How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese?

Preparation In a large pot over medium heat, combine the pasta and milk. ... Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. ... Divide between serving bowls and top with the bread crumbs. Enjoy! All your favorite recipes, stored in one place. May 4, 2023

Can you use milk instead of water for mac and cheese?

you can boil it in milk but it takes much longer because if you let the milk boil it will burn and/or curdle . i would also recommend only using skim milk. Yes. In fact the instructions have you mixing the packet of cheese powder with butter and milk then toss in the macaroni pasta in the sauce.

What's a roux and how does it enhance mac and cheese?

A roux is equal parts fat and flour, cooked on low to medium heat to help make a thickening agent or add flavor and texture to anything from soups to sauces . A roux can help add creaminess or bind fatty ingredients together.

Is it better to make mac and cheese the day before?

It's crowned with buttery cracker crumbs as a final touch. With just two tricks up your sleeve, it can be made a few days ahead and tossed into the oven when it's go time, but still tastes as fresh as the day you made it.

Should I prep mac and cheese the night before?

Everyone's favorite comfort food can be made up to 4 days ahead of time .

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese?

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

What is the most perfect cheese to use on Mac & cheese?

An overview of Food Network's mac and cheese roundup reveals that most recipes have one type of cheese in common: sharp Cheddar . Sharp Cheddar —especially the inexpensive, mass-market block you can buy at the supermarket —strikes just the right balance between meltability and flavor.

Is it better to use evaporated milk or regular milk in mac and cheese?

Key #2: Use Evaporated Milk Evaporated milk is a highly concentrated source of milk protein micelles—bundles of proteins that can act as powerful emulsifying agents—which help to keep the sauce creamy and smooth.

How do you keep mac and cheese creamy?

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

How long can you keep unbaked mac and cheese in fridge?

Store mac & cheese in the fridge for no more than 4 days. Keep at the same temp! Moisture can collect inside the container when temperature change occurs. Keep the temp of the container as consistent as possible to avoid early spoilage.

Can I cook macaroni ahead of time?

You can prepare pasta up to 24 hours in advance. To do so, follow these instructions: Cook it for half the time recommended in the package instructions. Then, drain the pasta and spread it out on a cooking sheet and allow it to cool.

How long can homemade mac and cheese sit out before baking?

Like all other food, mac and cheese can only sit out at room temperature for two hours before entering the “danger zone.” If temperatures are high, above 90 °F, mac and cheese should not be left out for longer than one hour.

How long can prepped mac and cheese last in the fridge?

1. Refrigeration: If cooked macaroni and cheese is properly stored in an airtight container and refrigerated promptly, it can generally be kept for about 3-5 days .

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Published: May 15, 2023 · Modified: Feb 26, 2024 by Jenna · This post may contain affiliate links · 158 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

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.

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (1)

Jump to:

Why You Will Love This Recipe
Ingredients List
How to Make
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Tips
What can I serve with this recipe?
Recipe FAQs
Other Crock Pot Recipes
Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese

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 Crock Pot Potato Soup, Cheesy Hash Brown and Potato Casserole or Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.

Ingredients List

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (2)

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

Step 1: Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes. Drain and set aside in a crock pot.

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (3)

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.

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (4)

Step 3: Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and slowly start incorporating them into the cheese sauce.

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (5)

Step 4: In a slow cooker, combine the cheese mixture and noodles.

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (6)

Cook on low for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Tips

If you watch the video on how to properly make this on Youtube (It's a video of her making it on her old show that she used to have on Food Network) it shows her combining all the cheese sauce ingredients into a crock pot that she places on one of her stove top burners. My mind was blown when she did that. 😉

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.

Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese - Recipe Diaries (7)

What can I serve with this recipe?

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

Do I need to add in the eggs?

No you do not, if you are worried about the eggs scrambling in the crock pot or slow cooker leave them out.

Will dry pasta cook in a slow cooker?

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.

Can you make this the day ahead?

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

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
Slow Cooker Homemade Applesauce (No Sugar)
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

If you tried this Paula Deen's Crock Pot Mac and Cheese or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries