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 30 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, be quick! Don't let too much heat out. 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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CM says
Well, you weren’t kidding about the bagged cheese. It was totally my bad that I didn’t read where you said not to do bagged cheese, because it turned into a gritty mess. I’m giving you five stars though, because it tasted good but just was not right from the bagged cheese. Next time I will definitely shred it myself!
Shelly says
We love this! And ever since I tried this recipe my daughter does not want me to make any other recipe on the stove! I Have no idea what the others that gave negative reviews are even talking about!
Thanks!
Jennifer says
Made for Thanksgiving, I’m my crockpot on low it’s closer to three hours but I also used CelIantani noodles. I added 4oz of softened cream cheese, Lowry’s, and extra cheese and it turned out pretty good. (Definitely needs some extra seasonings)
Lindsay U says
I love this recipe! I am Celiac so I use GF pasta (either Barilla or Safeway brand are our favorites) and do a box and a half for about 18 oz of pasta. Always works well!
Jessica says
Easy and everyone alway loves
Tiffany says
I made this for Thanksgiving last year and it turned out so well that 3 people asked me for the recipe and it’s been decided that I’m on mac and cheese duty forever now. I do recommend a test run just to find out how long it takes in your slow cooker. The low setting on mine is pretty wimpy so it took a full 3 hours.
Camille says
I used shell pasta and it came out great. After an hour it was still runny so I cooked for another hour. I stirred it up and tried it. It was a bit gritty like others said. I added more cheese to the top and let it sit with the lid off for 30 mins. it was perfect. So maybe it needs to set up a little before trying it.
Lauren says
This was good! I doubled the recipe and made it exactly as written EXCEPT for rinsing the pasta. I did not do that. I also used grated Monterrey instead of American cheese. It was ready in my InstaPot on the slow cook “normal” setting in about 2 hours. I knew it was risky not making a test batch, so I’m thankful it went well! I’ll make it again.
Ry says
yes! agree!
Patricia Brown says
Exactly what happened to me..
Christina says
Can I make the cheese sauce/mixture then add the cooked macaroni in later? I’m worried the macaroni will not cook well in the crock pot. Will the end results still be good?
Amanda Davis says
We have not tested that with this recipe. However, should you decide to experiment we would love to hear your results!
Emily says
I have made this recipe before by making the sauce separately and then putting in the cooked noodles later and it has turned out well! Just cook the noodles so they still have a little bite to them and are almost done but not fully done so they dont get mushy.
Megan Applegate says
We had the same issues. It was so bad :(
Angela Henley says
I made this tonight for our family thanksgiving and my family loved it!! i made it exactly as the recipe called down to the types of noodles. And it turned out perfectly. It took right at 2 hours on low.
Rosemarie says
My teen sons like it. It had a sweetness that I’m not crazy about. Where could it have come from? Also had a gritty texture even though I used block cheese that I shredded myself.
Amanda Davis says
Did you happen to use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?
Laura Russell says
Making this tonight as a practice run for my son’s pot luck. It had a great texture and flavor, but I added in a ton more garlic than recipe called for. Sauce was still a bit runny after 2 hours in the crock pot. But overall pretty delicious! Even picky husband liked it!
PJ says
I use store-brand shredded cheese, don’t rinse the pasta, and it’s still delicious every time!
Brent D says
I doubled this recipe for a crowd. Everyone loved it. After about an hour on the low setting it was still very runny/loose so I turned it up to high for about 30 more minutes and it firmed up nicely. This mac and cheese has a very “ohh this can’t be healthy” taste to it that’s just perfect on a chilly Halloween night like last night. Thanks for the recipe!
Lori says
I made it and it was excellent. I read in the comments that someone used “good cheese Tillamook” and it came out bad. I agree it’s good cheese BUT I’ve only ever seen it in the store shredded. I believe she says more than once DO NOT use shredded, but rather shred it yourself.
Margaret K Ring says
They have that cheese in bars. I’ve seen it.
Lu says
From my experience with Tillamook and kraft, especially the more modern varieties, is no matter what style you make the Mac and cheese it will always come out bad with these two, the fat content or something is off even with the block cheeses. I’ve found the good cheeses have to be like really good cheeses, like at whole foods etc. To get the texture to come out right. At least this is my experience.
Paula J Blazer says
This is my 5th time making this and it always turns out amazing !.I have a big family and double it as well ! It reheats great to us !
Rita says
When doubling, does it all fit in the same crockpot? :)
Lisa says
So I’m eating this now. I used extra sharp white cheddar, and half a Velveeta block for the American cheese. The flavor is good and it’s very creamy. The macaroni, though, is tender but gummy. I’ll definitely finish it, but not sure I’d make it again.
Serena Schwerzler says
I Made the slow cooker Mac and cheese for dinner…it was such a hit!! everyone loved it! definitely going to make this again!!!