Creamy, cheesy, buttery Mac and Cheese HEAVEN, made in the slow cooker. We are not even boiling the noodles first! You literally dump all the ingredients, including the DRY pasta, into your crock pot and forget about it. Then suddenly you are putting hot, cheesy, creamy, stuff-of-dreams mac and cheese into your mouth! Perfect make ahead dish for holidays. Originally published April 13, 2022.

close up of best slow cooker mac and cheese with spoon digging in.
Table of Contents
  1. Dreamy creamy Mac and Cheese
  2. Why you’ll love this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
  3. The secret to the best Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
  4. Crockpot Mac & Cheese Ingredients
  5. How to make Crockpot Mac and Cheese
  6. Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe tips
  7. Mac and Cheese Crock Pot FAQs
  8. What to serve with Macaroni and Cheese
  9. More Mac and cheese recipes!
  10. Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe

My mom was complaining about Tik Tak the other day. That’s what she calls TikTok. I kept telling her, Mom, it’s TikTok, you know, like a clock? She wasn’t having it. “Every time I hear someone talking about that app, it just makes me want a Tic Tac. Those came first, anyway. And what about Tic Tac Toe? It’s all just so confusing.”

Breath mints, classic kid game, burgeoning social media super power. It’s all the same, right? I can’t really blame her. I saw a meme the other day that said, “Used to wonder why my parents couldn’t grasp technology but now anytime I see something new I’m like, ‘I’m not learning that.'”

Want to save this recipe?
Just drop your email here and I’ll send it right away! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week. Yes please!
slow cooker mac and cheese shot from overhead in a black crockpot.

I don’t have a TicTak account (do you??), but lately Eric and I have been committing ultimate simulacra by watching not TikTack itself, but YouTube videos of TikTac videos. (Kind of like Dwight Schrute’s Second Life.)

It’s always late at night, when we’ve decided it’s time to turn off whatever show we’re watching and go to bed. Then suddenly our TV is showing us cats doing back flips, and incredibly talented novice musicians singing about the Muffin Man. If it sounds strange, it’s because TikToc is strange. I would know, because I’m not even on the app. You guys, what is this world we live in??

white serving bowl full of slow cooked mac and cheese, topped with cheddar.

I may be an old fogey who doesn’t understand technology anymore, but the good news is that the older I get, the better my food tastes by default. There is a reason all grandmas have the best kitchen reps, y’all. It’s just because they’ve been cooking for so freaking long. I’ll always be a charlatan at heart, but it turns out all you really need to be good at something is to do it all the time. And I’ve got 4 kids hollering at me for dinner every day, so…

Dreamy creamy Mac and Cheese

My latest obsession is mac and cheese. It’s never the wrong time to obsess about mac n cheese, right?

spoon lifting serving of best slow cooker mac and cheese.

Here’s what I want from my mac and cheese: It should be cheesy beyond belief. It should be sharp and incredibly flavorful. I don’t want a drippy sauce with noodles in it. I want my mac and cheese to be tender noodles in ACTUAL CHEESE. Of course, there has to be some sauce involved, but I want it to have evaporated so much that it mostly feels like the texture of melted cheese. Who’s with me here?

creamy mac and cheese in a slow cooker, shot from side.

Why you’ll love this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe

Most importantly: Say no to the grain. Grainy mac and cheese is the worst. Smooth and creamy all the way. This recipe makes THE BEST creamy cheesy mac and cheese. And get this:

WE’RE DOING IT IN THE SLOW COOKER.

serving spoon lifting mac and cheese from a black crockpot.

Yes, for real, it actually works! I was incredibly dubious about this idea for a long time. Readers have been asking me for a slow cooked version of mac and cheese since I posted my favorite baked recipe, Literally The Best Mac and Cheese I’ve Ever Had. I got one step closer when I developed this Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese that is a magical one pot recipe, no need to boil the noodles first.

slow cook mac and cheese in a black crock pot with spoon for serving.

The secret to the best Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

But doing it in the slow cooker? How would that even work? Won’t it just get all grainy on you? Mushy? Undercooked noodles in a broken sauce? This is what I was expecting, and indeed my first few tests went very poorly!

