Description
A creamy, budget-friendly comfort food dinner made in the slow cooker with simple pantry staples. This easy recipe yields a rich cheese sauce that coats tender rotini pasta without the hassle of stovetop cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces (340g) uncooked rotini pasta
- 2 cups (200g) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (240ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 4-to-6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the uncooked rotini pasta to the slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Toss to coat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, chicken broth, melted butter, and Dijon mustard.
- Pour the wet mixture over the pasta in the slow cooker and stir gently to ensure noodles are submerged.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 2.5 hours, until pasta is tender but not mushy.
- Stir in half of the shredded cheddar cheese until melted, then stir in the remaining half using residual heat.
- Let the dish sit for 5 minutes with the lid off to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Notes
Do not use pre-shredded cheese as it contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce grainy. Always grate cheese from a block for smooth melting. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of milk. If too thin, cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Do not cook on LOW as the pasta requires higher heat to cook properly in the dairy environment.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2.5 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 13
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 24
Keywords: slow cooker, cheesy rotini, easy dinner, budget meal, comfort food, pasta recipe, family friendly