Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese (or Crock Pot Mac and Cheese) is a creamy, cheesy and easy macaroni and cheese recipe.
A CREAMY MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE
This recipe is my go-to Mac and cheese recipe when I don't have oven space and I want a recipe I know that everyone will love. This fits the bill every single time!
HOLIDAY MUST-HAVE SIDE DISH
The slow cooker is your friend during the holidays. This isn't really a "fix-it and forget-it" type slow cooker recipe but it does free up precious oven space and keeps you from having to stand guard the whole time and making sure things don't burn or over-cook. Also, if you need tips on FRYING A TURKEY, I got you covered!
WHAT MAKES IT THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE?
Using freshly grated cheese. Don't use the bag stuff. I don't mind using it for my NO-BOIL MACARONI AND CHEESE - but for this, you really need to freshly grate the cheese. It really makes all the difference here! Also the American cheese in this recipe helps to keep it so creamy. Don't skip it!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- elbow macaroni
- salted butter
- evaporated milk
- half & half
- shredded cheddar cheese
- white American cheese
- salt and pepper
Cook's Notes: Just go to your grocery store's deli counter and ask for ¾ pound of white American cheese. Tell them you don't want it sliced, just a big block.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER MACARONI AND CHEESE:
Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente (should still have a little 'bite' to it.)
Spray a 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the cooked macaroni into the slow cooker. Add the butter and stir until coated.
Pour in evaporated milk & half & half.
Then add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, cubed American cheese salt & pepper. Stir to blend.
Cover and cook on low for 1 ½ to 2 hours (gently stir occasionally as it cooks.)
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, top with remaining cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt.
Once done, turn the slow cooker to the warm setting until ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
WANTING MORE? GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY!
Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese (+Video)
Ingredients
- 16 ounce box elbow macaroni
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 ½ cups half & half
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
- ¾ pound block white American cheese, cubed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente (should still have a little 'bite' to it.)
- Spray a 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place the cooked macaroni into the slow cooker.
- Add the butter and stir until coated.
- Pour in evaporated milk, half & half, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, cubed American cheese salt & pepper. Stir to blend.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 ½ to 2 hours (gently stir occasionally as it cooks.)
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, top with remaining cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt.
- Once done, turn the slow cooker to the warm setting until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published: November 2016
Updated and republished: April 2019
Wendy E. Eaton
I would like to try this for our upcoming Super Bowl party, if I double the recipe does it need a longer cook time... we also love love bacon, and would like to add some pre cooked bacon to this, is it beat to add into the mixture at the beginning or end of cook time..thank you ..
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Wendy, it shouldn't need a longer cook time. Just keep an eye on it. You may want to cook it in two separate crock pots so you have more even cooking.
Jamie
Hi! I'm planning on making this recipe this weekend. I'd prefer not to cook the noodles...could I just cook it longer in the crockpot? Or do I really need to cook the noodles beforehand?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
You really need to cook them beforehand for this particular recipe. 🙂
Joanne
This recipe is the best. My family loves it.
Rayana T.
This definitely is a new favorite recipe of mine. Even my picky toddler loved it!
Sarah
I only have 1% milk will it be ok to use in this recipe
Harriet Mola
Hi Brandie, How many people does this feed? I have a work party I'd like to make this for. Can the ingredients just doubled? If so, how big of a crock pot is needed? I think My crock pot holds six quarts. Thank you for your help..
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Harriet! If this is just going to be a side dish - it should serve about 8-10 people. You could double it and it should still fit into a 6-quart or larger.
John B.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, made it for a friendsgiving get together and it was a hit! Directions were spot on and I only made one addition to add texture to the mac & cheese; Picked up some Parmesan cheese and used a skillet to brown a few cheese pancakes (very thin browned cheese that is crispy) which I tossed in under the last cheddar addition for additional texture. It was a wonderful result. I will definitely use this again, appreciate the posting.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi John! Thanks so much for coming back to review! That is a really neat idea. I would have never thought of that. Thanks so much for sharing!
Lisa Clauser
This is the best Mac and Cheese!! Kids and adults love it!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Absolutely love hearing that! Thanks so much Lisa!
Anna
This worked out really well for my family. I didn’t use white American cheese but I replaced it with Colby/ Monterey Jack. I only did that because those were the cheeses my grandma used and I knew all my cousins and such would like that. Next time I think I’ll try crumbling some corn flakes on top. I also want to try it with white American for my kids.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Love it!! So happy you added a bit of your Grandma's extra special touch to it. Makes it so much more special!! Thank you Anna!!
Gale
Brandie,
This is the best mac and cheese ever! Just the way I like it, dense and cheddar cheesy. Although, I have to say I think the magic ingredient is the white American cheese. I made this for a party as a side to bbq ribs (perfect) and one of my meat eaters said "I don't really eat mac and cheese but this is great. Will you give my wife this recipe?" And did I mention how easy it is to make without heating up the kitchen?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Oh my gosh - thank you Gale! And you are a woman after my own heart by serving them with ribs - ha!! I love it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know how it turned out for you!!
Elaine
I don’t have half & half, can I use heavy cream instead and how much ?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Elaine, I would start with the recipe measurements then add more if necessary to make it creamier. 🙂
Robyn Martin
I want to make this for my son's 6th birthday party. So far I've got 14 adults and 15 kids that have rsvp'd yes. How many does this recipe serve and would I just double everything to make more?
Thanks
Robyn
Sarah
Quick, easy and a BIG HIT for our family get-together. I made this for a family luncheon and took a lot of time trying to find it again for my daughters first birthday party. IMHO, the best slow cooker, mac and cheese recipe on-line. It's printed as my go-to from here on out!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo!! So awesome to hear this. Thank you Sarah!!
Courtney
Amazing recipe! I’ve made this 3 times for family get-togethers, and this is THE HUGE HIT. My family is so excited to see me walk in with a crockpot of this Mac & cheese recipe. I actually had my deli go ahead and put it into slices for me, which made it easier on me to just lay the slices down in the crockpot instead of having to go home and cube it!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Courtney! You made my day - thank you!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave such a wonderful review!
Katie OBrien
Can I make the cheese sauce in the crockpot and pour over the cooked pasta later? Thanks.
Johnny
I use 2/3 Mexican cheese blend and 1/3 shredded pepper jack. White American for the block cheese. And add 2 eggs to the mixture. It keeps the consistency great and comes out delicious! It’s a hit at any gathering I make it for.
Wheezy
Excellant and so easy!
Theresa
I just made for a family dinner. I didn't have half and half so I added two cans of evaporated milk and it was nice and creamy. I also used a combination of sharp cheddar, monterey jack and a small amount of velvetta as that's what I had on hand. Makes a wonderful, creamy mac and cheese. My family likes to spice things up a bit so after reserving some for children in the group, I added white pepper, red pepper flakes and a tiny bit of garlic powder. Yum!!!
Marie
My crock pot is too small. Can I bake in oven? How long and what setting? Thanks.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Marie, you may want to try my recipe for No-Boil Mac and Cheese. It's an oven recipe. 🙂
Melissa
Super easy to fix and delicious! I followed the recipe except that I added a dash of dry mustard and more salt & pepper for seasoning and used American cheese slices instead of block white American cheese.
Patty
I made a double batch of this for the Fourth of July cookout and there wasn’t any left!! It was amazingly creamy and delicious. One bad thing: after sitting on low in the crock pot for 2 hours the cream sauce got a bit dry/not creamy. I was told to put more butter in next time to avoid that but I’m just thinking we need to eat it much sooner 😉
Debi
Made this for my yearly bbq where I also have a big crowd. It was very easy to put together and everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe and my guests even took home some of the leftovers. When reheating the leftovers I had I heated on the stove and added a splash of half and half and it was nice gooey again. I will make this again.
Sylwia
This was a HUGE hit! Thank you!!
Bailee
Made this for a pot luck at work and was a huge hit! Such an easy recipe, this will be my go to from now on! Thank you!
Katie
I needed to decide on a dish for a pot luck lunch at work. Several meat and tomato sauce dishes were already on the list, so I decided to try a mac and cheese. Well, as much as my family loves mac and cheese, I have never made it home made. So I went searching and came across many different recipes, but for some reason, this one hit me as looking delicious. We were not disappointed. Everyone loved it. I made the pasta and mixed in the butter the night before, refrigerating it until morning. Before leaving for work, I put everything in the crock pot, Plugged it in when I got to the office and it was ready to eat in a couple of hours! I can't wait to make this for my family!
Brandie
Love hearing that. Glad you enjoyed the ease of making it. Can't wait to hear how much your family enjoys it.
Meg
Amazing!