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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.
Can you double this recipe?
You bet! It may take a little longer to heat all the way through in the crockpot being doubled, but should still taste the very same!
First time making this and it was very good 😋
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I made this for Easter and it was a hit!
I’m so glad everyone liked it!
What size crock pot if I double the recipe? Anxious to make for my family for Easter!
I would use a 10 quart crockpot if you double this recipe. I hope you have a fabulous Easter!
If I double the recipe, what size crockpot should I use? I’m anxious to make for Easter!
This was a fun base recipe. I tweaked some things. Used smoked gouda, sharp cheddar and mozzarella. I also used half milk half heavy cream (adding a fourth cup more then the recipe because it seems a bit dry when it’s done cooking). And added in some sauteed kielbasa sausage to round out the meal. I also added some dry mustard and a little cayenne too for some heat. It’s a good macaroni and cheese that my kids absolutely love!
All of those additions and tweaks sounds amazing! A gourmet mac and cheese for sure! I’m so glad your kids enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
What size crockpot did you use for this amount? Have you ever doubled the recipe? I’m wondering if I can make a bigger batch for a crowd. 😊
I used a 6-quart crockpot for this recipe. I haven’t doubled the recipe before so I’m not sure if there would be enough room in the crockpot. You should have room if you make 1 1/2 times the recipe though. Hope this helps!
I use a little extra butter & cheese and it’s to die for! So easy & good!
Can’t go wrong with that! Thank you!
Made with cream of chicken soup as I never have cheddar cheese soup on hand? I also added a splash of Worcestershire sauce because I love it with cheesy dishes.
I think the crock pot is totally not needed. One could eat it right away once the noodles (I fully cook them and drain) are mixed with the melted cheese sauce. I placed it in a baking dish, sprinkled seasoned bread crumbs on top, and broiled uncovered for 15 minutes. I have also made this using a 16 oz package of gnocchi instead of the noodles with awesome results! A favorite add-in is a small can of Rotel (drained). A little Bleu cheese adds a delicious twist too!
That all sounds great! Thank you for sharing what you did!
Super easy added NM Hatch green chile for spice!