-10 hours (until it can easily shred with a fork).
- Shred and incorporate into meal (mac and cheese). You can also freeze portions in gallon bags for easy use in recipes such as this o
Nutrition
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try this week! I can guarantee it will be a hit at your family’s dinner table! For more weeknight recipes, follow me on instagram @kelsiebrownblog and check back here each week for a new family dinner recipe! A few of my favorites so far are my creamy crockpot ranch chicken, Chicken tortilla soup, my tender crockpot roast and veggies, and my Honey Sriracha Chicken Wraps (pictured below)!
With Love,
Kelsie
