This crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe is cheesy and delicious, with such a creamy texture. This comfort food comes together quickly and easily. It is a great dish for a holiday meal or for a busy week night. It’ll get devoured by adults and kids alike!
Original post: 2014. Updated: 2018.
Original recipe at the VERY BOTTOM OF THIS POST IN THE PHOTO, directly above the recipe card.
Why This Recipe Works
You know those meals that can be made for nearly every holiday meal, no matter what time of the year it is? This slow cooker macaroni and cheese is that recipe for me. I make this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July and so many other occasions that fall in between.
Why? Because I can dump everything into my 7 quart slow cooker while saving oven and stove-top space for other recipes. I give the mac and cheese a few stirs throughout and before I know it, it’s ready to eat!
This crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe gets devoured every single time without fail, no matter the season. It requires such little attention, it is an easy recipe and it always turns out perfectly. Don’t limit making this recipe on just holidays.
This is a great kid meal option any night of the week and also the perfect party food for a larger gathering.
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Why Make Mac and Cheese in a Slow Cooker?
Any time your oven is being used (busy holidays) or when you don’t have an oven to use (potlucks) is a great opportunity to make a creamy dish in your crockpot.
Recipe Ingredients
Elbow macaroni – If you opt to use uncooked elbow macaroni, please be sure to watch it carefully while it cooks. Nobody likes mushy noodles! When removing the lid to stir the noodles, do so quickly!
Cheeses – Cheddar, Parmesan and Velveeta are my absolute favorite combination of cheeses to use for Crock Pot Mac and Cheese. Feel free to replace them with equal amounts of American cheese, mozzarella and/or sharp cheddar cheese. Monterey jack works great, too!
Milk – Replace a portion of the milk with heavy cream for an even creamier end result.
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How To Make The Best Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Follow these super simple instructions to make the most delicious slow cooker mac and cheese your lips will ever taste!
Step 1
Throw only 5 ingredients (yep, five!) into your crock pot: elbow macaroni noodles (cooked the pasta 3 minutes shy of al dente, so approximately 5 minutes total), milk, Velveeta cheese, butter and Parmesan grated cheese.
Step 2
Set the crock pot on Low heat and the cook time will be somewhere between 2-3 hours. Give it a stir a couple times throughout, if possible, and start checking on the pasta at the 2-hour mark.
Allow all of those yummy ingredients to melt together!
Depending on the crock pot, this dish will be done anywhere between 2 and 3 hours. My crock pot produces perfect results after 2.5 hours of cooking time.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe started out as a much different recipe (scroll way down to the bottom, below the recipe card), so try the original version if you’d like!
- This makes a large batch of mac and cheese! It will easily feed 8 hungry people as a main dish or 12 people as a side dish or party food. This is a great dish for pot lucks!
- Consider adding 1/2 cup sour cream to add even more creaminess to the dish.
- Add cooked ham or bacon pieces to add flavor and when serving as a main dish.
- Sprinkle the mixture with salt and black pepper just before serving!
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder would be a great addition to the cheese sauce.
What To Serve With Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a comfort food favorite! But what goes with it?! This roundup provides 16 delicious ideas about what to serve alongside mac and cheese to create a complete, satisfying meal!
What To Do With Macaroni and Cheese Leftovers
Delivering you a massive list of 41 ideas for leftover cheesy mac! Whether you have an abundance of leftovers or just want new things to do with this classic comfort food, we’ve got your back.
How Long Does This Recipe Last
If you have leftovers and you are wondering whether to toss or eat, read this article for information about how long mac and cheese lasts.
How To Reheat Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese leftovers are inevitable since most recipes make huge batches. Learn how to reheat mac and cheese, while retaining moisture and flavor!
Substitute For Milk in Mac and Cheese
Whether you are looking for a different flavor in your next creamy pasta dish or you just don’t have milk on hand, learn replacements for milk in macaroni and cheese!
Mac and Cheese Recipes for Thanksgiving – 13 Delicious Ideas!
Mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving staple! Read on for some scrumptious mac and cheese recipes for Thanksgiving that you can make this year! You’ll find a ton of options to choose from in this roundup.
More Delicious Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese – Healthify Mac and Cheese by adding cauliflower! Kids won’t suspect a thing and you’ll secretly be adding nutrition to a favorite comfort food.
- Looking for a new way to enjoy comforting mac and cheese? Make these baked mac and cheese bites for a fun and perfect finger food to serve to kids and adults.
- Instant Pot mac and cheese is a dream come true! Done in 20 minutes, this side OR main dish cooks absolutely perfectly every single time!
- Baked mac and cheese cooks perfectly every time with the perfect amount of creamy cheese. Great as a holiday side or weekday main dish. Kids and adults alike will devour it!
- Add pumpkin to your next batch of mac and cheese so it’s more delicious and more creamy. This pumpkin mac and cheese recipe is 100% kid-friendly and done in 30 minutes!
- This chili mac recipe is the perfect marriage of two of the most comforting comfort foods of all time. Delicious way to use up leftover chili!
FAQ About Mac and Cheese
You can definitely freeze mac and cheese! Place in a freezer resealable bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. When defrosting it, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before heating and serving.
To reheat mac and cheese, transfer it to a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk and stir. Place the saucepan on a stove top over medium-low heat and stir until consistency is smooth and noodles are warmed through. If microwaving, heat in 1-minute bursts, stirring after each, until cheese has melted and the noodles are heated through.
Just about anything can be served alongside mac and cheese. Here are a few great options: steamed veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower, chopped salad, spinach or a Ceasar salad. Or how about roasted tomatoes or sauteed mushrooms?!
