Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
A delicious recipe for slow cooker mac and cheese made from scratch using a roux-based sauce (made with butter, flour and milk) with no weird ingredients, in UK measurements
Servings 4
Calories 586kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the white sauce:
- 40 g butter
- 40 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 500 ml semi-skimmed milk
For the mac and cheese:
- 250 g macaroni dried pasta
- 180 g grated cheddar cheese I used a mixture of mature and medium cheddar
- 250 ml water
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 0.5 tsp mixed herbs
- 0.5 tsp minced garlic
- 0.5 tsp paprika
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Melt the butter in a pan, then add the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. This is the roux which is the basis of the sauce.40 g butter, 40 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Add about a fifth of the milk to the pan, whisk well and it will become incorporated with the roux, and thicken up.500 ml semi-skimmed milk
- Add another lot of milk, and again whisk it in well.
- Continue, adding the milk in about 3 more lots, and whisking after each addition and allowing it to thicken.
- Set the pan to cook gently for around five minutes, it should be at a simmer. Stir occasionally. Around the end of the cooking time, the sauce will thicken, make sure you stir it well and whisk during this time.
- Once thickened your white sauce is ready to use. Note it will get very thick, and you want it to get very thick before adding it into the slow cooker.
To make the mac and cheese:
- Put the dry macaroni pasta and then the cheese in the slow cooker pot.250 g macaroni dried pasta, 180 g grated cheddar cheese
- Pour on the white sauce, and add the cold water.250 ml water
- Add the herbs and spices, stir well and season well with salt and pepper. Taste the sauce and make sure it is seasoned/flavoured to your taste.1 tsp dried parsley, 0.5 tsp mixed herbs, 0.5 tsp minced garlic, 0.5 tsp paprika
- Stir well, put on the lid and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours on low (or approx 1 hour on high). Stir occasionally so it doesn't get stuck to the base of the slow cooker pot. Serve once ready.Note that timings vary depending on your own slow cooker, so check the dish occasionally and if the pasta is still hard, cook for longer, or if it is soft and ready to eat earlier, take it out earlier.
Video
Notes
Slow cooker size
I made this in an oval 3.5 litre slow cooker.
Nutrition
Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1020IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 488mg | Iron: 1.6mg