This creamy crockpot mac and cheese starts with uncooked elbow pasta; no boiling these noodles. Simply throw the milk, cheese, and seasonings in the slow cooker for a meal everyone will love!
The slow cooker is super portable and the dish won’t dry out. This is a great casserole to take to a potluck or family get together.
Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
There are lots of different ways to make mac and cheese, but two of them are more popular than others. The first type is southern or baked mac and cheese, which includes eggs and is almost like a casserole. The second type is cooked on the stovetop in a béchamel sauce. There are no eggs and it is super creamy.
In order to get that ultra creamy texture in a crock pot, you either have to use condensed cheese soup or Velveeta cheese, neither of which appealed to me.
The next best thing is to use evaporated milk and American cheese, the kind you get from the deli counter. Barring American cheese, using a melty cheese like Monterey Jack or White American will also produce creamy results.
If you are making for the holidays
If you’ve never made this before, please do a dry run before the holiday! Everyone’s slow cooker acts differently, so it’s important to try this out first. Please read through the FAQ below as well for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
There have been quite a few questions on this recipe, please check here before asking in the comments as it may already have been answered. PLEASE READ the notes in the printed recipe.
Can I double this recipe and does it change the cooking time?
Yes, this recipe can be doubled provided you have a large enough slow cooker. The cooking time will not change.
I don’t eat yellow cheese, what is a good white substitute?
Monterey Jack works well, as does White American and White Cheddar. A marble cheese should work as well. Sharp cheddars will give this dish the best flavor, try Vermont white sharp cheddar!
Can I make this ahead and reheat it?
We don’t recommend reheating macaroni and cheese as it never tastes quite the same and there’s a possibility that the macaroni will become mushy. However, if this is a deal breaker, you can reheat it – simply add some milk to loosen the thickened sauce while reheating. We recommend making it and having it ready right before you leave. Turn off the slow cooker but leave the lid on. When you arrive stir it and loosen with milk if needed.
Why was my mac and cheese gritty?
Prepackaged shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent that can cause your final product to taste gritty. Purchase your cheese from the deli and shred it yourself. We’ve also discovered that some less expensive cheeses are gritty even when you shred them yourself, but after the mac and cheese sits for a while the grittiness goes away.
Why was my mac and cheese mushy?
If it cooks too fast or too long it will get mushy. The biggest culprit is thin macaroni noodles. We use Barilla brand and have also used Creamette. These noodles are thicker and sometimes have ridges. Thinner noodles will cook much faster and turn mushy.
Another reason could be an older slow cooker that may cook hotter (even on low) than a newer crock pot. Leave the lid on for one hour on low. DON’T increase the temp to High! Stir after one hour then check after 15 more minutes. Check and stir every 15 minutes after that if needed. Mine was done is 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Mushy mac and cheese can also be the result of using gluten free macaroni noodles as they do not hold up as well. One of our readers made this successfully with gluten free pasta. she said hers was done in 90 minutes but began to get mushy at 2 hours, so it’s important to keep an eye on it!
Can I mix all of the ingredients, refrigerate overnight, and put in the crockpot a few hours prior to serving?
Yes, with the exception of the pasta. Wait until you take it out of the fridge and are turning the slow cooker on before you add the macaroni.
I’m confused by the cooking time, is it 2 hours or 3?
Actually, it’s up to 3 hours. You should cook the dish on low for 1 hour, then stir it and check for doneness. After that, check it periodically (every thirty minutes or so) until it is done. The actual cooking time is completely dependent on the slow cooker you have (similar to ovens, they all cook differently), hence the “up to 3 hours” instruction.
To keep our mac and cheese from being bland we added mustard, garlic, and cayenne to ours in addition to the basic salt and pepper. These can all be adjusted to your taste.