But I’ve figured out all the secrets: A combination of cheeses. Stirring often. And mayonnaise. YES MAYONNAISE SAVES THE DAY trust me on this one guys, read on!

Crockpot Mac & Cheese Ingredients

Here is everything you’re going to need:

all the ingredients you need for crockpot macaroni and cheese, set on a counter.

Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk in Crockpot Mac & Cheese?

No sir, not for this recipe. Evaporated milk has been cooked before being canned, and is much more resistant to separating and curdling. This ingredient is absolutely necessary. It holds up to the temperature of the slow cooker much better than regular milk. Don’t use sweetened condensed milk, it’s not the same thing!

The importance of mayo in this Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe

Yes, mayonnaise! Mayo is made from eggs and oil that have been emulsified. Eggs are an excellent binder in recipes, it’s why we add eggs to chocolate chip cookies and meatballs: to help them stick together. The reason we want a binder in our mac and cheese is so that the sauce sticks together, or in other words, stays creamy.

How to make Crockpot Mac and Cheese

First we start out with some melted butter. Pour it into your crock (at least a 4 quart crock) and add in the DRY noodles.

  • You can use any kind of noodle you like for this recipe. Larger noodles are going to take longer to cook!
adding butter to a crock pot, adding dry elbow noodles to the crock.

Next add in all your milk: whole milk, some cream to make it extra thick (and well, creamy) and a can of evaporated milk.

adding a can of evaporated milk to a crock pot full of dry noodles.

Now we’re going to add in some mayonnaise.

dollop of mayonnaise in a crockpot full of milk and dry elbow noodles.

Now I know what you’re going to ask: What if I hate mayonnaise? Can you taste it?

Rest assured, freak mayo-haters. (yes, you are the weird one, mayonnaise is delicious.) But even as a mayo connoisseur I can assure you that this mac n cheese doesn’t taste even remotely like mayonnaise. The same way that your cake doesn’t taste like eggs. The mayo just melds into the cheesy deliciousness of the mac and cheese sauce, making it creamy and smooth, and fending off cheese’s natural tendency to go grainy when cooked.

Speaking of cheese. Let’s get down to BIZness.

The best cheese for Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese 

We are using 3 cheeses in our mac today: Sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and yellow American cheese. Yes, that’s right, “FAKE” cheese!! 😱 We are using American cheese to get the perfect TEXTURE, and using Cheddar and Parmesan to get the perfect flavor. 

chopped American cheese on a cutting board, add the cheese to a crock pot with milk.

People tend to get so upset about American cheese. “It’s not real cheese” blah blah. But I am here to defend it. American cheese has the perfect goo texture, the stretchy cheesiness that we need in our mac and cheese to make it well, cheesy. It has extra binders in it (just like the eggs in our mayo) that help hold our mac together and not break down into grit.

If you use all Cheddar, or all Monterey Jack, or basically any other cheese, your mac and cheese will taste amazing, but it will be slightly grainy. You can use all cheddar in a Baked Mac and Cheese recipe, because you are delicately cooking a white sauce on the stove. But today we are throwing this whole mess into a crock pot and walking away. It needs a little help. American cheese is the answer.

noodles, milk, and 3 cheeses added to a crockpot.

If you are still dubious about the American cheese (which is dumb, because I’m pretty sure you eat McDonalds just like everybody else 😉), check out this excellent Serious Eats article, “What is American Cheese, Anyway? Kenji explains that saying American cheese is ‘not cheese’ is like saying meatloaf is ‘not meat.’ True, but I’m definitely still eating it!

I like to buy American cheese from behind the deli counter at the grocery store. I think it has better flavor than Velveeta, but Velveeta will definitely work if that’s all you have.

crock pot macaroni and cheese before it has cooked.

Don’t forget to stir!

Once you’ve added all your cheeses to the pot, stir it up and walk away! But only for 1 hour, then it’s time to stir again. If you don’t come back to stir a few times, your mac and cheese won’t get creamy.

slow cooker macaroni and cheese after one hour of cooking in the pot.

Here it is after 1 hour.

mac and cheese in slow cooker after 2 hours of cooking.

Here it is again after another 45 minutes or so. Do you see all those bubbles on the side? CHEEEEESE! It’s getting thicker.

