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.Â
- 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.Â
- 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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Lisa Berkes says
Was a big success at a family gathering today. I substituted velveta cheese for the American cheese but other than this I followed the directions to the tee. Next time I will add a little more cayenne to spice it up. It took about 2.5 hrs with my Crockpot and I doubles the receipe. Thanks for a easy and great tasting receipe.
Rebecca Hibbard says
Tried this meal for family dinner on Sunday when kids all come over and we play cards. It turned out perfect and delicious. I put out a bunch of different toppings and everyone enjoyed it. This recipe is a keeper for sure. Thank You!
Laura Overhulser says
Did you use pre shredded/ grated cheese or did you shred/grate the cheese yourself?
I have heard this can make a world of difference in how grainy the sauces
Katy Robinson says
I followed the recipe and suggestions exactly and this turned out awful. The texture is curdled. I wasted so much cheese on this. Strait to the trash.
Happy? R u says
😆
Sheila Werren says
Everyone loved this Mac and cheese. It was easy to make. It took 2 hours in my crock pot.
I used the cheddar and Monterey Colby. Next time I will try American cheese to see if even creamier.
Sandra says
Ok. I tried the recipe last night and followed it 95% of the way. I used 1/2 of sour cream mixed with water substitute, because I only had 2 cups of whole milk on hand. I had already bought pre-shredded cheese before realizing my error. Anyway, the dish came out super creamy. The milk was absorbed, the noodles not soggy, flavor is good, and the cheese was smooth and not griddy. I did continue to stir after 1hr. I left it in the crock for 3 hours, and removed the lid once I saw most of the milk was absorbed for about 20-30 minutes. Left it in the pot overnight on warm, it will be my lunch. The taste test thus far was very good. Next time I will use the correct cheese. Thanks 😊
Paul says
Can you boil macaroni instead of cooking it in slow cooker? Ty
Amanda Davis says
We have not tested that with this recipe. However, should you decide to experiment we would love to hear your results!
Jim T says
Made this tonight and it came out perfect. I used Cavatappi noodles so they wouldn’t mush up too quickly and went a little heavier on the cheeses (Extra Sharp Cheddar & Monterey Jack). Turned it on Low once all the ingredients were in and it took about 2 hours. I may try doing some breadcrumbs & butter lightly cooked and sprinkle on top after the final stir next time just to give it a little crunch. Really came out rich & creamy…everyone loved it! Thank you!
Pamela says
I’m a chef, have my own “awesome Mac n cheese” recipe, stove top to oven. I was intrigued by this crockpot recipe using dry Macaroni, had to try! I never follow any recipes to the letter, always tweeking to enhance flavors. I followed this one to the letter, not just to compare flavor profile (very similar to my ingredients–they work, folks), but because of the unusual method. Wow! I couldn’t believe how awesome it cooked. I was leary at first, because after the first solid hour of “no-peek”, the butter dots hadn’t even fully melted yet. Gave that first stir as instructed, seemed like it may turn out…? Did the next 3 stirs at 15 minute intervals a@ instructed and BINGO, I could tell it was done…as promised! Obviously, you don’t get that desired crispy brown top/edges like an oven would do so here’s my tweak for that: spread entire crock of Mac on to a parchment lined sheet pan nice and flat (for maximum crispy top to servings). Put under a broiler with or without more shredded cheese on top, for about 10 minutes. Perfect crispy golden top on a perfect Mac n cheese recipe!!! Awesome!!
Helen Forsbes-King says
Very Tasty. Do follow the advice to see how long it takes to make it in your slow cooker. It took 2 hours in mine.
Tracy S says
I tried this recipe tonight for our family Christmas dinner. Followed ALL of the instructions and for some reason it came out gritty and paste-like. I also needed to add a lot more salt than the recipe called for and it was still not edible. I’m not sure what went wrong. You can literally see the cheese, milk, oils separating from the noodles. Total failure and nobody complimented the dish.
Marcia says
That’s horrible!! I’m so sorry that happened. I have made this recipe before and never had issues. I wish I could offer some advice.
Karen says
Cooked this several times and followed recipe to a T. Never any issues, easy and delicious
Christina says
So easy and tasted great! Made a few necessary modifications that didn’t impact the results too bad. Had to use shells, but came out great anyway. I used a mixture of 2% milk and light cream and did not have any American cheese to add, so just used all cheddar. I also did not have any mustard powder. Overall good recipe! I liked that I didn’t need to pre-boil the pasta!
Rose says
I have made this several times followed the recipe. I have used both bagged and deli cheese with the same awesome results. This is now my go too recipe.
Domenic says
Question. After I make this, can I keep it on warm during my party or will the pasta get mushy?
Jo says
Followed the recipe to a T. Looked promising an hour into cooking but some of the elbows weren’t cooked so left it on low for 30 mins longer. I went to serve it turned into this mushy sticky mess. Had to throw it out, wasn’t edible.
Dana M says
Is there a reason why the 1 cup measurement equals 4oz and not 8oz? 1 cup equals 8oz. Does cheese have a different measurement than other food items? Should I actually be using 24oz of cheddar (3 cups) and 8 oz of American (1 cup) or did the recipe mean to use the ounces (12oz and 4oz) and meant to say 1.5 C sharp and 1/2 C American?
Amanda Davis says
8 ounces only equals 1 cup when it is liquid measure, like water, milk, etc. Otherwise, 8 ounces is a weight for solid items. For example, if you weighed out 8 ounces of cheddar cheese on a scale, and separately weighed out 8 ounces of hard candy, the cup measurements would be completely different.
Szigler says
I made this for friendsgiving for the first time. Followed the instructions exactly except I did not rinse the macaroni. I used Tillamook extra sharp cheddar and gouda. It was super simple and everyone loved it. My only issue was that it ended up over cooking. I didn’t know how long it was going to take in my crock pot, and allowed 2.5 hours (i thought mine was slow but it wasn’t). It would have been best at 1.5 hours. I will make it again the same way next time!
Cait says
I made this today for the 1st time & brought it to Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit! 2 people asked me for the recipe before leaving. I followed the recipe to the T except added a little extra cheese – and I used block of Vermont white cheddar, a little bit of a block of mild cheddar and some Monterey Jack as the creamy cheese. Shredded everything myself. Two hours on low and it was done, and was delicious! Will certainly be making it again. So nice being able to throw uncooked noodles right in.
Nicole Owens says
I’m with you. The garlic or something made the flavor funky. Ended up throwing the whole pot out