Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese
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?
Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese (Serves 4-6)
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 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 1/2 Cups Cheese ( I use a 3 cheese blend of cheddar, mozzarella and monterey jack)
* Option: You can also add a cup of finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, butternut squash or frozen peas. Do so in step #2.
1. Place the first 3 ingredients in the rice cooker and cook for 15 minutes.
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).
*Rice cookers can cook at different heats, so make sure to check the mac & cheese after if cooks for 30 minutes once or twice.
3. Serve.
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What a great use of a rice cooker – and an enticing way to make mac & cheese – I admit, I love to make it but sometimes it just takes too long!
Thank you for this recipe! I’d love to see more similar recipes. I love cooking in my rice cooker/multi-cooker. Thanks again!
This is amazing! I can’t wait to try this tonight. I’m going to add some broccoli puree. I wonder how much I can add without changing the consistency too much. Maybe 1 cup milk and 1 cup puree?
The puree would be really thick, I would keep the recipe as is and add 1/2 cup puree in with the cheese and milk, If you see that it is ok, continue to add the other half. Let me know how it goes!
Can I make this using a slow cooker instead of a rice cooker? Don’t have a rice cooker…what are your thoughts? Would the crock pot change timing? I’ve never used my crock pot before, hence the questions. Thanks!
I’m sure you can, but the cooking time would be much longer, probably around 2-3 hours. I think you would have to cook the pasta separately in a pot and then add it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients if you want to get it done faster.
I do this in the crock pot regularly – just put everything in all at once, stir well, and turn on low for 2-4 hours (depending on the size and heat of your crock pot). If you like a little crunch on it, turn it to high for about 15 minutes at the end, and you’ll get it.
What cook setting do you put your rice cooker on for this recipe? I have the same Zojirushi machine.
I put it on white rice, it was about 30 minute cooking time.
Your Zojirushi lets you change the time setting? Whether I choose white or brown rice, it’s all pre-programmed to cook for a certain amount of time based on the level of ingredients. It wouldn’t even let me “fake” it by plugging in a fake time.
When I moved it into our old rice cooker, it turned itself off before the final 20 minutes, so it’s not finished cooking.
I feel like a rice cooker idiot! Help!
I feel your pain! I have the same issue with mine too! You have to play with your settings and read the book. Even if the timer is set for a longer period, just take it out after it is done cooking and unplug it.
I just got the Sanyo Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker & Versatile Cooker (10 Cup) and wanting to use it to cook slow cooker recipes. The Sanyo’s settings are: White Rice, Brown Rice, Quick Cooking, Sushi, Porridge & Soup, Steaming, Cake, Reheating, and Warm. Does anyone know the setting conversion when a slow cooker recipe calls for High, Low and Warm? I’m guessing White Rice for High, Porridge & Soup or Cake for Low, and Warm for Warm, but I’m not sure. I called Sanyo, but they don’t have a clue.
BTW, the rice cooker made perfect brown rice!
Hi Diana, I’m not sure you can cook slow cooker recipes with a rice cooker since the slow cooker uses the high, low, and warm settings and most rice cookers are just made to make rice at their own specific setting. Is there anywhere on the box or directions that tells you what else you can make in this rice cooker besides rice? I’m very interested in finding out because if so, you can make so many other meals in a rice cooker!
yum! i added frozen butternut squash in step two. i used whole wheat mini shells and 1 1/2% milk.
my rice cooker is an all in one slow cooker/rice cooker/steamer from crate and barrel. i never used the rice cooker part anymore.. just the slow cooker. so after 15 min of cooking this the pasta absorbed a lot of the broth (water and a boullion cube) but was ice cold. so i switched it to steam (taking the risk i’d be dumping a soggy mess). steamed for 20 min and it was awesome. stirred it. (knowing i was messing with a crust, but didn’t think i’d have one with steam) then switched back to rice cook. it was AWESOME.
oh.. and mine doesn’t let me choose time. i had to set the rice cooker at 60 min which is why i think it was still cold. it worked fine doing steam first and that i could set for 20.
Is the water/stock supposed to cover the noodles. When I used 1 1/2 cup not all of the noodles were covered. I added more but not all of the liquid was absorbed. I had to drain it before step 2.
No it is not supposed to cover the noodles. We tested this recipe many times and the measurements are correct. As you cook the noodles, it will par-cook in the first step and in the second step when you add the rest of the liquid, it will fully cook. How was the outcome though??
