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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 love this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese because it’s a low-effort slow cooker meal, and kids love it because it’s delicious! It’s definitely a dinner favorite.
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
If your family is like mine and could eat mac & cheese every night of the week, then you’ve definitely gotta try this super easy slow cooker version!
Why you will love this
Check out the reasons below…
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.
Easy to customize. Use your favorite cheese, or add a bread topping or even mix-ins like bacon, if desired.
It’s a simple recipe, great to throw together when you have multiple things going on at home and don’t have time to be standing in front of the stove.
Ingredients
Here is all that you will need:
elbow macaroni – Elbow macaroni noodles are a Mac and Cheese classic, but you can use other similarly sized noodles like shell, cavatappi, penne, farfalle, fusilli, or rotini.
butter – salted or unsalted butter both work for this recipe
grated cheddar cheese – Other shredded cheese that melt well, or add a twist of flavor, include manchego, muenster, provolone, monterey jack, fontina, gruyere, or american cheese. Even Velveeta cheese works.
sour cream
condensed cheddar cheese soup
salt and black pepper – For added flavor, use garlic salt with parsley flakes
whole milk – Or at least 2% milk
HOW to make it
Three easy steps:
PASTA. Bring water to a boil and cook macaroni for 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
SAUCE. In a medium pan, mix butter and cheese until cheese melts. Add sour cream, soup, salt, milk and pepper until combined.
SLOW COOK. Add the cheese sauce to the slow cooker (spray with nonstick cooking spray first) along with the cooked macaroni. Mix until combined and cook on low for 2 hours stirring every once in awhile.
TIPS and TRICKS
Here are some advanced tips to take it to the next level…
Thicken the sauce. The sauce should be creamy, not soupy. To thicken your Mac and Cheese, use a few methods:
remove the lid of the crock pot to allow for 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. Repeat if needed.
Add-ins. 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.
Pairings
Here are some other awesome recipes to make the perfect meal..
There are so many great sides to go with this Crockpot mac and cheese. Veggies and bread are great – so are salads. Here are some of the go-to recipes we like to pair best with this cheesy dinner idea:
STORE. 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.
FREEZE. 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.
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
STORE. Store leftover slow cooker Mac and Cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 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.Note: Discard Crockpot Pot Mac and Cheese if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.FREEZE. 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.
My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!
I LOVE this mac n cheese!!! It has everything I’m looking for. I have even found that I can cook it on the stovetop very quickly also (mix sauce together, boil noodles, then add to sauce, serve). I love it as a side to sloppy joes (or even in it)!
Has anyone ever cooked this on high? If so, for how long and what was the result? Any good? This is my hands down, favorite go-to Mac and cheese and I want to make it at the beach but don’t want to have to wait so long once we get home. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it on high, but you could! You’d just want to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Essentially, everything in this dish is already cooked, it just needs to warm through together. So you could essentially even make it over the stovetop. After melting the cheese and the cooking the noodles, combine over the stovetop until heated through. If you do it on high, maybe check it after 1 hour and determine if it is ready.
I don’t normally leave reviews but this was delicious ! Over the last few years I have been trying to find the perfect Mac n cheese crockpot recipe and I finally hit the jackpot ! About halfway through I added a little more cooked pasta b/c it seemed a little to soupy for my taste and it worked out perfect. I also added a small amount of onion , but otherwise followed the recipe. IT WAS SO GOOD ! I was nervous about trying a new recipe on Thanksgiving day but this was the most popular dish. Thank you !!
What kind of grated cheese should I use? Can I used the shredded cheddar that comes in a bag or should I get a lock and shred .. would it make a difference either way? Thanks!
My picky kiddos absolutely love this mac and cheese and it’s so easy to make! Already planning to make it for a Comfort Food New Years Eve night!
This recipe is a family favorite! My kids request this Mac and cheese weekly. The cheese turns out perfectly. The flavor is delicious.
Mine do also! Thank you for sharing that!
I LOVE this mac n cheese!!! It has everything I’m looking for. I have even found that I can cook it on the stovetop very quickly also (mix sauce together, boil noodles, then add to sauce, serve). I love it as a side to sloppy joes (or even in it)!
My kids loved this for Thanksgiving! My son told me it was his new favorite Mac and cheese. In the crockpot, even better
Macaroni and cheese is a favorite and this recipe does not disappoint! Amazing and so creamy!
Can I get everything ready ahead of time and then just turn the crockpot on
You sure could 🙂
Has anyone ever cooked this on high? If so, for how long and what was the result? Any good? This is my hands down, favorite go-to Mac and cheese and I want to make it at the beach but don’t want to have to wait so long once we get home. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it on high, but you could! You’d just want to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Essentially, everything in this dish is already cooked, it just needs to warm through together. So you could essentially even make it over the stovetop. After melting the cheese and the cooking the noodles, combine over the stovetop until heated through. If you do it on high, maybe check it after 1 hour and determine if it is ready.
Can you use 1% milk, 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream?
I’ve added 1% & it’s fine 🙂 I haven’t tried the other two.
I don’t normally leave reviews but this was delicious ! Over the last few years I have been trying to find the perfect Mac n cheese crockpot recipe and I finally hit the jackpot ! About halfway through I added a little more cooked pasta b/c it seemed a little to soupy for my taste and it worked out perfect. I also added a small amount of onion , but otherwise followed the recipe. IT WAS SO GOOD ! I was nervous about trying a new recipe on Thanksgiving day but this was the most popular dish. Thank you !!
Awe, I am so glad you decided to try it & happier you liked it! Thank you so much for sharing that!
I am making this soon. How much extra cooked noodles did you end up adding?
Thanks!
I cant find the soup what can i substitute for
I haven’t tried substituting the soup, but I would see what google suggests. I don’t want to say the wrong thing, since I haven’t tried.
Cream of chicken, mushroom or celery work great!
I’ve used Condensed Cheddar Cheese Broccoli Soup
What kind of grated cheese should I use? Can I used the shredded cheddar that comes in a bag or should I get a lock and shred .. would it make a difference either way? Thanks!
I use bagged & I have bought a block of cheddar & shredded it. I like to use fresh cheese for pastas, but both are great 🙂