Crockpot Mac and Cheese
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta uncooked (regular, NOT gluten free, NOT quick cook pasta) We use Barilla brand
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 12 ounces Extra sharp cheddar 3 cups shredded (from the deli, shred yourself, don't buy bagged)
- 4 ounces American cheese (or Monterrey) 1 cup shredded (from the deli, not processed slices)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of cayenne pepper to taste
- ¼ cup butter cubed
Things You’ll Need
- Food processor for shredding cheese
Before You Begin
- IMPORTANT – please do not use the bagged shredded cheese. It contains an anti-caking agent that can make your mac and cheese gritty. Get the cheese from the deli and shred it yourself.
- PASTA – please use a sturdy pasta, not the really thin noodles. Thin noodles will cook much faster and turn to mush. Since the pandemic manufacturers have changed their noodles, look for sturdy ones!
- Also, every slow cooker is different. Newer slow cookers should work fine for this recipe. Cook on low for one hour without disturbing. Remove lid and stir well. Replace lid and check every 15 minutes after that. DO NOT turn the heat up! You will make your macaroni mushy. My slow cooker is only a couple years old and my mac and cheese is done after about 1 hr and 45 minutes.
- For BEST RESULTS be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions in the blog post before making your mac and cheese.
- Making for the holidays? If you’ve never made this before, please do a dry run before the holiday! Everyone’s slow cooker acts differently, so it’s important to try this out first. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Instructions
- Spray 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- Rinse the uncooked pasta well in cold water and drain.1 pound elbow pasta
- Add uncooked pasta to crockpot along with milks, cheeses, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine, making sure macaroni is submerged in liquid as much as possible.2 1/2 cups whole milk, 12 ounces evaporated milk, 12 ounces Extra sharp cheddar, 4 ounces American cheese (or Monterrey), 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, Dash of cayenne pepper
- Dot with cubed butter.1/4 cup butter
- Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour. Remove lid and stir. Depending on your slow cooker, your dish could be done at this point or require UP TO 1-2 more hours.
- If not done, continue cooking and checking periodically (ever half hour or so).
- When done, pasta will be tender and liquid will be thick and creamy. Sauce will thicken even more after lid is removed and mac and cheese sits.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Condensed milk is sweetened and the two cannot be used interchangeably. Use evaporated milk.
- Don’t use regular milk in place of evaporated milk. However, you can create your own evaporated milk. To make 1 cup of evaporated milk, simmer 2 1/4 cups of regular milk down until it becomes 1 cup. Replacing the evaporated milk with regular milk will result in sauce that is too runny because of the water content in regular milk.
- For the milk in the ingredient list, use whole milk as directed. Using a lower fat milk can add more water and make your mac and cheese more liquidy nand not cook properly.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 21, 2017
Amanda Davis
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Ashley Davis says
I omitted the evaporated milk and mustard dill. I cooked the dish for 1 hour on high and 45 minutes on low. It came out perfect. I also seasoned to my liking not the recommended amounts in the recipe.
wippy says
This had great flavor, might skip rinsing my very thick cavatappi pasta next time, I hand grated my cheese (gouda, munster, sharp cheddar, monterey jack) but once I turned off the crockpot after 1 1/2 hours (when it was cooked al dente ) the sauce got kind of gloppy (maybe a little grainy) and lost it’s smooth texture.. thank you for sharing.
CJ says
Delish! Mine took a good two hours to thicken and cook the pasta. I made it for a pasta party and every last bit was gone!
Marilyn S says
After reading the comments, I think pre-heating the crockpot on “High” first, might help. I think the problem of this recipe undercooking for so many people is that the crockpot is cold and the ingredients are placed within it after coming directly from the refrigerator. Get it good and hot.
Then, after you add all of the ingredients, lower the heat to “Low”. (
OR, if your ingredients are cold from the refrigerator and not at room temperature, keep your crockpot on “HIGH” for the 1st hour, then lower the heat down to “LOW”). That could solve the problem of noodles still not being cooked after 2 hours of cook time.
