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Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese

March 3, 2010

I don't know many kids who don't like macaroni and cheese. Come on, cheese and pasta, what's not to like? I love making my own mac and cheese, but even for someone like me who wants to make everything homemade, it's not always easy. Between cooking the pasta, making the sauce and then baking it, the process can take time that many mothers (including myself), just don't have! But as time consuming as the homemade kind can be, I just can't break down and buy the powdered cheese, boxed version, no matter how easy it may be to prepare.

If you have a rice cooker (and I hope you do because it is one of the great kitchen time savers), this recipe is going to change you and your kid's world! All you have to do is put all of the ingredients into the rice cooker and let it do all the work for you. The best part is that you can tailor this recipe to your child's favorite tastes and flavors. For example, if you want to give it some added nutrition, just add an array of veggies. This is also a great way to involve your kids in cooking since they can have fun placing all of the ingredients in the cooker.

Now, what are you going to do with all of that time you just saved being a kitchen hero to your kids?

We used these to make this recipe:

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Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese  (Serves 4-6)

  • Prep Time:5 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes,
  • Total Time: 40 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pasta (i used macaroni, but you could also use rotini, faralle or bite size pasta)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (i use low sodium stock)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cheese ( i use a 3 cheese blend of cheddar, mozzarella and monterey jack)

Preparation

  1. 1. Place the first 3 ingredients in the rice cooker and cook for 15 minutes.
  2. 2. Open the lid, add the milk and cheese, stir to combine, close the lid and cook for an additional 20 minutes (25 minutes if you want it to have a crust on the bottom).
  3. *Rice cookers can cook at different heats, so make sure to check the mac & cheese after if cooks for 30 minutes once or twice.
  4. 3. Serve.
  6. * Option: You can also add a cup of finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, butternut squash or frozen peas. Do so in step #2.
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Comments






1 2 3

  1. Roya

    June 9, 2013 at 8:44 pm

    Reply

    Are there any substitutes for the chicken broth?

    • catherine

      June 10, 2013 at 4:24 pm

      Reply

      You could use vegetable or beef broth instead! You can use water if you prefer, but then it won’t be quite as flavorful.

  2. Alexine

    June 7, 2013 at 4:09 am

    Reply

    I luv mac and cheese thanx 4 this recipe

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  4. Bea Riley

    May 23, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    Reply

    I know this is an old thread but I saw you on the Chew yesterday making the ‘green’ Mac and Cheese. Could I purée the spinach with the milk and add that to this rice cooker recipe?
    Thanks for all the great tips and ideas.

    • catherine

      May 24, 2013 at 11:36 am

      Reply

      Yes, I think that would work! Thanks for watching!

  5. Kate

    May 19, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    Reply

    Winner, winner, chicken dinner! I doubled the recipe. Used the white rice/regular/sushi setting and checked on it every 5 minutes or so. Overall it did take me longer than the recipe. I let almost all the broth be absorbed by the rotini before adding milk/cheese. My cheese combo was half sharp cheddar and half quesodilla, and I added a bag of frozen mixed veggies and leftover slow-cooker BBQ chicken towards the end. Thanks so much!

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  9. Chrissy

    March 31, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    Reply

    This recipe came out so much better than I expected. Not that I expected it to be bad, I just expected it to taste…quick. It was delicious. And it was quick! My husband liked it better than my other recipes and my son ate it all up as well! This is going in the books as a regular in my household!!!!!!

  10. jessica

    March 17, 2013 at 12:09 am

    Reply

    Hi ^^ im just how u can make whole milk , i searched it up but couldnt find a good and easy recipe : ( please help i wanna make this as fast as i can ; ) thanks ! much love from AUSTRALIA . . . Jess <3

    • Marilyn

      March 17, 2013 at 7:23 pm

      Reply

      In case no one has answered you, whole milk is just cow milk with 3.25% milk fat.

  11. jessica

    March 17, 2013 at 12:07 am

    Reply

    how do u make whole milk ?? and wats the difference between that and normal milk ?? could u also make a video on how to make it too thanks !!
    much love from AUSTRALIA . . . JESS <3

    • catherine

      March 18, 2013 at 12:52 pm

      Reply

      You might also find it called “homogenized milk”

    • catherine

      March 18, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      Reply

      Whole milk is also called “full fat milk” in some places and I believe in Australia you call it “full-cream milk”. I hope this helps! It just means not to use fat-free milk or lowfat milk!