After a few more minutes and a good stir, here she is:

best slow cooker mac and cheese in the pot with wooden spoon, shot overhead.

Can you even believe this?? I still am kind of just shocked at how well this works.

Crockpot Mac & Cheese: Bonus Tip

I wanted to make my mac and cheese a little extra (okay, a LOT extra) so I used my favorite method from my Baked Mac and Cheese: Layering cheese in the center just before serving.

Adding a slice of cheese to a crock pot full of mac and cheese.

Just push some of the mac aside, layer a few slices of whatever kind of cheese you want, cover it back up and wait a couple minutes for it to melt. Then you get this:

mac and cheese in slow cooker being lifted with a serving spoon, cheese pull.

I mean, come on. LOOK AT THIS!!!

Another Very Important Thing to consider are these cheese crusties that form on the side of your crock pot.

spoon scraping crusty edges of slow cooked mac and cheese.

I am obsessed with these. OBSESSED. I scrape up every last bit and stir it into the mac and cheese so that everyone gets a little bit in their serving. But if you want to keep your mac super creamy, simply leave them on the edges and let your dishwasher take care of it later.

Can Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese be made ahead of time? 

I don’t recommend it! It won’t stay creamy. A few hours ahead of your event is going to work fine though. Just keep the mac and cheese on warm setting, stir frequently, leave the lid on, and loosen with milk or cream before serving. The most important thing is to keep warm. If you let the mac & cheese sit much longer than that, or cool it and then reheat, the cheese is going to start to separate. Basically, the proteins will start to clump together, unbinding from the fats and making it greasy.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe tips

Grate your cheese by hand

Do not use pre shredded Parmesan or Cheddar cheese for this recipe. Packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients added to it, so that it doesn’t stick together in the bag they sell it in. But these ingredients make your cheese melt poorly. Exactly what we are trying to avoid! Grate your cheddar cheese and your Parmesan from a block to get the smoothest texture in your mac.

  • Important tip! Be sure to pack your cheese into the measuring cup! Loosely packed cheese will not be enough. Pack the cheese in with your fist until you can’t fit any more into the measuring cup. You need 1 and 1/2 cups (6 ounces) of Cheddar and 1/2 cup (2 ounces) of Parmesan.

Avoiding mushy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Mushy mac and cheese is the worst. Noodles get mushy when they are overcooked, so here are a few things to think about to make sure that doesn’t happen.

  • Don’t turn the heat to high! It will cook your noodles too quickly. They will over absorb liquid and have a terrible mushy texture. Very old crock pots don’t have great low settings, and tend to have higher heat than newer models, so keep that in mind.
  • It’s also important to check the mac & cheese after the shortest recommended time given in the recipe to test the noodles for the consistency you like. All slow cookers are a bit different, and people’s tastes are different as well, so start with the minimum time and then check in 20 minute increments to get the right level of done-ness.
  • I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve read that sadly, gluten free noodles don’t hold up as well in the crockpot. Be aware and watch carefully if you plan to try to convert this to gluten free.
overhead closeup shot of mac and cheese in slow cooker.

Mac and Cheese Crock Pot FAQs

How do you keep mac and cheese from drying out?

Remember all that butter and mayo and American cheese we are using? They are there for a reason! Not only for flavor and to keep the sauce smooth, but also to make sure there is nothing dry about this mac & cheese. If you try to skip ingredients or use low fat ingredients, you run the risk of making it too dry (or grainy, or lacking in flavor).
You can also make sure you keep the lid on as much as possible to keep it from getting dry. Once the noodles are cooked to your liking, be sure to switch over to the warm setting until serving, adding in cream if necessary to loosen.

Can you double this recipe?

Yes, and it will serve more like 16-20 if you do. You will need a 6 quart slow cooker. Cook it a little longer, about 30 minutes, keeping an eye on it to make sure the noodles don’t get mushy. No other changes necessary! 

Why did my mac and cheese turn out grainy or gritty?

Did you try to use all Cheddar, or some other hard cheese? Your flavor will be spot on, but the texture will be a little gritty. I’m telling you, American cheese is where it’s at.
You must grate your own cheese. They add anti-caking agents to shredded cheese to keep it from clumping. These fibers will not dissolve fully in your creamy cheese mixture, making it taste gritty.
Use high-quality Cheddar and Parmesan, they will melt more smoothly than cheap brands.

