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Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Published November 10, 2022. Updated June 12, 2024

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Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Crockpot Mac and Cheese – It’s made with hearty elbow macaroni and over a pound of three cheeses! It’s rich and satisfying and one of the ultimate comfort food side dishes.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Easy Crockpot Mac and Cheese!

This is hands the absolute easiest way to make macaroni and cheese! Believe it or not, it’s unbelievably creamy, no broken curdled sauce, no mushy noodles, and the taste is simply perfect.

My tricks to a good crockpot mac and cheese are to use a combination of cream, water, and evaporated milk – instead of regular or whole milk so it doesn’t curdle in the cheese sauce. Then also wait until closer to the end to add the shredded cheese so that doesn’t overheat and separate.

And another important key is to use a combination of cheeses for great flavor and texture. Sharp cheddar builds up the best traditional macaroni and cheese flavor, while each American cheese and Monterey Jack cheese create a velvety sauce.

The starches of cooking everything together in one pot (or slow cooker insert technically) also help create a smooth sauce.

This is a family favorite! It has a well-balanced flavor that isn’t too harsh so people of all ages love it, and the cook will love the ease of preparation.

It’s jam-packed flavorful goodness in every bite and undoubtedly worthy of the holidays (it’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or potlucks), but yet simple enough for a weeknight side dish!

Watch the Video for Crock Pot Mac and Cheese!

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Ingredients

Dry macaroni pasta
Butter
Water
Evaporated milk
Heavy cream
Onion powder and garlic powder (try paprika if you like some spice!)
Salt and black pepper
Sharp cheddar cheese (shredding it yourself tastes better, but pre-shredded cheeses are faster)
American cheese (from the deli)
Monterey Jack cheese

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

How to Make Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Spray a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Add macaroni pasta, butter, water, evaporated milk, heavy cream, onion powder, garlic powder and season with salt to taste. Stir then level and submerge pasta in liquid as best you can.

Cover and cook on low heat until macaroni is about 2/3 of the way tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Working quickly remove lid and add cheddar, American cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. Stir then quickly return lid.

Cook covered 15 to 30 minutes longer until pasta is tender and cheese is melted.

Stir. Thin with a little hot water as needed. Season with pepper to taste if desired.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Possible Substitutes and Variations

Velveeta option: While it won’t taste quite as good you could substitute Velveeta for the deli American cheese if that’s what you have on hand.
Toasted breadcrumb topping: A delicious addition to this is to finish it with toasted panko breadcrumbs. To do this melt 3 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs. Toss almost constantly until toasty and golden brown. Serve over finished mac.
Stronger cheese flavor: For bolder flavor use extra sharp cheddar in place of sharp cheddar, or replace Monterey Jack cheese with Gruyere, or you can even add a little finely shredded parmesan cheese (shred with a zester).
Extra creamy sauce: If you want it even creamier then replace 1/3 cup of the water with an additional 1/3 cup heavy cream.
Make it spicy: Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Helpful Tips

Use freshly grated cheeses: We don’t want the additives that are included in pre-grated cheeses here. The flavor won’t be as good or the texture.
Brands of macaroni to use: I’ve made this recipe with several brands and we preferred Barilla. It’s a bit larger and holds up a little better and doesn’t seem to release as much starch as others.
Slow cooker brand cook time: Note that every brand and model of slow cooker will cook at a different rate. For this recipe I use Crockpot brand slow cookers and they are known to cook high. If you have a different brand you will likely need to cook toward greater times listed and possibly even a little more.
Be careful not to over-stir: And stir gently. This is once pasta is partial cooked, then when stirring in cheeses and at the end. Just a few good quick stirs each time so it doesn’t mash the macaroni and get overly starchy.
Keeping mac and cheese warm: You can keep the macaroni and cheese set on the warm setting of the slow cooker for up to 30 minutes after cook time is complete. Keep it covered with a lid. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese