This crock pot mac and cheese with Velveeta recipe is cheesy and delicious, with such a creamy texture. This comfort food comes together quickly and easily, requiring only 6 ingredients and minimal prep time. It is a great recipe for a holiday meal or for a busy week night. It’ll get devoured by adults and kids alike!
Original post: 2014 | Updated: October 2023 and August 2024
Why This Recipe Works
There are about a million reasons why I adore this crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe made with Velveeta, but I’ll limit my list to just a few:
- 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 it! I make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July and so many other occasions in between.
- Dump only 6 ingredients into your slow cooker while saving oven and stove-top space for other recipes.
- It’s such an easy recipe that the whole family will love!
- This slow cooker mac and cheese recipe gets rave reviews without fail, no matter the season or time of year.
- Crockpot Velveeta mac requires very little attention while it cooks.
- It produces the creamiest macaroni and cheese every single time.
- Picky eaters adore this pasta dish!
- This classic recipe is a great family dinner any night of the week as well as the perfect party food for a large crowd.
- 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 this delicious crockpot recipe.
Recipe Ingredients for Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
Elbow macaroni – If you opt to use uncooked elbow noodles, please be sure to watch it carefully while it cooks. Nobody likes mushy noodles! When removing the lid to stir the noodles, do this quickly in order to trap as much heat inside as possible.
Milk – Any variety of milk can be used, including whole milk, 2%, 1%, oat milk or almond milk. Replace a portion of the milk with heavy cream for an even creamier end result.
Evaporated milk can be used in place of regular milk when twice the amount is added.
Velveeta – Velveeta is the start of the show in this perfect mac n cheese recipe. Learn more about its shelf life and how long Velveeta lasts after being opened!
Butter – I love the salty flavor that salted butter adds to the already delicious recipe, but unsalted butter is a great option, too.
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar is my favorite variety to add to the mix, but feel free to replace with an equal amount of any of the following:
American cheese, pepper jack, mozzarella, colby jack, cream cheese (this will produce a sweeter homemade macaroni and cheese), provolone, monterey jack or any type of creamy cheese.
Use pre-shredded cheese for ease or shred a block yourself.
Parmesan cheese – Grated parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top adds fantastic flavor and texture! Consider using shredded parmesan instead if you have it on hand.
How To Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese with Velveeta
Step 1
Add the following ingredients to your 7 quart crock pot to make this Velveeta crockpot mac and cheese:
- Elbow macaroni noodles that have been pre-cooked in a large pot 3 minutes shy of al dente (approximately 5 minutes total)
- Milk
- Velveeta cheese
- Butter
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
Step 2
Set the crock pot to low heat and set the cook time to 3 hours. Allow all of those yummy ingredients to cook and melt together!
Give the mixture a stir a couple times throughout with a wooden spoon, and start checking for doneness starting at the 2-hour mark for best results.
Depending on the crockpot, the dish will be done somewhere between 2-3 hours.
My crock pot produces perfect results after 2.5 hours of cooking time and with two good stirs in the middle.
Recipe Notes
- Give the crockpot a good coating of nonstick cooking spray or consider using a slow cooker liner to make cleanup easy peasy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- 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. It 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 bits to add flavor and protein when serving as a main dish. This is a great way to use up leftover ham!
- Sprinkle the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper just before serving!
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or onion powder would be great additions to the cheese sauce.
- If you add uncooked dry pasta to the slow cooker without pre-cooking, give the mixture a good stir every 30 minutes or so and keep a close eye out for doneness.
- If the mixture is dry at any point during the cooking process, toss in a splash of milk and stir.
- Pre-shredded cheddar cheese makes the recipe extra easy! For added freshness, consider shredding your own.
Substitute For Milk in Mac and Cheese
Whether you are looking for a different flavor in your next creamy macaroni dish or you just don’t have milk on hand, learn replacements for milk in macaroni and cheese!
What To Serve With Mac and Cheese
Mac cheese is the perfect comfort food! 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 Mac 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 Mac and Cheese 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 n cheese, while retaining moisture and flavor!
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.
Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
- Baked mac and cheese bites are a super fun finger food idea 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 to absolute perfection every single time!
- Baked mac and cheese is a great holiday side or weekday main dish. Everyone will devour it!
- Add pumpkin to your next batch of mac n cheese so it’s even 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!
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
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Crock Pot Mac and Cheese With Velveeta Recipe
Equipment
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.16 oz elbow macaroni
- Place the cooked macaroni, milk, Velveeta, butter and cheddar cheese into a crockpot. Stir and top with Parmesan cheese.3 cups milk, 8 oz velveeta, 1/4 cup salted butter, 3 cups cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup 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.
Video
Notes
- Give the crockpot a good coating of nonstick cooking spray or consider using a slow cooker liner to make cleanup easy peasy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- 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. It 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 bits to add flavor and protein when serving as a main dish. This is a great way to use up leftover ham!
- Sprinkle the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper just before serving!
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or onion powder would be great additions to the cheese sauce.
- If you add uncooked dry pasta to the slow cooker without pre-cooking, give the mixture a good stir every 30 minutes or so and keep a close eye out for doneness.
- If the mixture is dry at any point during the cooking process, toss in a splash of milk and stir.
- Pre-shredded cheddar cheese makes the recipe extra easy! For added freshness, consider shredding your own.
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
Pepperjack is a great cheese to use. I like your changeups – thank you for sharing!
How much cream cheese did you use? I’m planning on making this for Thanksgiving, that seems like it would make even creamier!
Originally I used an 8oz block of cream cheese. I hope you love it!
