Paula Deen Mac and Cheese
Paula Deen-style mac and cheese is a moist, scoopable slow-cooker casserole rather than a pourable cheese sauce. Eggs, sour cream, milk, and cheddar form a creamy mixture that sets lightly around the elbow macaroni. A little cheddar melted on top at the end leaves visible patches of cheese without a browned crust.
Boil the pasta just shy of tender before it goes into the slow cooker. It will keep softening on LOW, so start checking at 2 hours and turn off the cooker as soon as the center is set.
Ingredients for Paula Deen Mac and Cheese
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni (about 225g)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 55g), plus a little for the slow-cooker insert
- 2½ cups sharp cheddar, shredded from a block (about 280g), divided
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream (120g)
- ½ cup whole milk (120g)
- 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (10.5 ounces; about 300g)
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste after cooking
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Freshly shredded block cheddar tends to melt more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese. Set aside ½ cup for the topping.
How to Make Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Boil the macaroni: Cook the elbows in boiling water until just shy of al dente, usually 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs. They should bend but still feel slightly firm. Drain thoroughly.
- Add butter and cheddar: Stir the butter and 2 cups cheddar into the hot pasta. Let stand off the heat for about 5 minutes so the pasta is no longer piping hot when the eggs are added.
- Whisk the dairy mixture: In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, milk, condensed cheddar soup, dry mustard, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
- Fill the slow cooker: Lightly butter a 3- to 4-quart slow-cooker insert. Pour the egg mixture into the pasta while stirring steadily, then transfer everything to the insert. Do not add pasta water. Cover and cook on LOW.
- Check the center: Start checking at 2 hours. If the edges are setting much faster than the center, stir gently once; avoid repeated stirring as the mixture sets. Turn off the cooker when the center is lightly set and scoopable, not sloshy, and the edges are still moist. Cooking and melting the topping generally take about 2½ to 3 hours combined, but the center is a better guide than the clock.
- Melt the topping: Scatter the remaining ½ cup cheddar over the hot macaroni. Cover with the cooker off for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Rest for about 10 minutes, then spoon loose portions onto plates and scatter lightly with parsley.
How to Keep the Macaroni from Getting Mushy
Give the pasta a brief boil, but do not cook it until fully tender: it continues softening in the slow cooker. Drain it well, too. The measured milk, sour cream, and soup provide the moisture this casserole needs.
A wide slow cooker may spread this batch into a shallow layer that cooks faster and dries at the edges. Check early, and do not hold the finished mac and cheese on WARM for an extended time. For a different pasta-preparation method, try no-boil crockpot mac and cheese.
What the Eggs Do
Eggs help the creamy mixture hold together in a loose scoop rather than flow like a sauce. Letting the buttered pasta cool briefly and stirring as the egg mixture goes in help prevent bits of cooked egg. LOW heat also reduces the risk of a rubbery or curdled mixture.
Leaving out the eggs makes a looser adaptation, not the same casserole texture. For a saucier stovetop option, make white cheddar mac and cheese.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add a splash of milk and reheat covered in a 325°F (165°C) oven, or microwave at 50% power, stirring occasionally. Reheated portions may be softer than the freshly made casserole.
Cooled portions can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating gently, and expect some change in texture.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per side-dish serving, based on 8 servings: 380 calories, 17g protein, 24g fat, and 27g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g: 200 calories, 9g protein, 13g fat, and 14g carbohydrates. Values vary with the ingredients used and the finished weight.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- 3- to 4-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
For the Mac and Cheese
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni (about 225 g)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 55 g), plus a little for the slow-cooker insert
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded from a block (about 225 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120 g)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (120 g)
- 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (10.5 ounces; about 300 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste after cooking
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded from a block (about 55 g)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni until just shy of al dente, usually 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain thoroughly.
- Stir the butter and 2 cups cheddar into the hot pasta. Let it stand off the heat for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs, sour cream, milk, cheddar soup, dry mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl until combined.
- Lightly butter a 3- to 4-quart slow-cooker insert.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pasta while stirring steadily, then transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Do not add pasta water.
- Cover and cook on LOW. Start checking at 2 hours.
- If the edges set much faster than the center, stir gently once. Turn off the cooker when the center is lightly set and scoopable, not sloshy, and the edges are still moist.
- Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar over the macaroni. Cover with the cooker off for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Rest for about 10 minutes, then serve with parsley.
Tips
- Cook the macaroni just shy of tender because it will continue softening in the slow cooker.
- Drain the pasta well; the measured dairy and soup provide the needed moisture.
- Use freshly shredded cheddar from a block for smoother melting.
- Let the buttered pasta cool briefly before adding the egg mixture, and stir steadily as you pour.
- Check early, especially if using a wide slow cooker, which can cook the mixture faster and dry the edges.