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The creamiest Crockpot Mac and Cheese! This recipe is my all time favorite way to make the BEST mac and cheese and it’s super easy too!
I’m a sucker for an extra cheesy, extra delicious mac and cheese recipe (after all, I am human) and this crock pot mac and cheese hits all the right notes.
Creamy, cheesy, easy, and perfect for a busy weeknight when you need to start the dinner prep early OR perfect for a holiday dinner when you need to save space in the oven and get the prep work done early!
We love our mac and cheese casserole recipe that gets layered with different cheeses and baked in the oven, but when you want a classic cheddar extra gooey and creamy mac? This crockpot mac and cheese is the first stop!
This recipe is pretty similar to the Paula Deen crockpot mac and cheese, but I skip the eggs in favor of cream cheese. Sorry – eggs don’t belong in mac and cheese in my house.
Stir some leftover crockpot ham into this one to make it a full meal or throw in some jalapenos to spice things up like we did with our jalapeno mac and cheese!
♥ What We Love About This Recipe:
- No Oven: The crockpot makes this recipe simple to prepare without heating up the oven (hello summer mac and cheese!) or using up precious oven space during a holiday dinner (because that’s where the turkey needs to be).
- Any Time: This mac and cheese is great for weeknight dinners when you just want to toss it together before the dinner rush, but it’s also perfect for a holiday meal when you need to feed a crowd and want to prep in advance.
- Cheesy: This mac and cheese recipe does not skimp on the cheese! There is freshly grated cheddar, cream cheese, and condensed cheese soup – we’re talking the ultimate melty gooey cheesy goodness here.
What Readers are Saying!
“Have made this twice now and it’s so good. It’s become my go to recipe for mac and cheese. So easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing. ” – Mary
Ingredient Notes:
Macaroni – We keep it classic with macaroni, but shells work great here too!
Cheese – Grate your own cheddar for the maximum meltability. You’ll also need cream cheese and a can of condensed cheddar soup.
Butter – We use salted butter for the best flavor.
Sour Cream & Milk – I like my macaroni and cheese to be extra rich and creamy so I’m adding in whole milk and sour cream.
Seasoning – To balance out all that creamy, cheesy flavors I’m adding salt, cracked pepper, and a bit of dry mustard powder.
Variations:
We love a good classic mac and cheese, but there are all kinds of ways to dress it up.
- Buffalo Sauce: Take a little inspo from our buffalo chicken mac and cheese and drizzle on some buffalo sauce and ranch. You could even stir in chicken!
- Crispy Bacon: Fry and crumble some bacon to stir in for a crispy, salty punch of flavor.
- Cheese: We love the classic flavor of cheddar in this slow cooker mac and cheese, but you can swap it for another variety or a mix of cheese. Gruyere, monterey jack, white cheddar, and pepperjack are all great options for macaroni and cheese.
- Taco: Make our Taco Mac and Cheese for a twist on Taco Tuesday!
- Smoked Sausage: Make it a meal by searing some smoked sausage and the stove and then stirring it into your crockpot mac and cheese!
Crockpot Recommendation!
In the market for a new slow cooker? We love this 7 quart Crockpot. It’s simple to use, cooks evenly, and is very budget friendly. Plus, it has a 4 1/2 star rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon!
Step by Step Photos:
Boil your macaroni for 6 minutes – it should still be a bit firm. Drain well.
Melt the cheddar and butter together in the microwave. It’ll be a gloppy mess, but don’t worry – it’s going to come together in the crockpot.
Add the drained pasta to the crockpot and dump the melted cheddar over the top.
Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, cover, and cook on low for 3 hours.
SPECIAL TOOLS USED:
- Food Processor: I prefer to grate my own cheese for most recipes and the Breville Sous Chef is my FAVORITE way to do that. It’s a total workhorse and I use it every day. It makes shredding, chopping, and slicing a total breeze.