Thanks for the reply. It was really good. I really appreciate the recipes you share. : )
I have tried at least a dozen of your recipes–all hits (thank you thank you!). Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me last night. I have your rice cooker, but we put it on the brown rice setting and only had 2% milk on hand. Would that explain the soupy mess that came out? (We kept cooking and cooking, but no luck.) Any tips appreciated!
I too put it on the brown rice setting, it could have been the 2% milk that did it since it does not have enough fat in it. Try using whole milk next time and let me know!
Will do, thanks. I really can’t thank you enough for all of the food ideas. I work outside the home and have a 2 1/2 year old. This morning, he ate up some more banana wee-eat germ muffins. You’re a life saver.
Thanks for your suggestion. I tried it again. I think that there might be something wrong with the brown rice setting on my new rice cooker (same as yours in the program). It never got hot, so I switched to quick cook (too hot), and then settled on semi-brown. Not perfect, but definitely mac n cheese this time. Thanks again for all that you do for families.
I made this using whole milk and it was cheese soup with noodles. Could it be the rice cooker?
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe…we have a Sanyo Rice Cooker (3.5 C) that we purchased after living in Japan for 2 years. Great to know I can cook more than rice & oatmeal! Ours does not have a ‘time cook’ setting, so we used the “white rice” setting with superb results. Also – our son is allergic to dairy, so we had lots of luck substituting soy milk for regular milk, as well as using soy cheese shreds. Who knew it would be so easy & tasty!! FYI – we halve the recipe for 2-3 toddler servings. Now, we make 1 batch for the toddler…and 1 all-dairy batch for the parents. Delicious!
Yum! Just found weelicious yesterday and tried this recipe today. Super easy and everyone of course loved it! Mine didn’t come out like the picture though, slightly soupy. I used skim milk and wheel pasta, maybe this is why? My rice cooker only has a “cook” setting, so maybe this contribuited too. I will definitely make again and am thinking that next time I’ll use regular macaroni and see how it turns out. The apple banana muffins are next on my to try list!
I made this last night for my 13-month-old daughter. I can’t rave about how she loved it because sometimes she’s really hungry and sometimes not, but we both tried some and thought it was good! My ricecooker has only one heat setting and had burned noodles to the bottom before the first timer went off. I may have to adjust liquid levels for next time (or get a new rice cooker!).
Thanks for the idea!
The burned crispy noodles on the bottom are my favorite!! I’m glad you all enjoyed them
Just made this and the cheese didn’t melt very well. It’s a very lumpy consistency. I used the store brand colby-jack mix. Also my rice cooker only has a cook mode and a warm mode. What did I do wrong? Use the wrong cheese?
Did you stir all your ingredients well? You may have just had to cook it longer since every rice cooker is different. I would cook it longer next time for the cheese the melt.
I have never posted here before but I wanted to say THANK YOU for all your fantastic simple recipes. I found this site a few months ago and I visit everyday. The rice cooker mac and cheese is one of our favorites!! Thanks again.
Dumb questions but does chicken stock verses broth make a difference. I just made this for the second time and it was still soupy…..I used broth instead of stock
Has anyone tried following the recipe using gluten-free pasta? My son has multiple food allergies and we are avoiding wheat, among other foods. I have been using rice pasta which he loves. The tricky thing is rice pasta gets sort of melted if cooked for too long. Do you have suggestion how to adjust the recipe if using gluten-free pasta? Thanks!!
It would probably similar, I haven’t made this recipe with gluten free pasta so I wouldn’t be so sure. I suggest following the recipe and watching it. If the pasta cooks fast then you might want to add it in later or if the pasta is still not cooked, you might want to add extra time. Let me know what happens!
I used the bionaturae gluten-free pasta with good results (even though my rice cooker caused me some problems). I have found that brand to cook the most like regular pasta.
Can I use Veggie broth instead of Ckn? When I use Veggie broth with brown rice I have to triple it instead of double it otherwise the rice is too crunchy. Same thing here?
Thanks!!
Suzanne
No, since you are making pasta, it has a different texture from rice. But if you prefer veggie broth instead of chicken, you can use veggie
I just tried to make this but the cheese turned out grainy. i used whole milk and cheddar cheese….does it make a difference what kind of cheese you use? what did i do wrong? help!
This actually happened to me once – it wont make it taste bad, it just won’t look as good but the kids still loved it. Maybe your rice cooker setting could be too high – so i suggest adding the cheese in the last 5-10 minutes and stirring to avoid it to separate. How was your pasta?