However, if after two hours of cooking it still looks like the mac/cheese isn’t close to being done, then I would suggest keeping your crockpot on “HIGH” until the food is cooked, even going beyond the 3-hour time table. Just keep an eye on it. Every crockpot is different and a size 5 quart or 6 quart crock pot will cook differently from a size 7 quart crockpot.
Roxanne says
I’ve made so many mac and cheese recipes over the years, this one is far and away the best. My kids are off at college, and they still ask for this recipe! It’s become a family tradition, and I’m happy to make for them every time!
Jamie says
We were looking for a replacement recipe for my husband’s trusty Mac n cheese that could be made in a crock pot. We’re camping this year and our new camper has no oven.
We did a test run tonight and man. This is SO. DAMN. GOOD. We did extra sharp, and couldn’t find any American so we subbed that for Colby Jack.
This is everything you want in a Mac n cheese. I don’t think I will go back to boxed.
Ole says
You don’t think you’ll go back!? You should have never started there :P Boxed stuff is NEVER good!!!
dragonflie64 says
Keep in mind the condensation from the crock pot will add moisture to the recipe.
Rachel says
Same experience I had tonight
Marnie says
I used the recipe for as a base to start. I used all milk and bagged shredded cheese and it turned out creamy and delicious. I never used dried mustard in my mac and cheese before, but I love how it adds to the flavor.
Jen L says
Had this at a party last night – it was amazing – among the best I’ve ever had! I nagged the cook until she texted me the recipe!
Kati says
I made this last night and had the same problem. Followed exactly what was said and it turned out terrible and so much food wasted. I don’t think I will ever try and make crock pot mac and cheese again.
Crystal says
Just wondering if you used already shredded bagged cheese?
Stacy says
The cheese sauce was divine, but the texture was not quite right for us. Kind of like a combination between mushy and chewy. Next time I would make the noodles and the sauce separately and then bake it for a little while. Yum.
Kerry says
I feel like the milk curled. It has that texture. Bummed
JEREMY says
THIS WAS THE GROSSEST MAC N CHEESE IVE EVER SEEN. IT DID MAKE MAKE MAC N CHEESE IT MADE CHEESE THROW UP. I WAS CLEANING IT UP AND HAD TO STOP TO THROW UP BC IT LOOKS SO NASTY.
Jack says
That’s because you are a weak b!tch
Jeremy Wilson says
Ok jack-ass
Reina Graham says
I make Mac and Cheese often but I use Tomato Juice…am I the only one that does that?
Marilyn S says
Hi! I’m writing in response to your question about using tomato juice in mac/cheese recipes: When I make mac & cheese, I add a can of diced tomatoes to it, juice and all. In the summertime, I chop up fresh tomatoes instead of using canned toms. I use a large can (28 oz). I make my mac/cheese as my favorite recipe says to do. Then I’ll toss in the can of tomatoes, stir well and then bake until the top is brown and it’s all bubbly. There isn’t that much juice in any can of tomatoes, so the juice won’t interfere with the casserole’s thickening ability and will give added flavor.
Danielle Dennis says
First time rating a recipe because it was THAT good. Made exactly as directed, hands-down best mac & cheese I have ever had. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Marnie says
First time making mac and cheese in a crock pot and turned out pretty good! Never used mustard powder before but it was tasty.
Joey says
I want to make this for my Halloween party, but want to make it green can I just add green food coloring?
Spencer says
Literally the only mac n cheese recipe i use. Every time i make this it comes out perfect. I’ve gotten so many compliments on how yummy and tasty it is. Appreciate the recipes that help feed my families bellies.
Alexandra says
Should have read the views. Garbage. Did everything exactly as directed. Ive used my crockpot many times with no issues. The cheese separated and it was a gritty mushy mess. My crock pot does NOT run too hot nor did it cook for longer than it needed to get the pasta cooked. Expensive fail.