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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!
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!
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.
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!!
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!