Uncooked elbow macaroni is the first ingredient in this creamy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese; do not boil these noodles. To make a supper that everyone will enjoy, just put the milk, cheese, and seasonings in the slow cooker.
This simple Crock Pot mac and cheese recipe is great for entertaining or as a simple dinner option every day.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No-boil convenience: It's a no-boil pasta recipe that cooks right in your crock pot.
- Frees up your kitchen: It frees up your stove or oven for cooking other dishes.
- Crowd-friendly: It's easy to double, making it perfect for weeknight dinners as well as potlucks, parties, and larger gatherings.
- Dump-and-go simplicity: It's simple to throw everything in your crock pot and, a short time later, dig into the cheesy, gooey noodles.
Ingredients
- Elbow pasta: Since this is macaroni and cheese, I use small elbow macaroni. Please do not use gluten-free or quick-cooking pasta in the recipe.
- Whole milk: I prefer the creaminess of using whole milk.
- Evaporated milk: Using evaporated milk in Mac & Cheese helps keep the cheese from breaking apart and becoming gritty or chalky.
- Sharp cheddar: Grated yourself, not pre-shredded cheese; prepackaged cheese is coated with anti-caking ingredients, so it doesn't melt as well.
- American cheese: Shredded or cubed from the deli department at the grocery store, not individually wrapped cheese slices.
- Salt: To season and bring out the flavors of the cheese sauce.
- Black pepper: Adds a touch of classic seasoning.
- Garlic powder: Sprinkle on some garlic powder to give it a little oomph of flavor depth.
- Butter: Dot the top with cubed butter for richness and creaminess.
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Prepare the slow cooker. Apply nonstick cooking spray to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Combine all ingredients. Add the cheeses, whole milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and evaporated milk to the slow cooker along with the uncooked pasta, and stir to mix, covering all of the noodles.
- Dot with butter. Apply a dot of cubed butter on top of the mixture.
- Cook and stir. Cook, covered, over low heat for one hour; take off the lid and give it a stir, then cook for another hour with the lid back on.
- Rest and thicken. After removing the lid and letting it sit for a few minutes, the sauce will thicken.
Expert Tips
- Use whole milk: Using a lower fat milk can add more water and make your mac and cheese more liquidy and not cook properly.
- Use a quality pasta: A higher-quality pasta holds up better to slow cooking and is less likely to become mushy. Avoid thin or quick-cooking varieties.
- Keep the lid on: Be quick when you remove the lid to stir, don't let too much heat out.
- Switch to warm when done: Once the pasta is cooked, make sure to turn the slow cooker to warm, or even turn it off and keep the lid on until ready to serve.
- Use a liner: Use a Crockpot liner for easy clean up.
Variations
- Change the cheese: You can mix up the cheese in this recipe, including white cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, gruyere, or gouda.
- Add veggies: Try adding roasted or steamed broccoli or cauliflower to the recipe, peas would also be good.
- Mix up the seasonings: You can make this spicy by adding cayenne pepper or hot sauce, or add dry mustard for that classic flavor you are craving.
- Add protein: Make this a full meal by adding in some shredded chicken or ground beef to bulk it up into a meat-based meal.
- Try different toppings: You can top your mac n cheese with more cheese, fresh ground pepper, green onions, or chopped parsley.
How to Store
If you have leftovers, just keep the mac and cheese in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little additional milk or cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you have a large enough slow cooker, you can double this recipe. The cooking time stays about the same, but stir it at the halfway point and check that the pasta is tender before serving.
Macaroni and cheese never tastes exactly the same when reheated, and there's a chance the macaroni will get mushy, so we don't advise doing so. If this is a deal-breaker, though, you can reheat it; just add a little milk to loosen the thickened sauce.
An anti-caking ingredient in prepackaged shredded cheese may give your finished mac and cheese a grainy texture. Shred your own cheese after buying it from the deli.
It will get mushy if it cooks too quickly or too long. Thin macaroni noodles are the main offender since they cook much more quickly and become mushy.
Yes, you can! This recipe is proof! When there is sufficient moisture, such as milk for the pasta to cook with, adding raw or uncooked pasta to a slow cooker works. You will have a huge mushy mess if you cook these noodles beforehand.
Evaporated milk has less water than regular milk, so it keeps the sauce thick and creamy and helps stop the cheese from breaking. Using regular milk instead will make the sauce overly runny. Just don't confuse it with sweetened condensed milk, which isn't interchangeable.
If you tried this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- ½ pound elbow pasta uncooked
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 6 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar
- 1 cup American cheese cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons butter cubed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Apply nonstick cooking spray to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the cheeses, whole milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and evaporated milk to the slow cooker along with the uncooked pasta. Stir to mix, making sure all of the noodles are covered.
- Dot the top with the cubed butter.
- Cook, covered, over low heat for one hour. Take off the lid and give it a stir. Cook for another hour with the lid back on.
- Remove the lid and let it sit for a few minutes; the sauce will thicken as it rests.
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