Mac and cheese can be made ahead of time. Make the recipe in its entirety the day before, then reheat until hot and serve.
Comfort Food Recipes
- This easy crab soup recipe requires only 5 ingredients and it is done in less than 30 minutes!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is a delicious combination of the tastiest flavors you will ever eat in a single bite.
- This is the best meatloaf recipe with crackers you’ll ever eat and it is such an easy classic dish. It’ll quickly become a favorite family meal!
- Runza Casserole is inspired by a world-famous sandwich made with ground beef and cabbage. This is a filling, delicious and affordable way to feed an entire family!
Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Slow Cooker Hot Creamy Corn Dip is ADDICTING! Bacon and green chiles gives this dish the kick is needs. Sprinkle some cilantro into the cheesy corn dish for a perfect party dish.
- These baked apple slices with cinnamon are the perfect sweet, gluten-free any-time dessert OR side dish.
- Baked stuffed sweet potatoes take dinner to the next level! Load up a perfectly baked potato with your favorite ingredients for a hearty side dish.
- Air fryer broccoli and cauliflower ensures a delicious, healthy side dish for any dinner.
- Tater Tot Hotdish is perfect when you’re craving comfort food. Whether it’s the main dish or a side, everyone at the table will be happy.
What People Are Saying About This Recipe
“Made this tonight for new years! This is definitely gonna be my go to mac and cheese recipe from now on! Soooooo good!!” ~Leah
“Hi, I made this Mac and cheese. My family loved it !! I cooked my noodles let them cool. Then I followed the old recipe with 4 cups of milk and cream cheese. I used American cheese instead of Velveeta. Next time I want to try pepper jack cheese. I put every thing in my crockpot and mixed it. I covered it and cooked for 30 minutes on high. Then turned down to low for 1 1/2 hours stirring in between. All times vary according to your crockpot. “ ~Connie
“I made the original recipe, doubled the recipe and put in one big crock pot. It was filled to the brim but it did fit. Everyone who ate it LOVED it. Now I get asked to make it for every upcoming occasion. Thanks for sharing this simple, quick and tasty recipe. “ ~Sally
“I made this for a potluck at work and everyone absolutely LOVED it. I never even got to have any because they ate it all. At the second potluck we had, everyone begged me to make it again. I’m not the biggest fan of velveeta so I did switch that out for mozzarella but it’s still a fantastic recipe and it is my go-to Mac n cheese recipe now. “ ~Katie
Original Recipe
Throw evaporated milk, cream cheese, uncooked elbow macaroni, milk and shredded cheese into your crockpot on Low heat. Start checking for doneness at 1.5 hours. (side note: boil the macaroni for a few minutes first for optimal results)
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Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 3 cups milk
- 8 oz velveeta cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup salted butter cut into chunks
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water 3 minutes short of being al dente.
- Place the cooked macaroni, milk, Velveeta, butter and cheddar cheese into a crockpot. Stir and top with Parmesan cheese. Set heat to Low and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally and check for doneness starting at the 2-hour mark.
Notes
- This recipe started out as a much different recipe (scroll way down to the bottom, below the recipe card), so try the original version if you’d like!
- This makes a large batch of mac and cheese! It will easily feed 8 hungry people as a main dish or 12 people as a side dish or party food. This is a great dish for pot lucks!
- Add cooked ham or bacon pieces to add flavor and when serving as a main dish.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving!
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder would be a great addition to the cheese sauce.
Made this for a Harvest Carnival @ church, for the kiddos…..IT WAS GONE IN MINUTES! So many parents raved about it. So easy on a busy day/night
That’s so cool! Thanks for sharing that.
I made the updated version and it was fantastic! Reminds me of the kind you get from the frozen section of the store, which I love. It fed 5 adults as a main dish with a side salad, and there was nothing left! If I were expecting to feed 8 as a main dish, I would add a significant amount of meat after it was done cooking.
So glad you enjoyed it, Janelle! Thank you for sharing the details. too.
Can you maybe put some chicken in this?
Leftover shredded chicken would be great. I’ve done kielbasa too. There’s endless ways to dress up mac and cheese!
Pay no attention to these arrogant ignorant people. They just can’t read! One is the original folks and the other one is the newer crock pot version!! Thanks girl for the update!!
not happy bc i bought the things to make it like the picture to only find out the recipe is totally different.
Not at all, Stephanie. Two recipes included in the post, also descriptions of both in the post. Both are good!
This is so stupid you show a picture of one thing and write about changes. You should of just showed the changed then not made it confusing by posting a picture of a while different recipe. We don’t wanna read all that anyways just give us what we need
I understand your point of view but my audience is wide and we have a lot of new cooks, established seasoned cooks and everything in between so I enjoy sharing to each of them.
Thank you for professional reply ti the negative feedback. I have used both your recipes and love them! Thank you for sharing them with us.
is it velveeta or shredded cheddar? pic shows cheddar…..recipe is different.
Please read the post. There’s 2 versions of this mac and cheese recipe. The original I share at the bottom and the new and updated one I shared starts at the top and is included in the recipe card.
The recipe calls for Velveeta, but not cream cheese. I’m confused
Super easy and delicious!
So glad you thought so, Jen!
Can I freeze it?
I find that it can be frozen but when you warm it up, it’s preferred to do it on the stovetop with some milk added to it. The cheese can clump otherwise.
I made this recipe. I used Velveeta for mine. I had friends over for dinner and we all loved this slow cooker Mac & Cheese. Very happy with the way it turned out & tasted
Thank you for sharing, Renee! Nice to have a dish everyone can enjoy.