Spoon lifting a bite of mac and cheese from a slow cooker.

How to store Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Honestly, slow cooker mac & cheese is best eaten same day. That disclaimer out there, it definitely can be reheated if necessary. Single servings in the microwave are best, just reheat at 50% power and stir often. If you absolutely need to reheat the whole batch, do it in the slow cooker on low, or in a sauce pan, stirring often. You will need to add a tablespoon or two of milk to get it creamy again.

Freezing also works. It will freeze well in a ziplock freezer bag or airtight container for about 2 months. When you plan to reheat it, you need to make sure to thaw it completely in the refrigerator first (overnight works great). Reheat low and slow to avoid graininess as much as possible. It WILL separate and will never reach the creaminess level of day one, but it is still super tasty and cheesy.

What to serve with Macaroni and Cheese

A serving of meat goes really well with your mac and cheese!

serving spoon lifting cheddar topped mac and cheese from crockpot.

More Mac and cheese recipes!

Happy Easter everyone! Let me know if you try out this recipe, I’d love to hear how it goes for you!

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

logo

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

4.96 from 70 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 9
Creamy, cheesy, buttery Mac and Cheese HEAVEN, made in the slow cooker. We are not even boiling the noodles first! You literally dump all the ingredients, including the DRY pasta, into your crock pot and forget about it.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted (half stick)
  • 2 cups dry elbow macaroni, 9 ounces
  • 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk, no substitutions
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup cream*
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, for flavor, not heat
  • 8 ounces yellow American cheese, chopped into chunks
  • 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (1 and 1/2 cups packed)
  • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded (1/2 cup packed)
  • extra sliced cheese, optional

Instructions

  • Add 1/4 cup melted butter to a 4 quart slow cooker (a larger slow cooker is fine*). Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with the butter.
  • Add 2 cups (9 oz) uncooked elbow macaroni to the butter and stir to coat.
  • Add a 12-ounce can evaporated milk, 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and stir the mixture well.
  • Chop your American cheese into 1 inch chunks. (Buy the American cheese from behind the counter of the deli at your store. You can substitute Kraft singles or Velveeta in a pinch, but it is not as good.) Add to the slow cooker.
  • Shred 6 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese. Do not use pre shredded cheddar cheese. It does not melt as well, and will make your mac and cheese less creamy. Shred the cheese from a block, and if you are measuring in cups, make sure you pack the cheese in the cup to get the proper measurement. Add the cheese to your cup and smash it in with your fist until you can fit any more in. 1 and 1/2 cups well-packed shredded cheese will be about 6 ounces. Add to the slow cooker.
  • Add 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded parmesan cheese to the slow cooker. Same rules apply here: Do not use pre shredded cheese. Pack the cheese into the 1/2 cup measuring cup with your fist until you can't fit anymore in.
  • Once all the cheese is added in, stir the mixture together. Turn the heat to the LOW setting and put on the lid.
  • Stir after 1 hour, moving quickly to keep as much of the heat in as you can. Focus on scraping the bottom and edges well. Eventually the cheese will start to form a crust on the outer edges. I love these cheesy crunchy bits, and stir them into my creamy mac and cheese, but if you want a very smooth mac and cheese, just avoid scraping the edges too much once the crust has formed.
    Put the lid back on and cook on low for another 30-60 minutes.
  • If your macaroni seemed like it was close to being cooked after the first stir, you will want to check it again after 30 minutes. If it seemed like it had a long way to go, check after 60 minutes. Keep the lid on as much as possible.
    The macaroni and cheese is done when the noodles are al dente and the sauce is creamy and smooth. If you like a thicker texture, simply leave it in the crock pot with the lid on for a few more minutes. The mac and cheese will continue to thicken as is cools.
  • Once it is cooked, turn the setting on your slow cooker to "WARM." This will keep your mac and cheese nice and creamy. Serve immediately, or leave on the warm setting for up to 2-3 hours, stirring every 30-60 minutes. Add a bit of cream and stir if the mixture starts to get too thick for your liking.
  • If you love EXTRA cheesy mac and cheese (me! me!) Take a few slices of cheese (any kind you like) and tuck them into the center of the crock pot. Use a spoon to shove some of the mac to one side, place a few slices down in the middles, then cover with the mac and cheese. See photos! It will melt and create an amazing cheese pull when you serve it! You could also add shredded cheese to the top, or a layer of sliced cheese. Never enough!!
  • Storage: This mac and cheese keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. It also freezes well in an airtight container. Thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
  • Reheating: Leftover slow cooker mac and cheese is tasty, but it will never have the same creamy texture that it had when you first made it. The microwave is a great option for reheating; pour off any grease that forms, or absorb with paper towels (this is normal when cheese separates, and can't really be avoided.) Leftovers are best when only reheated once; heat individual servings when possible. You can also add the entire mixture back into the slow cooker and heat on low, stirring often, being prepared to absorb grease that forms.

