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
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
- Homemade Turkey Gravy - November 25, 2024
- Watergate Salad - November 21, 2024
- Sweet Potato Pie - November 18, 2024
maryanne butler says
boiled cheap 1dollar box of elbows… added tablespoon mayo, sour cream used American slices only cheese I had at the time rip them up in bowl stir salt, pepper some half and half very little… put tin fold in crock pot set about 30 mins put some slices on top with paprika for color…came out smooth, creamy then I cooked up some ground beef and sliced potatoes fried it all up in sauce pan threw it on top in crock pot got a casserole type thing…so, good
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds great!!
Dennis says
Hi, do you think pepper jack could substitute for Monterrey and perhaps drop the cayenne? Also: I want to add a flavor layer with dried onion. How much would you suggest I use? Thanks for posting!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Dennis. Yes I think pepper jack and removing the cayenne would be a good substitute. Make sure you shred it yourself, don’t use packaged shredded cheese. I’m not sure i understand what you mean about the onion layer though? Do you mean the french fried onions or just dried onion?
Beth says
Hey if your referring to this Mac and cheese recipe scrap the whole idea and save your ingredients. This is not good! The method of cooking doesn’t allow the starch to cook out of the pasta therefore giving it a really starchy flavor. I hate to right something negative! I hoped it would be good because it seemed so simple and could add ease to cooking.🤷🏼♀️ Now I am from South Louisiana and our food is on a whole nother level. It may be ok for some but This won’t cut it down here! 🤗
Amy Sparling says
That’s odd. I’ve made this and taken several different places and it’s always gone. Everyone loves it.
Lauren says
Is there something wrong with using gluten free noodles? My daughter had an egg allergy so these are normally the noodles we use. Would it still be okay to use them?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Lauren. We have not personally tried this with gluten free noodles (yet), but commenters have said that the gluten free noodles do not hold up well and get very mushy.
Tricia B says
This turned out great! Thank you! Just made a few changes because I either didn’t have something or because of other’s comments: Did not have evaporated milk so used half and half; used white pepper instead of black pepper; used actually only two tablespoons of butter to dot the top with; and I didn’t put in garlic powder or cayenne but did add 1/2 tsp. Turmeric (it’s orange anyway, and it’s good for you), and lastly, I added two ounces of cream cheese.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked it Tricia!
Arlene says
Can you use chick pea macaroni as well
Amanda Formaro says
We have NOT tried that but have heard that gluten free pastas do not hold up well in this recipe.
Ruth A Esperti says
I made this for my family. Instead of having a whole can of evaporated milk I only had the 5 oz. size. So I substituted 1 % milk for 7 ounces of it. I also used 1% for the other milk. For the cheese I had shredded Mexican cheese (4 kinds) and then about a handful more. I did use American sliced cheese (4 ounces) of it. I omitted the cayenne pepper. My family loved it!!! I am now going to be making it this way again for them because the flavor was wonderful. I really loved it much better than some I have tried. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it so much Ruth, thank you! :)
Elaine Cerullo says
Can I omit the monteray jack cheese?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, but replace it with another cheese so that you are using the same amount of cheese.
Cassie says
Curious can this be doubled?
Amanda Formaro says
We haven’t doubled it ourselves, but several people in the comments have said yes.
Rachel says
Any idea why it came out gritty? I followed your directions precisely and it is edible, but somewhat gritty. I shredded my own cheese so that can’t be the problem. :(
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Rachel. It may have been the type of pasta you used. I have only ever used Barilla in the blue box. I have heard that people have had trouble with the gluten free or whole wheat varieties.
Liane says
My daughter and husband buys pasta called dreamfields and I don’t care for it as it is gritty. But the grandkids don’t notice
Natasha says
This was amazing so tasty and creamy. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you loved it!
Mayra says
I’ve tried this recipe a total of 3 times!
The first time, I used pre-shredded cheeses. I used a crockpot that has a couple hot spots, which caused certain spots to burn faster. When I tried it, the Mac wasn’t great. My fault!
The second time, I used pre-shredded cheeses and I used heavy whipping cream instead of evap milk. Oh and I didn’t add some of the spices that I didn’t have. Again, turned out ok. Oh and it was very greasy. My fault again!
