Budget Mac and Cheese Recipe Kids Will Love

cream cheese

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: reduced-fat cheddar

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Reduced-fat cheddar cuts calories, while processed cheese is often cheaper.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated mozzarella

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds a cheesy flavor.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier, while margarine can be less expensive.

Dump 16 oz of uncooked elbow macaroni straight into the crock pot.

Slice 4 oz of butter into smaller pieces and lay it over the top of the noodles.

Dice 8 oz of cream cheese into smaller pieces and lay it on top of the pasta.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper over the ingredients in the crock pot.

Add 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream to the crock pot, ensuring the pasta is completely submerged in the liquid.

Cook on low for about 1.5 to 2 hours until the pasta is tender and cooked through.

Shred 2 cups of cheddar cheese using a rotary cheese shredder and add it to the crock pot.

Shred 1 cup of pepper jack cheese and add it to the crock pot.

Gently stir the cheese into the pasta mixture.

If the mixture looks dry, add more milk until the desired creamy consistency is achieved.

Cover and let it sit on low for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and creamy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens