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Everyone loves a good slow cooker recipe, and this crock pot mac and cheese is so simple, cheesy, and delicious!
Moms & Kids Approve!
If your family is like ours and could eat Homemade Mac and Cheese every night of the week, then you have to try this super easy slow cooker version!
Moms love this crock pot mac and cheese because it’s low-effort, and kids love it because it’s delicious! It’s great for busy nights, busy holidays and
It’s definitely a main dish favorite that everyone will love!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- So delicious! Made with lots of cheese, butter, and sour cream, it’s very flavorful and the whole family loves the taste
- Great for holidays. It’s especially nice to have side dishes that can be made in the slow cooker on busy days like potlucks, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
- Quick prep. It preps in minutes and can be made the morning of for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 2 hours
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni – Elbow macaroni noodles are a mac and cheese classic, but you can use other similarly sized noodles like shells, cavatappi, penne, farfalle, fusilli, or rotini.
- 4 tablespoons butter – salted or unsalted butter both work for this recipe
- 2½ cups grated cheddar cheese – use any cheese that melts well, or add a flavor twist with manchego, muenster, provolone, Monterey jack, fontina, gruyere, or American cheese. Even Velveeta cheese works.
- ½ cup sour cream – or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup – or cream of chicken soup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk – whole milk makes the creamiest sauce but a lower fat milk can be used.
- black pepper, to taste – for added flavor, use garlic salt with parsley flakes
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- PASTA. Bring water to a boil and cook 2 cups of macaroni for only 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- SAUCE. In a medium pan, mix 4 tablespoons butter and 2½ cups shredded cheese until cheese melts. Add ½ cup sour cream, 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup whole milk, and season with black pepper. Stir until combined.
- SLOW COOK. Spray the crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the cheese sauce to the slow cooker and the cooked macaroni. Mix until combined and cook on low for 2 hours stirring every once in a while.
Use at least a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe. To double this recipe, which we do all the time, we have been able to have everything fit in out 8-quart slow cooker.
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Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil and cook macaroni for 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium pan, mix butter and cheese until cheese melts. Add sour cream, soup, salt, milk, and pepper until combined.
- Add this mixture to the slow cooker along with the cooked macaroni. Mix until combined and cook on low for 2 hours stirring every once in awhile.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
> Remove the lid of the crock pot to allow for some liquid to evaporate
> Add in more cheese
> Cornstarch slurry. in a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of COLD water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir it into the Mac and Cheese and the dish will thicken as it continues to cook.
When there are about 30 minutes left in the cooking time, add in some of these suggestions:
– cooked bacon bits, diced cooked ham, grilled chicken, or cooked hamburger
– parmesan cheese
– broccoli or roasted red peppers
– garlic powder, dry mustard, onion powder, red pepper flakes, or paprika
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Reheat. The key is to reheat slowly on low heat. Adding in a bit more milk can help smooth out the texture. You can reheat in the slow cooker, covered in the oven, stovetop, or microwave.
This pasta dish can be frozen for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to use, thaw it in the fridge and reheat slowly over low heat.
We loved this for dinner tonight! Mine Was totally done in An hour (yes, I cooked it on low). I Was wondering if you’ve ever tried not boiling the noodles? I want To make it for my daughters birthday party but i really need it To cook in 2 hrs instead of 1.
Glad your family liked it! I have not tried, but it may work 🙂
Did you shred the cheddar CHEESE by HAND from a block or did you buy shredded cheddar cheese? Just wondering which cheese is best for THIS Recipe!!
Really, either is fine. If I have cheese that I have shredded on hand, I will use that, but sometimes for convenience I use the already shredded cheese.
Thank you! I’m making This for my daughters birthday party!! ☺
Hope it’s a hit! Enjoy!
I took this to a potluck and everyone loved it. I will de be making this again.
Yay!! Glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Im am going to try this tonight! Do we cook the mac and cheese fully or is it going to be a little hard to compensate for the two hours in the crock pot?
You cook for about 6 minutes, which usually is between 7-8, so it’s pretty much fully cooked.
It looks mouth watering I’m going to try it I’m sure it will taste great thank you
It really is! Hope you like it!
mac And cheese is always a favorite amongst the kids. Whats not to like about cheesy pasta in the crockpot. Not much effort in putting this together.
Mac and Cheese in a Crock pot? I had to try it. My kids love it so much. It’s become my go to dish when my husband and I are headed out for dinner and I don’t really want to cook for my kids. Thanks for posting!
This is better then any Mac and Cheese recipe I have ever eaten! So creamy and delicious!
I will never eat boxed mac & cheese again!! This was so tasty, cheesy, & the crock pot does all the work. What’s better!?
Your smile just darn well makes me happy. I am older now and it is so refreshing to share your enthusiasm and zest for life. I am loving your recipes especially the easy ones. You must be one busy woman with six kids, have no doubt you are a lovely mother! I am sitting in my favorite chair with painsomnia and your site is just what I need to get back my joy!! Yeah, I am so glad I found you and I look forward to future recipes! Sending a hug because I want to!! Lead on Kristyn.
Awe, thank you so much! You are so nice! I am super busy, but love what I do 🙂 I sure hope you try some recipes & that you love them, as much as we do! Sending a hug back!!
This dish looks soooo mouthwatering yummy. I got to put this on our Sunday dinner table. Thank you!
It is!! I hope your family likes it, as much as we do!! Thank you!
How much pepper do you add to this recipe??
Just depends on how much you like pepper. I usually add 1/4 teaspoon.
What kind of cheddar cheese do you use? Sharp cheddar or mild cheddar?
I usually use mild, but really, both work well. Whatever you prefer 🙂