Notes

*If you want to double this recipe, you will need a 6 quart slow cooker. It will likely take closer to 3 hours to be fully cooked (every slow cooker is different).
Make sure you hand grate the cheese for this recipe! Pre shredded cheese does not melt well, your mac and cheese will turn out grainy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1039mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 893IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 524mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 502
Keyword: cheddar, mac and cheese, slow cooker
Did you make this? I’d love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!

Categorized as , , , , , , ,

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You May Also Like...

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Rave reviews from the family for this mac & cheese. I was a little nervous about making this for the first time, since it was for a funeral dinner. But I needed something in a crock pot. I doubled the recipe. It was a big HIT. My niece the pickiest eater I have every ran across said this is the best mac and cheese I have every made (I’m the baked mac & cheese person for all our family gatherings) Thank you. I haven’t come across any of your recipes that aren’t a big it.

    1. Yes!! It’s always so great when a “first try” recipe turns out to be a “make again and again” recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Terri!

  2. This recipe calls for cream with a star next to it. I scrolled up and down the page looking for the description for the cream given the star next to it, but I couldn’t find it. What kind of cream are we using? Heavy whipping cream?

    1. Hey Dana sorry about that! Any kind of cream will do for this recipe, heavy whipping cream, whipping cream, etc. Enjoy!

  3. 5 stars
    Every year I test out a new crock pot mac and cheese recipe for Thanksgiving all were good but I haven’t found the one until now! This recipe is amazing I was very skeptical about the mayonnaise but it is the key in giving the perfect texture the only modifications I made was the addition of smoked paprika and a pinch of ground mustard. I can’t wait to make it again for my family to try on Thanksgiving!

  4. My question is how many ounces parm are we using?
    In the beginning of the recipe it is stated to use 4 oz , but in the actual recipe it states 2 ounces.

    1. Hi Phyllis, thanks for pointing that out! It should be 2 oz. in both places, and we’ve changed it, thanks to your eagle eye. Hope your mac and cheese turns out delicious and perfectly parmesan-y.

  5. 4 stars
    I left off the Parmesan cheese and the cream as I was trying to check back on the dairy and I thought it was good. It was still very cheesy and creamy. I cooked it for about 1.5 hours. I liked that it didn’t have a string cheese flavor but more of a mild cheese flavor. It didn’t really make a whole lot and the yellow American Cheese in the deli was quite expensive.

  6. Have you tried adding drained canned tuna, frozen peas, & some roasted red peppers? Was wondering if I could make a Cheesy Tuna Noodle casserole from this recipe?

    1. Hi Patty! I love the idea. This recipe hasn’t been tested with those add-ins, but if you try it, come back and let us know how it turns out! Enjoy :-)

  7. 5 stars
    This turned out phenomenal. I did a couple adjustments. I substituted ground mustard for the cayenne and gruyere cheese for the parmesan. It was a crowd pleaser. Thank you so much for sharing! I’ll definitely save this recipe for the future.

  8. 5 stars
    I made this for a horse riding event. I doubled the recipe and had to make extra pasta to add to the pot, this could be because the elbows I used seemed on the small side. I found it to be creamy and delicious, but would reduce the kosher salt. I did not add extra cheese slices it was very cheesy without it.  I cooked for almost 3 hours.
    The ceyenne made it a bit spicy, would probably reduce depending on your audience.
    This dish lasted about 25 minutes, everyone loved it! 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.