- Snap and Strain: This little gadget clips onto any pot to make draining your pasta super quick and easy.
Pro Tips:
Pasta – Don’t overcook the pasta! We want it barely al dente so that it doesn’t turn mushy in the slow cooker.
Cheese – It’s going to look like a weird, thick, greasy mess after melting it in the microwave, but trust the process. It will combine with the other ingredients and turn into a thick, creamy sauce as it slow cooks.
Keep Warm – The edges of this will likely start to brown/stick to the crockpot if you keep this in the crockpot for longer than 3 hours. If you need to leave this on the ‘warm’ setting for any length of time after cooking, stir well and stir in an extra splash of milk so the crockpot mac and cheese doesn’t dry out.
Storage & Reheating:
Storage: Keep this in an airtight dish in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe as it’s likely to get mushy upon reheating.
Reheating: Reheat this in the microwave until warm and then stir in a splash of milk and continue heating through until hot. The milk will help keep this dish creamy even after reheating.
What to Serve with Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe:
- Stuffed Chicken Breast: Simple, filling, and there’s spinach involved.
- Turkey Meatballs: Toss the meatballs right over your mac and cheese – totally kid friendly!
- Slow Cooker Ribs: My favorite way to make ribs!
- Mississippi Pot Roast: The ultimate comfort food!
For Dessert:
- Brookies: When you can’t decide between brownies and cookies, this is the way to go.
- Homemade Brownies: The fudgiest!
- Buttermilk Pie: A Southern classic!
- Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake: So simple and fresh.
Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar
- 2 ounces cream cheese cut into small cubes
- 10.5 ounces condensed cheddar soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
Instructions
- Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray to make for easier clean up.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni for 6 minutes. Drain and add to a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the shredded cheddar and butter to a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until melted. This mixture will be thick and greasy, but it will come together as it cooks in the slow cooker. Pour the cheese mixture over the macaroni.
- Add the cream cheese, cheddar soup, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and mustard powder to the slow cooker and stir well to coat the noodles.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
- Stir well before serving.
Robbie says
Yummy. My family just loved this macaroni & cheese dish. So much nicer than what i normally make. Thanks again.
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Robbie!
Jack Buchan says
This is truly one of those “go to” recipes in our house! It is my most requested meal. It is easy to make and is money every time. I follow the recipe as written. Once or twice during the slow cooker process, I top with additional shredded cheddar. This makes for an extra cheesy Mac and Cheese.
Karly says
Okay, trying the extra cheese trick next time! Sounds delicious! 🙂
Christine says
I’ve made this more than once. I’ve added diced ham, once cooked, transfer serving to oven-safe bowl, cover with Panko, lightly coat with cooking spray & broil until golden brown. Makes an impressive presentation.
Karly says
Sounds delicious, Christine!
Mary says
I’ve made this recipe 3-4 times and my family loves it (as do I). It is so much easier to make than my previous mixing bowl, stove top, casserole dish in oven method (and fewer dishes to wash) and I can ignore it once it goes in the crockpot. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes with us. This Crockpot Mac n Cheese recipe has made me a star with my kids and grandkids. And by the way…I agree with you…eggs don’t belong in Mac n Cheese.
Karly says
So glad you enjoy this recipe so much, Mary!
Sarah Ann says
My mom usually makes this and it’s so delicious! This Christmas I’m in charge and curious if I can prep and refrigerate overnight? Then turn on slow cooker in the morning?
Karly says
Hi Sarah! Sorry I’m late to reply – we were with our family yesterday and didn’t get a chance to peek at the website. I think this would work overnight, but I’d probably boil the noodles for a minute less so they don’t get soggy sitting in the cheese sauce overnight. I haven’t tried it though, so I can’t say for sure it will turn out.
Justin Wheeler says
Made this for a potluck. Cheese didn’t really want to stick to noodles. Did a double batch, possibly to much butter preventing cheese to stick to noodles. 6 out of 10.