Whip up this no boil Crockpot Tomato Mac and Cheese for dinner tonight. An adult mac and cheese that kids will love too. Slow cooker macaroni and cheese is cheesy, hint of tomato and savory!
A crock pot mac and cheese no evaporated milk! So simple to make, and cheesy goodness in every bite. This is one of my favorite uncooked pasta crock pot recipes!
Table of contents
Can I put dry pasta in slow cooker?
You can put dry pasta right in the slow cooker. This is a no boil pasta. Some crockpot macaroni and cheese recipes do cook pasta then stir it in at the end.
I wanted to create a true creamy southern mac and cheese that is made in your crockpot!
What can I add to my mac and cheese to make it better?
- Add in some chicken for a chicken mac and cheese. I would do diced chicken that is pre-cooked.
- Toss in some broccoli florets.
- Add some buffalo sauce and chicken for a buffalo mac and cheese.
- Diced tomatoes along with the sauce for added texture.
- Swap out the cheese for a different flavor pairing.
This isn't exactly your kid's mac n cheese but I am sure they will enjoy it! Save your leftover mac and cheese and then the next day make fried mac and cheese!
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
No need to boil the macaroni for this recipe.
Start by turning your crock pot to high, and toss in your stick of butter. You want the heat from the crock pot to melt the butter.
Then toss in the milk, water, and macaroni. Stir and make sure all the pasta is coated well.
To the slow cooker, combine cheese and stir well. Then place the lid on the crock pot. Cook for an hour, and make sure to stir halfway through.
After an hour turn the crock pot to low. Then in a bowl add your tomato sauce, sugar and garlic salt. Stirand then mix it into the cheesy mac and cheese.
Cook for another 30-45 minutes on low. Then if pasta is cooked fully serve up!
Serve up this mac and cheese with tomato sauce with chopped parsley, dusting of extra cheese, etc.
What to substitute for butter in mac n cheese?
There are several things you can substitute butter for in this crock pot mac and cheese no boil recipe. A few include:
- margarine
- ghee
- oil
- heavy cream
- cream cheese
- nut butter
Mac and cheese variations and substitutions
- Gluten free crock pot mac and cheese | Make up a soul food mac n cheese recipe but switch out the pasta to a gluten free version.
- Air Fryer mac n cheese bites | These fried mac n cheese bites are a great way to use up any leftover macaroni. We've made these mac and cheese balls for party appetizers, lunch and afterschool snacks.
- Crockpot chicken mac and cheese | make a spin on our
Spicy Chicken mac and cheese, or serve fried chicken & mac and cheese together, or...better yet, make a slow cooker buffalo chicken mac and cheese. - Mac and cheese with almond milk | Yes! You can make mac and cheese with almond milk. If you're looking to make a vegan or dairy free macaroni, you can also sub the cheese for vegan cheese.
Best Slow Cooker Accessories for Tomato Mac and Cheese
- 8 quart Crock Pot | This is a good size crock pot to make family sized meals, or for making a good sized recipe to put up food to save, and also for game day cooking.
- Travel Crock Pot carrier | A slow cooker carrier is perfect for this 8 quart crock pot. It's an easy to carry zipper carrier with a handle. Carry it to parties, work potlucks, game day celebrations and more.
- Crock Pot plastic liners | Forget about a difficult clean up with these easy plastic liners. They are disposable, so you can cook right in the slow cooker, scoop our any leftovers and forget about the hassle of scrubbing stuck on food from your crockpot.
Want More Easy Recipes To Make
Mac and cheese festival
Do a quick search for mac n cheese festival and you will find there are festivals celebrating the fabulous joining of pasta and cheese all over the United States.
Ever since the Thomas Jefferson mac and cheese recipe obsession spread around the states, this fad of cheesy mac has spread like wildfire.
You better believe these festivals will skip over the Crock Pot mac and cheese Velveeta phenom and delve into mac and cheese strains of inventive nature and Paula Deen recipe scrumptious quality. Air Fryer mac and cheese will likely be served on a stick and golden brown, and every sample is sure to be delicious.
Storage
If you have leftover macaroni and cheese you can store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. It will become a bit drier as it sits. The sauce will soak up in the pasta.
You can add a splash of milk to thin out the sauce when you reheat it.
Recipe
Crock Pot Tomato Mac and Cheese
This Mac n Cheese made in the crock pot is so good, and so easy, you'll never make it any other way. You just put everything in the crock pot, and let it cook. The flavor is so delicious, it takes comfort food to a whole new level. Trust me, put this one in your favorites, because everyone will love it, and ask for it again and again.
Ingredients
Supplies
Tomato Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 5 cups milk
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounces medium elbow macaroni
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon coarse garlic salt
Instructions
- Turn your Crock Pot on HIGH, and place the stick of Butter in the Crock Pot.
- When the butter melts, add the milk, water, and elbow macaroni, and stir well to coat macaroni in liquids.
- Add the shredded Colby Jack cheese, and the Parmesan cheese, and stir well. Place the lid on the crock pot, and let the mac n cheese cook for about an hour, stirring it about half way through. After an hour, stir the mac N cheese, well, and turn the crock pot to low.
- In a small bowl, place the tomato sauce, sugar, and garlic salt, stir well, and pour the tomato sauce over the mac n cheese, and stir well to blend.
- Place the lid back on the Crock Pot and cook for 30 to 45 minutes on low. Stir again, and test to make sure the macaroni is cooked thoroughly. Serve, and Enjoy!
Notes
I used a 4 quart Crock Pot, and it cooked in about 2 hours. It was so good, there wasn't any left, after seconds!
I used part whole milk, and part half n half. You could also use a little heavy cream if you want it really rich, but I wouldn't recommend more than 1/2 a cup of cream, and the rest whole milk.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 597Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 22gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 101mgSodium 1669mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 2gSugar 8gProtein 26g
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