Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Crazy for crock pot mac and cheese

Just when you thought mac and cheese couldn't get any better, you stumble on a crock pot mac and cheese recipe. America's favorite comfort food meets America's favorite cookware. It's all the creamy goodness of melted cheese plus all the convenience of a slow cooker.

Here in Wisconsin, we know a good thing when we see it. We've been perfecting our crock pot mac and cheese recipes for years. Sometimes it's cheddar cheese and bacon. Other night, pepper jack with barbecue chicken and chili. And we're always up for mac and broccoli with gorgonzola cheese.

The one constant in every Wisconsin crock pot mac recipe? Wisconsin cheese. Our cheesemakers have been making the best cheese in the world for a century or two, and we know any homemade mac and cheese recipe is going to shine even brighter when there's Wisconsin cheese in the crock pot.

Browse the recipes on our website to find more ideas for crock pot mac and cheese. Or say hello to some of the 600+ cheeses that are made in Wisconsin. And for tips on making some killer crock pot mac and cheese, read on.

Mastering crock pot mac and cheese

These tips will help you kick your crock pot mac and cheese skills up a notch.

• Invite more cheese to the pot. The best mac and cheese recipes feature two kinds of cheese: a cheese that's a flavor powerhouse and a cheese that can melt with the best of them. For flavor, try cheeses like provolone, asiago, pepper jack, and bleu cheese. For melters, you can't go wrong with fontina, muenster, Monterey Jack, or stracchino.
• Take it slow and low. Use the low setting on your crock pot to avoid overcooking the pasta – no one likes mushy mac.
• Shred your way to victory. Shredding your cheese really finely will allow it to melt more easily and evenly.
• Don't lift the lid. At least, don't lift it too often. You'll let the heat escape and it will delay your cooking time.

Slow down and smell the Wisconsin cheese

When life gets a little too busy, cooking your mac and cheese in a crock pot is a great way to slow down and enjoy life's little pleasures. And when that crock pot mac is made with Wisconsin cheese? That's when you know you're really living the cheese life.

See, we're all about the cheese life in Wisconsin. We've been obsessively making cheese for 180 years. Today, 90% of all the milk made in our famed dairy land goes into making cheese – which explains how we manage to make one-quarter of the cheese in America, and nearly half of all the artisan cheese. And we've won tons of awards (literally, tons – just ask the guy who has to move them when it's time to dust off the trophy case). That's what happens when an entire state is focused on being the best at one thing.

So, next time you're tossing together a crock pot mac and cheese recipe, just be sure the cheese comes from Wisconsin. And do yourself a favor – before you drop it in the crock pot, take a moment to stop and smell – or better yet, to taste – some of the best cheese in the universe.