Easter Sunday Comfort: Just 3 ingredients. I make it when I want holiday dinner handled hours ahead of time.

Simplify your holiday feast preparation with this incredibly easy, 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Easter Macaroni. Free up your precious oven space for the main roast and let your crockpot do the heavy lifting to create a side dish that is guaranteed to please both kids and adults alike.

By slowly cooking uncooked elbow macaroni directly in whole milk along with mounds of sharp cheddar cheese, you skip the hassle of boiling pasta separately or preparing a complex roux. The cooking pasta releases its natural starches into the milk, combining with the melting cheese to create a rich, velvety, and thick cheese sauce. It is hands-off comfort food at its absolute finest!

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Easter Macaroni

Ingredients:

Step-By-Step Directions:

1. Prep the Slow Cooker: Grease the inside of a 4/6-quart slow cooker insert generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray to help keep the macaroni from sticking to the edges.

2. Add the Pasta and Cheese: Pour the uncooked elbow macaroni or small shells directly into the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the pasta, tossing gently with a spoon or your hands so some of the cheese settles down between the dry noodles.

3. Pour the Liquid: Pour the whole milk (or half-and-half) evenly over the pasta and cheese. Stir gently until loosely combined and the pasta is mostly submerged in the liquid.

4. Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it to LOW. Cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, making sure to stir the mixture thoroughly every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stirring frequently ensures the pasta cooks evenly and the cheese melts smoothly without separating.

5. Check for Doneness: At the 2 1/2-hour mark, test a piece of pasta. It should be tender to the bite but not mushy, and the cheese sauce should be thick, glossy, and bubbling at the edges. If the noodles need more time, continue cooking for up to an additional 30 minutes.

6. Thicken and Keep Warm: Once the pasta is tender, switch the slow cooker to the WARM setting. Give the macaroni a final, thorough stir, then replace the lid and let it sit for 5/10 minutes so the sauce can settle and thicken slightly. Serve hot straight from the cooker, splashing in a tiny bit of warm milk if it thickens too much as it sits on your holiday buffet.