Love mac & cheese but dread making the bechamel sauce? Well, this recipe skips that step for a fuss-free option.
Plus, it's made in the slow-cooker so you can pop everything in and let the appliance do all the hard work.
This six ingredient recipe uses a combination of whole milk, cheddar, parmesan, cream cheese and a pinch of mustard powder for an indulgent, creamy sauce, with a touch of warming heat.
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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 40 mins
Cal/Serv:
994
Ingredients
1l
whole milk, plus extra if needed
1/2tsp.
english mustard powder
250g
mature Cheddar, grated
50g
Parmesan
100g
cream cheese
400g
macaroni
6
bacon rashers (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Put the milk, all the cheeses, mustard powder, a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper into a slow cooker. Stir well, then add the macaroni and mix again. Cook on low for 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hours until the pasta is cooked and the sauce is creamy. Stir in a splash of milk if the mixture is a little stiff.
Step 2
Cook bacon, then add before serving (you can use ready-cooked bacon if you prefer).
It's perfect on its own, or served as a side dish (if you're feeding a larger crowd) and best eaten immediately.
We've used the classic macaroni pasta shape, but feel free to use any leftover dried pasta you have in the pantry (we sometimes do a mix of shapes as there's always that nearly finished pack in the back somewhere).
For extra flavour you can top yours with chopped, cooked smokey bacon, plus finely chopped chives for a decadent finish.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