I meant to say that people might want to check theirs more than I did.
Sorry for the bad grammar in my first post!
🙂
Made this tonight, yum! But 2 hours was too long in my crockpot and the macaroni basically dissolved. Just posting to let others know that they made to check theirs a bit more often than I did! Will definitely be making again though! Thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂
Thanks for the feedback. It’s appreciated! I could see that – everyone’s crockpots heat differently and mushy noodles aren’t the best. I’m glad you liked it overall though!
Question??? Has anyone tried using 4oz velveeta and 4oz of cream cheese together? With the new version or the old version? I love both velveeta and cream cheese so I’d thought of adding both.
That doesn’t sound like it would be bad at all! I say try it and check back in to tell us your review!
I made the original recipe, doubled it 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.
You are so welcome Sally! I’m really glad it was enjoyed and I appreciate you coming back to let me know!
What size Crockpot did you use for the double batch? Was it a 10quart? Making this as part of a potluck for a funeral and trying to make sure I have enough and enough room too lol. Thinking of doing a triple batch total. Double in 10qt pot and single in like a 6qt pot. Will this work?
I didn’t make a double batch, the recipe just makes a really large batch and I have a 6 qt crockpot. You can feed about 12 people easily if its a side dish with the recipe as written. Hope that clarifies!
I’m wanting to make this recipe for our HS FOOTBALL team. Can you make this is a roaster? I don’t want to have to haul 8 crockpots. Thanks
You can prepare this and slow cook it in the oven in your roaster. I would check online for conversion rates of a slow cooker temperature equal to using the oven. That sounds like a lot of mouths to feed! Enjoy!
Love this! I have even used gluten free pasta as some of the family can’t have gluten and it’s still great, I do add some salt and pepper and a few shakes of hot sauce.
That’s a great idea, changing out the pasta. I like the twists you added to it as well.
What size crockpot are you using? I am needing to double the recipe and trying to decide if I should split to 2 crockpot.
Yes, I would make the second batch in its own pot or crockpot. Enjoy!
I am making the original recipe right now. I felt it was missing something so I added a pouch of Velveeta sauce mix that I had. It helped, along with some salt and pepper. I plan to try the new recipe next time but I am not disappointed in the original recipe at all.
Good improvising!
As a connoisseur of good mac and cheese, I have this cooking right now in the crock pot and I’ll probably pitch it and make the new recipe. This one has a grainy feel to the cheese and is definitely not cheesy enough – I think the cream cheese tones it down too much. Also, I’d suggest anyone trying this to grease the sides of your crock pot. Now, I’m going to make the Velveeta recipe, but will not do crock pot cooking. Even the macaroni does not have the right feel to it. I think its easier to cook the pasta, mix and melt all other ingredients, mix together and stick it in the oven for a few. Why make a super easy recipe difficult???
Would it work if i didnt cook the pasta first!?
You’d need to adjust the ingredients to have more liquids then. I haven’t tried that. Let me know if you do and how it turns out!
Very yummy! Didn’t try the first recipe but this one was a big hit! I made it for my son’s birthday and everyone was asking me for the recipe! Huge bonus that it’s so easy too! Thank you for this!
Hey, if you win over the kids and the adults, it’s a keeper! Thank you for letting me know.
Can you substitute cream cheese with sour cream?
Hi Lyndsay! I have never tried sour cream in place of the cream cheese, but I’m intrigued! I think I’d start by adding 4(ish) ounces of sour cream along with 4 ounces of cream cheese. If you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out!
Megan
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.
Yay, Katie! I love this! Food that quickly vanishes at potlucks is the BEST kind of food. Thanks for the comment!
Megan
I love this mac and cheese, Sometimes I add Gouda cheese as well. I am going to try it with some Jalepeno’s to spice it up. But it is a hit in my house.
Hi Candi! I LOVE gouda and I love jalapenos, as well. I might have to incorporate these two loves into this mac and cheese next time. Thanks for the inspiration!
Megan
Hi there! Do you prefer evaporated milk over regular in this recipe? Is there much of a difference? Thanks!
Hi Alicia! Evaporated milk will produce a sweeter pasta, so if that is something you prefer then you’ll love it. If you prefer a less sugary version, go for regular milk. I hope this helps!
Megan
I made the original years ago and was scrumptious!! I am actually sad you felt to revise. This can be made so many ways. The only thing I remember is that i didn’t have to cook as long as recommended. Everyone at it all and Wanted recipe! Good job!
Oh good, Bridget! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for the comment.
Megan
Hi, I want to try your recipe this year and wonder about putting it in the oven after crockpot cooking, with a panko topping. Just letting the panko get a little crispy and browned. Less crockpot time? and how long in the oven?
Thanks
Hi Andrea! I’d keep a very close eye on the mac and cheese in the crockpot and when you think it’s CLOSE to being done, throw it into a baking dish and top with panko. Pop in the oven (350-ish) for 15-20 minutes. YUM! Let me know how it turns out!
Megan
Hi! i just wanted to let you know that I featured this recipe on my post about Thanksgiving Recipes (mixandmake.com/2017/11/17/easy-thanksgiving-recipes/).My grandmother used to make mac n cheese just like this and I always try to make it like this! Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
So cool! Thank you, Erin!
Megan
I made the original recipe twice and my family loved it. I saved the recipe to my Pinterest so that I could always have it. Luckily, I noticed the difference in recipes. I’m going to try the updated recipe today and hopefully it’s a hit just like the original.
Hello Mac lover! I’m so glad you love the original recipe so much! Let me know what you think of the updated version once you make it. It is super delicious, too!
Megan