Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is a creamy, ultra cheesy crowd-pleaser. It makes a delicious easy dinner on its own or as part of your holiday dinner! Macaroni and Cheese is a classic side dish that will bring your family back up for seconds! Making this classic dish in a crock pot is hands down one of my favorite ways to make mac and cheese!
To serve up the perfect comfort food menu for your family make sure to serve slow cooker mac and cheese with Southern Oven Fried Chicken and this 7 Layer Salad! This menu makes a great family holiday meal too!
Crock Pot Mac N Cheese is one of my favorite ways to make macaroni and cheese. My perfect macaroni and cheese is creamy, saucy, and thick enough to sort of “hear” the creaminess when you’re mixing it up. When the mac and cheese talks back to you, that’s when you know it’s going to be good!
Since we’re making this mac and cheese in the crock pot, it couldn’t be any easier. All you have to do is toss the partially cooked macaroni into the crock pot along with all the other ingredients, cover and in two hours you’ll have an amazingly flavorful, thick, and creamy mac and cheese! We love having this slow cooker mac and cheese by itself or served along with our favorite meals, like this Sloppy Joe Recipe!
CROCK POT MAC AND CHEESE
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Cooking meals in the crock pot are one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. If you’re on the hunt for more crock pot recipes, be sure to check out these 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals and this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Taco Soup.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CROCKPOT MAC AND CHEESE
This recipe uses both shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Velveeta to make amazingly creamy and flavorful macaroni and cheese. I decided to cook the macaroni just shy of al dente (I shorted the cooking time by about two minutes) to make sure the macaroni won’t be overcooked by the time the dish is done.
I definitely think it’s important to precook the macaroni just to be sure that it has the right texture once done cooking and that everything combines as it should. It’s one extra step that will make a big difference in the final result.
I use a mixture of cheese in this recipe. I love the creaminess that you get from using Velveeta and adding the sharp cheddar increases the deep cheesy flavor. You could substitute half of the cheddar cheese for Monterey jack cheese to give it a bit of a kick.
When you’re going to be melting cheese shredded cheese is so much better when you shred it at home. When the cheese is pre-shredded it is coated so that it won’t stick to itself before you buy it. When melting you want it to stick to itself with no clumps, so if you can shred yourself.
The ingredients to make slow cooker mac and cheese are super simple and most are kitchen staples!
- Elbow Macaroni pasta
- Butter
- Evaporated Milk
- Whole Milk
- Velveeta Cheese
- Sharp Cheddar, (I love grated cheese done at home.)
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
Keep scrolling to get to the printable recipe card with the full detailed recipe.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT MAC AND CHEESE
- Precook macaroni in a pot of salted boiling water. Cook two minutes less than the directions on the box state in order to account for the time, the macaroni will also cook in the crock pot.
- Be sure to grease your slow cooker with cooking spray or butter. This helps to prevent sticking while it cooks!
- Add macaroni to your slow cooker, then mix with butter, and all remaining ingredients, being sure to stir well.
- Cover. Cook on low for an hour and a half. Then add in remaining shredded cheddar cheese and stir.
- Cover and cook for an additional half-hour, garnish with green onions if you’d like before serving, and you’re done!
The holidays are coming up, so this crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe is perfect for any parties, potlucks, or get-togethers you may have on the agenda. This recipe makes quite a bit since we’re using a 16 oz. box of pasta, so it’s perfect when you need to feed more than a few people.
TRY SOME OF MY OTHER SLOW COOKER RECIPES!
- Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice
- Crock Pot Pizza
- Crock Pot Ranch Mashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Cheese Soup
- More dinner recipes…
Tools used to make this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe
LARGE POT: This pot is a kitchen essential for everything from dinner to desserts. I use mine all the time and with proper care, it’ll last for years and years.
SLOW COOKER: I love this crock pot! The lid is very secure and I can pack it up and take it on the go if I’m heading to a potluck. This slow cooker is a workhorse in my kitchen and has worked great for years!
WOODEN SPOON: Wooden spoons are a kitchen essential. I keep a bunch of them on hand for every meal from breakfast to dinner.
*This post originally posted on 09/17/2018.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Elbow Macaroni
- ½ cup Butter cubed
- 12 ounces Evaporated Milk (1 can)
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- 12 ounces Velveeta Cheese cubed
- 4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded, divided
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Green Onions chopped, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Grease crock pot with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook macaroni to just short of al dente (about 2 minute less than the recommended cook time on the box).
- Drain macaroni, then transfer to slow cooker. Mix macaroni with butter to prevent macaroni from clumping together while cooking.
- Add evaporated milk, whole milk, velveeta cheese, 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover.
- Cook on low for an hour and a half. Then add in remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and stir.
- Cover and cook for an additional half hour. Stir well before serving. Garnish with green onions if desired.
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Nutrition
Denise says
Can you put d as k ingredients in the crockpot. Transport it and cook it a couple hours later?
Jodie says
Can this be made a day ahead of time. And reheat in the crockpot the next day for a gathering?
Sarah says
This recipe is amazing! I made for Thanksgiving and the whole family loved it (my husband said it’s his favorite mac & cheese Ive made, and I’ve made a lot of mac recipes). I was worried it would be too simple, as I normally put a few different cheeses in my mac, but this combo was perfect!
Betty says
Did u use 4 or 6 quart crock pot? I am making for Thanksgiving
Lori says
Consistently a crowd pleaser. I have made this several times. I always double the recipe and use a large, oval 8 qt. crockpot with a liner. There’s no need to grease the liner. Follow the cooking directions and use salted or unsalted butter, not margarine. I have used medium cheddar cheese but prefer sharp. I omit the garlic and onion powders or decrease it. I add 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. There will be lots of liquids but it comes together perfectly if you cook the pasta al dente and follow the timing. I garnish with extra shredded cheese. I only use a block of cheddar cheese and shred it I do not use the preshredded cheese. Look no further if you want a perfectly creamy mac and cheese that’s easy to put together and a definite crowd pleaser.
Leslie says
This was amazing! I used the whole block of Velveeta (16 oz) and cut back on one cup of shredded cheese. Very smooth and cheesy!
Nacole says
Can you put all the ingredients in the crock pot and just cook on low for longer time? Without cooking the noodles?
Dani says
I’ve been looking for an easy crockpot Mac n cheese recipe, and I think I’ll use this, just continue to play around with it to make the seasonings work better. I love garlic, but I felt like there was too much garlic powder, as it tastes a bit like Alfredo it’s so garlicky. Maybe it’s the garlic powder I used, but it was just too overpowering to me. I think I’ll also use extra sharp cheese that I shred myself next time for an extra cheesy taste. Overall though, I like it and will make it again, just modified. It was very creamy and doesn’t get gritty when reheated which is a big positive to me!
Kelly says
Pretty good and will keep the recipe on hand. We added bacon and chicken because my husband is a carnivore. I felt like it lacked something… not sure what though. Will keep playing with it and see what other combos I can come up with! For sure worth a try!
emily says
delicious but can you double it?
Jennifer Kimmel says
Absolutely Emily!
Laura says
There is a mistake in your crock pot Mac and cheese, in the ingredients you call for 16 oz of shredded cheddar and in the directions you say to use 3 cups of cheddar. This must be a typo, can you clarify it for me. I plan to make it 2 days from now.
Jennifer Kimmel says
Hello Laura! The 16 ounces should be divided. The 3 cups gets mixed in then after cooking for a bit the remaining gets added to the top. Hope this helps!
Melissa says
I will definitely be making this again. It’s easy and everyone loved it.
Joni says
Delicious! I added 2 ounces of cream cheese. I will save this recipe as a favorite.