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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Sally Aragon says
Made this for the first time, shredded my own cheeses, my mac and cheese came out too thick…it tastes okay but stuck together, it wasnt cooking on low so I turned it on high…I just have high and low and warm in my crockpot, I stirred it a couple of times.
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry you had trouble. Not all crockpots cook the same. That’s why I have a great big red notice on the post that says if you are making this for the holiday you should do a dry run first.
Kim says
I would like to thank you for all the tips for cooking this. I had a hand written recipe of just ingredients and wasn’t sure how to cook it. I was lucky to find your recipe which had almost the same ingredients. Minus 2 eggs. I used shredded cheese because I didn’t read your recipe when I bought it. I added the 2 eggs beaten. Overall it turned out great though. Everyone loved it I didn’t do a test run for our thanksgiving dinner so I’m glad it worked out. I will use block cheese and shred it myself next time. I did use all sharp cheddar cheese for this. Maybe I will try mixing up e cheese next time. Again, thank you for the thorough instructions!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Kim, so glad you loved it! I’ve found that Sharp (even extra sharp) gives the best flavor for this recipe. Thanks again!
Angela says
It seems like I have too much sauce it’s not as cheesy more saucy but my noodles are done starting to get mushy. Not sure if it can be salvaged. I followed the directions exactly. It is so hard to find a crock pot recipe that is perfect.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble! You’re right about that generalization. All crockpots are different so it really is hard to gauge. Can you turn it off and thicken the sauce on the stove? Just drain out the noodles and cook the sauce down a bit? What type of pasta did you use and how long did they cook? Was it on low or high? This is why I caution in my recipe to do a test run and not make this for the holiday if it’s your first time trying it. Sorry! :(
Miranda says
Can I use this recipe with a 4 quart crock pot?
Amanda Formaro says
That might be a little small. It would fill the crockpot all the way to the top and that’s not recommended.
Tylina says
I have a newer crockpot and I tried this recipe with it. I’ve cooked it on a lowest temperature and my noodles are still undercooked it’s been 3 hours now I have hope in this recipe but will try to barely cook my noodles next time and refrigerated the noodles overnight
Amanda Formaro says
The noodles cook to al dente, they never get super soft. What type/brand of pasta did you use? Wheat pasta or a gluten free pasta will return different results.
Rebecca says
I need to transport this about 15 min from my house to my parents will the Mac and cheese be okay if I just warm it back up ?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes it should be fine. Just don’t open the lid and when you get there turn it onto the warm setting. If you notice it getting sticky, you can loosen it with a little milk.
nathalie says
love this recipe. comfort food at its best. topped with bacon or grilled chicken. perfect comfort food for those chilly days
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Nathalie!
Kelly says
Making this the way that the recipe called for turned the cheese into a complete curdled mess while the noodles were still under cooked. I think my crockpot was getting too hot for the cheese, so I tried again and pre-boiled my noodles to just barely under done, shocked them in ice water, and stored them in the fridge overnight. At the office, I poured the two milks, spices, and seasonings into the crockpot at “warm” and left it for an hour to heat up. I then added in the noodles and butter and let that reheat and absorb some of the milk on warm for another 45 minutes. About a half hour before the party, I poured in the cheese and stirred to incorporate, turning the crockpot off and letting it sit to melt. As the party began, I stirred and the mac and cheese had turned into the most gorgeous, silky, tangy dish you’ve ever seen in your life.
I think the method in this recipe is wrong but the proportion of seasonings and cheeses is exactly correct. I definitely will be making this again for an office party, but I will use the method I described above. My crockpot, only about a year old and not very heavily used, just gets way too hot to keep the cheese from becoming a curdled mess.
Amanda Formaro says
Hmm – were you cooking it on low? Strange that happened to you. It’s hard because crockpots just aren’t the same across the board. I’ve never had the issues you had, but I’m glad you found a solution that worked for you. :)
Ali says
Do you think I could add broccoli to this recipe and if so how would I go about doing that?
Amanda Formaro says
Sure. I would probably steam/cook the broccoli in the microwave and just stir it in at the end.
Mary says
Haven’t made it yet, wondering if I can leave it in all day at work and people can help themselves when ever they want?
Amanda Formaro says
You can likely leave it on the warm setting, but it may get sticky, just like any mac and cheese would. If you keep some milk in an office refrigerator, you can always loosen it by adding a little and stirring.
Jessica says
How long do you think think the Mac and cheese can sit before serving? If they’re done at 2 hours, can it sit on warm for another hour or should you serve right away?
Amanda Formaro says
It should be able to sit on a warm for a little while. You can always loosen it with a little milk if needed. I will try and test this this week!
Lavera White says
I made this exactly by your recipe. No one in my family would eat this Mac and cheese. It was awful!
Mary says
Great we all loved it, creamy, cheesey & Definitely will make it again!
Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you love dit, thank you Mary!
Jackie White says
I have a large crockpot. Will this recipe work and will the cooking time change?
Thank you…
Amanda Formaro says
Do you know what the actual size is? This recipe has been tested in a 6 quart slow cooker.
Sarah says
I just wanted to thank you for letting us know how to make evaporated milk because I was out and really wanted some mac and cheese. Also i read someone wanted to make it and reheat if you add the milk and don’t get it to hot it doesn’t affect the pasta at all. If you are ok with just warm mac and cheese.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks for saying so, happy to help!
Charlene Peppler says
Through all the years and all of the recipes I’ve cooked on here, I believe this is my first review. I made this for the football game today with pulled pork sandwiches. This was a BIG hit! Everybody loved it, and said I could bring it back again next week. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
Yay that’s so great to hear, thank you so much Charlene!
Donna M Valliere says
I made this recipe used the packaged store brand of cheese. The kind that is like a 1 lb block you have to cut up. It seemed grainy the day I cooked it so it may have been the cheese I used. The next day it heated up perfectly and not grainy at all! Very rich and decadent. I could eat it all day if I was not on a low carb diet. Next time I will halve the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it Donna! Interesting that it was grainy the day before but not after, thanks for the feedback!
Krista says
We love this recipe! I get affirmative comments on it every time I make it. It’s so easy and good! I am now in charge of making mac & cheese for every family gathering.
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray so glad you love it!
Aglahe says
Have you made this without the ground mustard? I am out and did not realize before dumping everything in my crockpot and hours before our thanksgiving meal :(
Amanda Formaro says
it should be fine, no worries!
Sunny says
Can this be used with gluten free noodles?
Amanda Formaro says
No gluten free noodles will not hold up.
Erika says
Is a 6 quart crockpot big enough to double this recipe?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes
Jasmine Engel says
Do you think I could do x3 the recipe in one crock pot…. I’m making it for my sons party and I want to make a full crock pot
Amanda Formaro says
If you did 3 times, it would have to be a really big crockpot. I know people have successfully doubled the recipe, but I haven’t tried tripling it.