Homemade Mac & Cheese (Rice Cooker Recipe)

Jump to recipe

This week I am going to share with you my favorite, go-to, super fast, super easy and so, so creamy homemade mac & cheese… made in the rice cooker!

I love this recipe because it’s perfect for a speedy meal (or side dish) that is so rich, creamy, and comforting with very little hands on effort!

Now, if you are short on an ingredient or two, be sure to check out my substitutions section at the bottom.

Pin it now to save it for later!!

Let’s talk ingredients!

For this delicious mac & cheese recipe, you will need the following:

• water
• uncooked pasta (shells, elbow macaroni, penne, or your favorite small pasta)
• bouillon (I use a homemade “no chicken” bouillon, but you can use chicken bouillon, vegetable bouillon, or consommé powder)
• evaporated milk (or powdered whole milk… see substitutions)
• milk (or powdered whole milk… see substitutions)
• butter
• queso molido, parmesan, or freshly grated cheddar or colby jack
• spices (salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ground turmeric, cayenne powder)
• achiote (annatto) paste (optional but gives that mouth watering yellow-orange color!!)

You will also need a large rice cooker… mine has a 10 cup capacity, but if yours is small I would advise making only a half recipe!

Now, if you’ve seen my nacho cheese sauce recipe, you know that block cheddar cheese isn’t the easiest cheese to find here, and when you do, it can be a bit expensive!

This recipe can be made with cheddar cheese if you have it, but I actually prefer to make my mac & cheese with local queso molido! It’s sharp and sooooo tasty in this dish!

Mac & cheese, please!

To your large rice cooker, add the following:

• water
• pasta
• bouillon

I like to use small shell pasta for my mac & cheese, but use your favorite small pasta!

Once you have your ingredients added to your rice cooker, give it a good stir using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Then put on the lid.

Cook for 15 minutes on whole grain setting (or regular rice setting if your rice cooker does not have this option).

While the pasta is cooking, let’s get the other ingredients ready to add!

To a 4 cup measuring cup or medium-sized bowl, add the next ingredients:

• evaporated milk
• milk
• butter
• cheese
• spices (except for achiote paste if your measuring cup is plastic)

After 15 minutes are up, give the pasta a stir then add the milk mixture (and achiote paste) to your rice cooker. Then stir again and put on the lid.

Next, cook for 10 minutes then give the pasta a really good stir, being sure to scrape the bottom of your rice cooker with the wooden spoon. Replace the lid.

Let the mac & cheese cook for another 10 minutes and stir again.

Give the pasta a taste for doneness. If pasta is done, turn off rice cooker. Open the lid and let cool a few minutes. Sauce will thicken as it stands.

Now, we get to DIG IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yum!!!!

Substitutions in the mac & cheese

No queso molido?

Surprisingly, you can actually use shredded or grated real parmesan cheese (not the fake stuff) for a similar sharpness to the queso molido, but obviously the classic cheese in mac and cheese is cheddar. However, you could also use colby jack if you prefer. Note that if you use cheddar or colby jack, you will need around 2 cups of freshly grated cheese instead.

No evaporated milk?

You can use 2/3 cup of powdered whole milk and mix with water to a final volume of 1 1/2 cups to replace the evaporated milk. When I make this substitution, we honestly can’t detect a difference.

No milk and no evaporated milk?

If you don’t have milk or evaporated milk, you can use a heaping 3/4 cup of powdered whole milk to a final volume of 2 cups of water to replace both. Again, this substitution is delicious as well!

No achiote (annatto) paste?

If you don’t have achiote (annatto) paste, you can omit it. I like to use the achiote paste in my cheese sauces when I want that characteristic orange color. You eat with your eyes first!!

How do we serve our mac & cheese?

Now, if the day is super busy, and we need a comforting, quick meal, I will just serve us a big bowl of mac & cheese and call it a day.

However, it makes for a tasty side dish as well!

Another household favorite is to top it with my vegetarian chili!

Did you know you can find these and many of my other recipes on Pinterest?