  12. 123ilikedogs

    March 17, 2013 at 12:05 am

    Reply

    how do u make whole milk ? and whats the difference between normal milk and WM ???? please help i really want to make this recipe !!! thanks much love from AUSTRALIA . . . Jess <3

  13. 123ilikedogs

    March 17, 2013 at 12:03 am

    Reply

    how do u make whole milk i searched it up but no results and whats the difference between normal milk and WM ?? (seems hard to make too :( ! )

  14. 123ilikedogs

    March 17, 2013 at 12:00 am

    Reply

    how do u make wholemilk ? it seems difficult :/ an easy recipe please ???

  15. Mary

    February 16, 2013 at 5:37 am

    Reply

    This was delicious! I added diced butternut squash at the start of step #2 and it cooked nicely. I wish I had stirred throughout as it got a little browned after 20 minutes.

    Use a separate timer if you have a 1 button cooker. Also, I let it cook on “warm” after adding the milk. Yum!

  16. Ellie Robinson

    February 7, 2013 at 8:50 pm

    Reply

    Wow — Delicious! I was skeptical about this recipe but it seemed so easy that I just had to try it. And, it was AMAZING! I added cauliflower and it added a sweetness that was especially nice with the dish. I will definitely make this again. My 2 1/2 yr old son who is generally a very picky eater ate it all up vigorously!

    I also have a 1-button rice cooker — I had no issues. My only modification to the recipe is that I stirred the ingredients several times during cooking.

  17. Cheryl

    December 23, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    Reply

    I made this from the new book Weelicious and it came out very soupy. Also, the cheese/milk curdled but I have a cheap rice cooker with one button that switches to warm when the weight of the pot gets light enough that it knows the water has absorbed/evaporated as steam. I tested it with 2 cups of rice and it boiled for 35 minutes! So I boiled the cheese. Not sure if I should just switch it to warm after the initial 15 minutes and add the cheese/milk to keep it from boiling. Not sure when I’d add the veggies, though. At the beginning? Maybe frozen veggies would help, but then I am not sure if the pasta would cook long enough. Also, what if I want to use the little noodles that only take 7 minutes to cook (and warn you not to overcook) vs. the 11 needed for regular pasta? Is there a modified version of the recipe for that?

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  19. Steven Coble

    October 29, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Reply

    Very simple yet yummy recipe. Hmmm! sounds good that my friendly rice cooker made this one.

  20. jo

    October 4, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    Reply

    Thanks you for such a simple recipe. I have a 1 button rice maker – I’ll be sure to read the comments & learn from their experiences.

    I’m thinking mac ‘n’ cheese for dinner tonight sounds awesome!

  21. Marisa

    May 2, 2012 at 7:38 am

    Reply

    Hi Katie,
    I have the same rice cooker and was wondering if you could give me some more tips ie.what water level you filled the reservoir to. I tried this last night. After the 25 minutes for the second step I had a soupy mess with piecy looking cheese mess. I kept cooking it but it never worked. Thanks!

  22. helen chen

    March 22, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    Reply

    have you ever tried it with whole milk plain yogurt instead of liquid whole milk? cna’t wait to try this with my 10 month old! she has 2 bottom teeth so I will probably pruree it a bit. when did you stop prureeing your baby’s foods? do you have to wait till all their teeth come out? thanks for a great website:)

    • catherine

      March 23, 2012 at 3:30 pm

      Reply

      I haven’t tried that, but good idea!

      It really depends on each baby. Some babies can gum soft foods and love doing that, others just want purees until they have several teeth. Talk to your pediatrician and try out a few soft foods to see what your daughter thinks of them! :)

  23. Maria

    March 20, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    Reply

    Of all the kitchen appliances I have bought (and wasted money on) – the best appliance of all (and the most used) is my rice cooker which only cost me $10! I look forward to trying the mac cheese, thank you

  24. brandi dockett

    March 8, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    Reply

    Made this with no alterations and it came out great. I had to adjust the times for my rice cooker settings (just turn on or off) but it worked. thank you! I have never had a meal here I have not liked from this site!

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