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Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe is a timeless crowd-pleaser. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, you can create a comforting and satisfying dish. It’s the perfect side dish or main course to take to potlucks, make for holidays, or any weeknight dinner.

I love that this slow cooker recipe is easy to make and it’s such a classic family recipe. Mac and Cheese is more than just a dish, it’s comfort food on a plate. Using the slow cooker gives the cheese sauce time to simmer for hours, resulting in an incredibly creamy and cheesy sauce that coats every piece of pasta perfectly.

A slow cooker filled with a creamy, cheesy mac and cheese mixture. A serving of the mac and cheese is also shown in a white bowl. The text "Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese" is superimposed over the image.

This crock pot mac and cheese is my sister-in-law’s recipe and it’s one of those recipes that is a must-make when we are all together, like my mother-in-law’s Chicken Divan recipe. It’s just standard to have those meals. We’ve been eating this cheesy pasta for years and it’s now a tradition to have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas in my house.

If you love pasta and cheese dishes like this one, give my Cajun Mac and Cheese a try or this Slow Cooker Broccoli and Sausage Mac and Cheese recipe. Both are tried and true meals that are great for dinner and to take to potlucks.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

The slow cooker does all the work for this recipe so you can sit back and relax while it’s cooking. Creating this mac and cheese requires a few ingredients that you may not have readily on hand but they are worth the trip to the store to get and to stock up on. I like to use two varieties of cheese, a sharp cheddar cheese and a sharp white cheddar when I make this. My sister-in-law changes up the cheeses to what she has or buys. The result is always a delicious cheesy pot of pasta.

Adding a can of condensed cheddar cheese soup and evaporated milk will make the dish even creamier and provide so much flavor. The top cheese layer is a must and shouldn’t be skipped. It’s like the final layer of goodness.

baked macaroni and cheese slow cooked

Forget everything you know about mac and cheese. This slow cooker version is next-level delicious! It’s pure magic for your taste buds!

Timesaving Tips and Variations 

  • For this recipe, I used Cabot Extra Sharp Cheese, a white and yellow variety.  We like the sharpness of the cheese in this recipe, but you can use regular cheddar as well.  
  • Cook your pasta to “al-dente”, or undercook it by a couple of minutes. It will continue to cook in the slow cooker. Cooking the noodles all the way will make the casserole mushy.
  • Use a sturdy pasta like elbows or shells, avoid delicate pastas or very small cuts.
  • I like to mix the ingredients for the cheese sauce right in the slow cooker before I add the cooked pasta.
  • Depending on your crockpot, times can vary for cooking. I used a 6 quart slow cooker and it took about 3 hours and 15 minutes to be done. Keep an eye on it at the 3 hour mark.
  • You can add some cayenne pepper if you want a spicy mac and cheese, or some garlic powder.
  • Go light with the added salt as the cheeses and the soup both have salt so taste before adding extra,
  • I normally just add ground black pepper and it’s perfect.

Get creative with your pasta dish, add ground beef or a spicy sausage to make it heartier. Broccoli is always a winner to add, too.

Can I make this mac and cheese ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the cheese sauce and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Cook, rinse, and cool the pasta before storing in a separate containerr in the fridge. When ready to cook, combine everything in the slow cooker and mix. You may need to add a few extra minutes of cooking time.

Can I bake this casserole in the oven?

Yes, combine everything together in a large casserole dish and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes then top with cheese and allow to melt in the for oven a few more minutes.

What type of cheese is best for mac and cheese?

Sharp cheddars will give this dish the best flavor, but try Monterey Jack, White American or White Cheddar. A marble cheese should work as well. If you to add a spicy cheese, pepper jack is a great option. For best results, buy blocks of cheese and use a grater to shred. Prepackaged cheese often has a anti-caking agent that can alter the texture when melted.

grating cheddar cheese with a box grater

This would be a great addition to your holiday dinners or to take to any type of gathering. We often make it to take to a summer BBQ or a potluck dinner.

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Recommended Tools for Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This is a list of tools that can be used in this recipe I have links to a few for a guide. I didn’t use the slow cooker liner when I made this recipe this time, but I do love using them for many other recipes.

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this macaroni and cheese dish are easily found in your local grocery stores. The evaporated milk is typically found in the baking aisle and the cheddar cheese soup is in the canned soup area.

ingredients for mac and cheese

Directions to Make Mac and Cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente; drain and place macaroni back into pot it was cooked in. Mix pasta with the melted butter. Set aside.

boiling pasta in large pot
add melted butter to elbow pasta

In slow cooker, combine 1½ cups of each of the cheeses, evaporated milk, condensed cheese soup, milk, and eggs; mix well.

add milk, eggs, and cheese soup in crock pot
add shredded cheese to slow cooker

Pour macaroni into slow cooker and stir to combine with the cheese mixture. Cook, covered, on low for 3-1/2 to 4 hours – can be a little less time depending on your slow cooker. Mine is a 6 quart and at 3 hours it’s ready to add the rest of the shredded cheese and to cook another 15 minutes (or until cheese is melted)

add pasta to slow cooker with cheese sauce
top pasta with more cheese

 There’s nothing quite like sinking your spoon into a bowl of creamy, cheesy macaroni. This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare, requiring minimal effort.

mac and cheese on white plate

What to Serve with Mac and Cheese

There’s really no right or wrong dish to serve with pasta with cheese sauce, but these are some of my favorites.

This pasta dish is also a meal on it’s own. Great for meatless meals or when you need a comfort food.

overhead shot of slow cooker and plate with mac and cheese

With just a handful of ingredients, you make a rich, creamy, cheesy masterpiece from scratch.

 Printable Recipe Card

feature image for slow cooker mac and cheese

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe is a timeless crowd-pleaser. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, you can create a comforting and satisfying dish. It’s the perfect side dish or main course to take to potlucks, make for holidays, or any weeknight dinner.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mac and cheese, slow cooker mac and cheese
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Lisa Kerhin

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente; drain and place macaroni back into pot it was cooked in. Mix pasta with the melted butter. Set aside
  • In slow cooker, combine 1½ cups of each of the cheeses, evaporated milk, condensed cheese soup, milk, and eggs; mix well.
  • Pour macaroni into slow cooker and stir to combine with the cheese mixture. Cook, covered, on low for 3-1/2 to 4 hours – can be a little less time depending on your slow cooker. Mine is a 6 quart and at 3 hours it’s ready to add the rest of the shredded cheese and to cook another 15 minutes (or until cheese is melted)

Notes

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
 

Nutritional Disclaimer

“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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5 from 5 votes

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14 Comments

  1. I love baked mac and cheese, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried it in the slow cooker before. I will have to try it!

  2. 5 stars
    You had me at mac and cheese, sold me on slow cooker, won me on extra sharp cheddar cheese! I bet this tastes amazing using extra sharp cheese. Pinned and leaving your blog hungry and craving this recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    I agree Mac and cheese is comfort on a plate! This recipe is the ultimate comfort food. So much cheesy goodness!

  4. Karen's Kitchen Stories says:

    Nice that you don’t have to make a bechamel.

  5. 5 stars
    Give me all the mac and cheese! I love that you can make it in the slow cooker so that it’s ready whenever I get home from work.

  6. 5 stars
    My guys are mac n cheese fanatics and being a New England family were are Team Cabot all the way!

  7. 5 stars
    Such a great way to make mac and cheese because it frees up the oven. It’s so deliciously creamy.

  8. Karen's Kitchen Stories says:

    I seriously need to try this. I’m typically a baked mac and cheese fan, and not so much stove top. This sounds so easy so I must give it a try.