Yesterday, Thanksgiving 2018, I used block cheese that I shredded myself, which improved the texture and taste of the mac. I used 3 tbsp. of butter to solve the greasiness problem.
I stuck to the milk measurements and used evap milk. I did not use the mustard seasoning that I still haven’t purchased. This time I added the cheese slowly throughout the cooking time so it doesn’t burn (on the hotspots). This Mac and cheese came out soooooooooo delicious. It was tender, it was creamy, it was not too cheese or greasy. The taste was phenomenal!!
Thank you sooooooo much!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your notes!
Eliza says
I am currently making this right now. I doubled the recipe. I didn’t grate my own cheese, I just used store bought shredded cheese and I’m using rigatoni instead of elbows. After an hour it is not done and it’s very liquidy. I’m cooking it longer but I am so worried this is not going to turn out good. Any suggestions
Amanda Formaro says
How did it turn out?
Amanda says
How would I make this in the oven?
Amanda Formaro says
This is not an oven recipe, but you can try this one https://amandascookin.com/macaroni-and-cheese-with-ham-peas-and/
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry it didn’t work for you!
Kate M says
Hi Amanda. Love your site.
I have to bring mac and cheese to an after Thanksgiving meal. It is 2.5 hours away, so I am planning to leave around 11:30 for a 2 o’clock meal, and the host wants it to arrive hot as she wont have oven space. Any ideas of how I can accomplish this with your recipe? I was planning on buying this Presto Nomad travel slow-cooker that looks like a little cooler that should keep things hotter through travel, but it will not be plugged in so it will not be on. I was going to cook pasta and make a cheese sauce the day before, then combine and heat it up on the stove and then transfer it to the pre-warmed slow cooker. Do you have any suggestions? How much do I undercook the pasta? And wouldn’t I want to make the cheese sauce soupier than normal? I have never done this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and happy Thanksgiving.
Amanda Formaro says
Oh my goodness Kate, I’m not sure I would attempt this on Thanksgiving day. Can you do a dry run this week before the holiday and try it out? I have not tried this and don’t feel like I can give you advice on it, especially for a Thanksgiving meal. Please try and make it on Tuesday or Wednesday and do the timing as if you were traveling. Good luck and let me know how it goes! Happy Thanksgiving :)
Michelle Barrett says
Love the kick! I have made this 2 years in a row for the cross country team pasta parties and the kids love it! More than one asked me to send it to their mom’s! Doesn’t take long to cook (depending on crock pot) and yes, don’t use the pre-packaged shredded cheese, too stringy. Thanks for the great recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoy it as much as we do Michelle, thanks!
Lisa says
Will a doubled recipe fit in a 6 qt crock pot?
Amanda Formaro says
I haven’t tried it personally, but several commenters have said yes!
Ann says
Made today for a family get-together and it turned out great. Even the picky teens liked it. I used 2% milk instead of whole milk. I grated half of the cheese on my own and used half pre-shredded cheese and it tasted just fine. My crockpot is only a couple of years old and I cooked it 1.5 hours on low and then 30 mins on high as we were pressed for time. The consistency was perfect. Not runny or mushy. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked it! I’m glad the pre-shredded cheese didn’t make it grainy for you!
Megan says
Only had the crockpot on for 1 hour, even after thoroughly rinsing noodles, just a big pot of cheese mush. Used regular Barilla elbows on lowest setting, tasted very gritty. Wish this would have turned out better.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble! Can you tell me if you made any other changes?
Janice says
I just made it yesterday, followed the directions exactly, and it was amazing!! Maybe your crockpot cooks too hot? It happens as they get older. At any rate, thank you for this recipe, it was a big hit around here :)
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it Janice!
Mrs. Singh says
Great recipe! I found it whilst searching for a recipe that didnt use cream cheese or cheese soup. This was perfect because I had all the ingredients!
Only changes I made:
Added some more cheddar cheese to make it a bit more cheesy. And I didn’t have american cheese so I used a sharp cheddar and mild cheddar instead.
I added a bit more salt and pepper as I like the stronger flavors.
Rinsing the pasta before cooking gets rid of the starchiness which makes sure it doesn’t go mushy.
Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it so much! :)