5 from 9 votes
Slow Cooker Bacon Mac and Cheese
This Crockpot Bacon Mac and Cheese is the best, easy, creamy, cheesy, comfort food! It requires minimal effort for a terrific side dish for meals or the ultimate comforting main course for weeknight dinners.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
6
people
Calories:
626 kcal
Course:
Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- ½-1 pound Bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced or sliced
- 1 large sweet pepper chopped or sliced
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cups water plus extra as needed, boiling
- 2 cans (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 2 cans (11 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups Monterey jack cheese shredded
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder dry
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1-2 jalapeño optional, seeded and minced
Instructions
- Fry your bacon until crisp, remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Once drained, crumble it and place on another paper towel until needed.
- Leave a few tablespoons of bacon grease and add your chopped onion. Stir until onions are tender. Add peppers for a minute or so and then remove from heat and set aside.
- Line your slow cooker with an aluminum foil collar and coat with cooking spray. If you need to take a moment to watch the video to see how to do this. Otherwise, you are basically just lining your slow cooker with tin foil until it comes up over the edge of your slow cooker. Your lid will sit inside the tin foil.
- Microwave macaroni and oil in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring every minute, until macaroni begin to look toasted and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Prepare your boiling water while you are microwaving the pasta.
- Transfer hot macaroni to prepared slow cooker and immediately stir in 2¾ cups boiling water.
- Stir in evaporated milk, condensed soup, cheddar, Monterey Jack, mustard, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add bacon, onions and peppers. Give everything a good stir trying not to puncture the tinfoil.
- Cover and cook until macaroni are tender, 1 to 2 hours on high. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Stirring Together. Before cooking make sure your macaroni and cheese is stirred well.
- Use an Oval Slow Cooker. A larger-sized slow cooker works best when making this creamy mac and cheese with evaporated milk.
- Timing. Just use the time in the recipe as a guide. If you use a different type of pasta you may need to extend the cooking time. Also, some slow cookers run hot, so it's a good idea to check it at the 1 hour mark to prevent your pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy.
- For Crisp Bacon. The bacon cooked inside the mac and cheese isn't crisp but adds so much flavor. Add some on top for a crispy finish.
- Toasting the Macaroni. This technique prevents excessive swelling so don't skip it! Really.
Nutrition Information
Calories
626kcal
(31%)
Carbohydrates
60g
(20%)
Protein
28g
(56%)
Fat
30g
(46%)
Saturated Fat
15g
(75%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
(24%)
Monounsaturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Trans Fat
0.03g
(2%)
Cholesterol
71mg
(24%)
Sodium
480mg
(20%)
Potassium
263mg
(6%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
671IU
(13%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
570mg
(57%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 626
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 626kcal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 60g | 20% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0.03g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 71mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 480mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 263mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 671IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 570mg | 57% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.