The past turned out a bit overcooked. My rice cooker only has a cook button and it popped about 15 minutes after you put in the milk/cheese step. So, I pushed the button again to have it cook for 20 minutes as per your directions. Anyway, next time I’ll try not cooking it again and putting the cheese in during the last 10 minutes. Thanks for the recipe. The kids seem to like it.
I have made this recipe many times, but the last two times the cheese has been grainy. Nothing has changed ingredient-wise, and I’m using the same rice cooker. I do cook it longer, as mine never seems to get past the runny stage. Thoughts, Catherine?
I made this last week and it took just about an hour, but wase delicious! I have a Black and Decker Steamer Plus/rice cooker. It really tasted like it was baked in the oven. I used half cheddar and half mozarella. Made it again tonight (planning for the hour cook time) and it was even better! I love that it is so easy and there isn’t any junk in it AND I can change the pasta shape to make the kiddos happy. Thanks for all your recipes!!!!
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!
Perhaps those who are saying it’s soupy measured 2 cups of uncooked pasta rather than putting in a 16oz bag?
You deserve an award for this, amazing. I would never have thought of using the rice cooker for mac&cheese – thanks!
[...] would say the favorites would be Miso Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Rice Cooker Mac and Cheese (always a crowd favorite), Oatmeal in a Crock Pot, Baked Ziti and PB&J Breakfast Cupcakes. [...]
This was really good! I used whole wheat macaroni and added in frozen chopped broccoli. I used the white rice setting on my rice cooker and it was perfect. Yummy! My 19-month- old daughter loved it, as did I. This is my new favorite way of making mac and cheese. Thank you for all of the great recipes!
[...] Rice Cooker Mac ‘n Cheese (adapted from Weelicious. Here’s the original recipe) [...]
Any way you can adapt this if you don’t have a rice cooker? I have a slow cooker or just a pot on the stove.
I only have a small very cheap rice cooker. It’s great for rice and quinoa. I wonder if it will work for this recipe. I think I’ll try it soon.
So,I tried this for lunch today. I have an Aroma 8-cup Rice cooker, with settings for steam, white rice, and brown rice. I used the white rice setting, which worked perfectly with the timing in your recipe. I used regular chicken broth (because I didn’t have low-sodium) and eliminated the salt.
I used whole milk and a colby-jack cheese mix.
It turned out pretty good, but the cheese was a little clumpy for my taste.
I think next time I’ll add in a soft cheese with some cheddar (like maybe some Havarti).
But, overall, we liked it and will definitely try this again! Thanks for posting this recipe. I love finding new uses for my rice cooker!
I will definitely try this recipe bec. I am tired of using the box ones!
I love this recipe! The first time I made it I used whole wheat macaroni and it came out perfectly. My second & third tries I used rotini and farfalle but kept everything else as the recipe states, and both times it came out a bit runny (but still tasty!) I started to wonder if I was doing something wrong from my first try, so I made another batch last night using macaroni and it was perfect again! I think the size of the pasta made the difference. Anyway, thanks for the recipe, I’ll continue making this for my daughter who loves it no matter how it turns out! =)
Just tried this recipe tonight and it turned out out awesome. I used 2% milk and sharp cheddar cheese. I also added a tsp of mustard for some more flavor. Delicious!
Can’t wait to try this. My son loves mac n cheese but will only eat the Kraft one. Hoping he will like this one. I also have the same rice cooker. It’s great. We just set the timer on it first thing in the morning and have rice ready by dinner time.
Do you think this will freeze well? Things get hectic sometimes and it’s niceto make a batch to freeze and pop in the microwave for a quick meal.
I love the idea of this…we love mac and cheese and never eat it out of a box. I had to fight with my rice cooker…it only has to settings- cook and warm and kept turning off. I just kept unplugging it for a minute and turning it back on. I used whole grain pasta which next time I’ll use regular because it turned out a little soft. It was also a bit salty…but overall turned out good. I’ll def keep trying!!
I am going to make this tonight! I have the same rice cooker and a crew of kids over…now I can keep writing!
Used whole wheat elbow noodles and peas and it worked perfectly. Thanks again for another delicious and ridiculously easy recipe.
My kids LOVED this! However, my 4 kids gobbled it up and cried for more! Can this recipe be doubled?
I’m wondering the same thing! I want to bring this for a pot luck because it’s easy and yummy! My boyfriend and I usually finish the whole thing…
[...] Here’s the recipe adapted from Weelicious. [...]
[...] made rice cooker mac n cheese last night that I found from Weelicious. Actually, my sister-in-law with a child found this site and sent it to me. We both have rice [...]
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!
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
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:)
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!