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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.
So creamy, delicious, and so easy to make!! A family 5 star recipe for sure!!! Thanks so much!!
You changes the ingredients? Where can I find the old one? With the sour cream and cheddar cheese soup? It’s even in the beginning description?
So sorry about that! We had a little mess up on the back end but the recipe is back. 😉
Yes! Thank you! This is so good! I make it all the time for large gatherings and always a hit with both grown ups and kids!
I love Crock Pot recipes since they work well with my busy schedule. And it’s even better when my kids like the recipe too! This Crock Pot Mac N Cheese is a keeper. My family loved it!
I survive the fall and busy days by using my crock pot. This is a kid favorite! So creamy.
This is such a tasty mac and cheese recipe and I love that I can cook it and keep it warmed in the slow cooker. Perfect for our family dinners!
My whole family loves this mac and cheese! It’s creamy and cheesy and has a great blend of flavors. I also love that I can make it a couple of hours beforehand and let it sit until dinner.
Wondering if this could be doubled to feed a large group?
I see my question was already answered-thanks! Making this for a family gathering soon.
What size crockpot would you use? I was thinking 4 quarts? I’m trying to plan out all my thanksgiving appliances I’m going to use 😂
I was looking for easy foods that can feed lots, is easy to make & all kids love! This is going to be it
I didn’t see where it says how many this will feed ?
~Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve made a lot of your recipes exactly like written, everyone raved about how good they are.
Amazing. Creamy. Everyone loves this in our household
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! This mac and cheese is definitely a fav at our house!
Made this for the family and it was a HUGE hit. I added smoked paprika and minced garlic. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome!! Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m glad the Mac and cheese was a hit!