Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Easy Crock Pot Mac & Cheese is a super creamy, classic mac and cheese that starts with uncooked elbow macaroni noodles. No boil! Just throw everything together in your crockpot for an easy and delicious dinner or side dish. The crock pot does all the work. That’s my kind of recipe!
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There are lots of ways to make a yummy mac and cheese, but in the crock pot is my favorite. Just throw everything in your trusty crock pot and wait for your delicious, creamy mac and cheese to be ready. You don’t even have to cook the noodles first. It doesn’t get much easier!
Looking for a Baked Mac and Cheese recipe? Click here!
You’ve got to try Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese!
Why you’ll love it
- The best thing about mac and cheese is that you can make it your own. Try different cheeses or a combo. I personally love sharp white cheddar, good ‘ole American cheese, gouda, or monterey jack. You can also add anything to your mac, such as chili, lobster, broccoli, crawfish, you name it!
- Cooking in a crock pot means you don’t have to keep an eye on it and worry about it burning. It’s a pretty dump and go, hands off, kinda thing.
- For a large crowd you can double the recipe, just add an extra 30 minutes of cook time.
Items you’ll need:
Ingredients:
You can find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- Elbow Macaroni: Classic elbow macaroni gives this dish its comforting, familiar texture.
- Milk: For a rich and creamy sauce, 2% or whole milk works best. The higher fat content adds body and smoothness, making the mac and cheese extra luscious. Milk is the base that ties all the cheeses and seasonings together into a perfectly balanced sauce.
- Cheese: This recipe calls for shredded cheddar, but feel free to get creative with your favorite cheeses. A combination of sharp cheddar for tang, Monterey Jack for meltability, or even Gouda for a bit of smokiness can elevate the dish. Be sure to shred the cheese yourself for the creamiest results—pre-packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, the shredding attachment makes this task a breeze, transforming blocks of cheese into a fluffy pile in seconds!
- Velveeta Cheese: This processed cheese might be polarizing, but it’s the secret to that ultra-smooth, silky texture we all crave in a classic mac and cheese. Velveeta melts seamlessly into the sauce, creating a velvety consistency that coats every noodle.
- Canned Cheddar Cheese Soup: This might sound unusual, but adding cheddar cheese soup to the sauce brings an extra level of creaminess and depth. It enhances the cheese flavor without overpowering the other ingredients, helping to achieve that rich, restaurant-style mac and cheese texture.
- Ground Mustard: A hint of ground mustard powder brightens the cheese sauce, cutting through the richness with a subtle tang that balances all that creaminess.
- Salt and Pepper: Simple but essential
- Garlic Powder: A sprinkle of garlic powder adds a mellow, savory depth that complements the cheese without overpowering it.
- Nutmeg: Just a dash of nutmeg adds a warm, nutty undertone that’s almost undetectable but makes the sauce taste complex.
- Optional Chili Powder: If you like a bit of heat, a sprinkle of chili powder adds a subtle kick that plays well with the richness of the cheese. Customize the spice level to taste and turn up the flavor dial as high as you like!
How to make it
It’s so easy, you may not think you did enough work! Start by shredding the cheddar cheese, cubing the Velveeta and measuring out all the ingredients. Quickly rinse the noodles just to get rid of that “pasta dust” that comes from sitting in the box. Lightly spray your crockpot with nonstick spray or use a crockpot liner for easy clean up. Add all ingredients to the crockpot, ensuring the noodles are completely submerged under the milk.
Cover, cook on low for 1 hour then stir. Cover again and cook on low for an additional 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. That’s it! I told you it was easy!
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Tips for leftovers
This dish is best to be enjoyed immediately, as the longer the mac and cheese sits, the mushier the noodles become. If you do want to reheat it, add some milk to the mac and cheese to loosen the sauce then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, stirring and adding extra milk as needed to bring the sauce back to life.
Alternately, you can add leftovers to a casserole dish, with 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of milk to the casserole dish and bake at 375 F for about 30 minutes.
What goes with Mac and Cheese?
In my opinion, anything! This dish is perfect as a main meal. Serve with a side of roasted broccoli, air fryer green beans, a side salad, baked beans, just to name a few!
- Shredded BBQ Chicken
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Meatloaf
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Mix into Chili for Chili Mac and Cheese
- Ham
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Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni noodles
- 3 cups milk 2% or whole milk works best
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese feel free to use any cheese you like or a combination of cheeses
- 10.5 ounce can cheddar cheese soup
- 8 ounces Velveeta cubed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Spray your crockpot with nonstick spray or use a crockpot liner.
- Give the noodles a quick rinse in a colander before adding to the crockpot to remove the pasta "dust" from being inside the box.
- Shred the cheese and cube the Velveeta. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and mix. Make sure the noodles are completely submerged in the milk.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Stir, cover and cook on low another 1 hour until the noodles are tender and the sauce is creamy. Because all crockpots are different you may need an additional 30 minutes of cook time for the best result.
- Did you make this recipe? Let us know below in the comments!
