Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Posted Nov 10, 2024
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This is the best crock pot mac and cheese recipe! It’s creamy, cheesy and easy to make & keep warm. Slow cooker mac and cheese is the perfect holiday side dish to feed a crowd.
So many people ask if they can make my famous easy mac and cheese recipe in a crock pot – so I created this recipe for the best crock pot mac and cheese ever!
This recipe is easy to make, lusciously creamy and irresistibly cheesy. It doesn’t dry out in when cooking in the slow cooker and is the perfect dish to make for a crowd.
Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole milk/heavy cream. this slow cooker macaroni and cheese calls for 3 ½ cups of liquid dairy. You can change the ratios and use more heavy cream than whole milk. You can also substitute half and half for the heavy cream.
- Sour cream. I recommend full-fat sour cream. Full-fat Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- Elbow macaroni. If you don’t have elbows, I recommend using shaped pasta (bowties, shells rotini, etc.). You can also use gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta, etc.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is a good substitute.
- Cheddar cheese. The quality of the cheese that you use in this recipe really matters. I recommend a high-quality medium to sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor. I often use half sharp cheddar, half shredded gouda. It’s best if you shred the cheese yourself from a block.
How to Make Macaroni and Cheese in the Crockpot
Let’s walk through this slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by greasing the container of your slow cooker – either with cooking spray, spray olive oil, or by rubbing it with butter (preferred).
Then, add the water, whole milk, half and half, sour cream, sea salt, and pepper to the greased slow cooker contianer and whisk to combine.
Next, add the macaroni and stir.
Top the mixture with cubed butter, cover and cook on low for 1 to 1.5 hours
or until the pasta is al dente but not too soft. (check at 1 hour. Do not overcook the pasta).
Once the pasta is al dente, add the shredded cheese and stir to combine.
Cover and cook for 15-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the mixture is thick.
Serve
Give it one final stir and serve the crock pot mac and cheese warm with your favorite dinner recipes. We love serving it with our favorite Thanksgiving recipes.
Keep Warm
Once the slow cooker mac and cheese has finished cooking, you can keep the mixture warm in the crock pot set to “warm” for 1 hour. Make sure to stir it occasionally during this time so it doesn’t burn.
Or, you can turn off the crockpot and the mixture will stay warm for 30 minutes if kept covered.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover crock pot macaroni and cheese in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe FAQS
You cannot just leave this mac and cheese in the slow cooker indefinitely because it will overcook at some point. I recommend keeping it in the crock pot set to “warm” for no more than 2 hours. In that time, check on it periodically and give it a good stir so it doesn’t burn or get overcooked.
You need to watch the mac to make sure it doesn’t burn in your crock pot. Keep it set to “keep warm” after it has finished cooking. Be sure to check on it and stir it occasionally if you are keeping it warm to serve over a period of 1 to 2 hours.
If your mac and cheese gets overcooked (you leave it in the crockpot for too long) the sauce may curdle. You can avoid this by turning off the crock pot after 1 or 2 hours of keeping it warm. Also, freshly shredding your cheese from a block instead of buying bagged shredded cheese with fillers/preservatives will ensure a smooth sauce.
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Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup butter cubed
- 16 oz shredded cheese* (4 cups)
Instructions
- Spray crockpot with olive oil spray or rub it with butter.
- Add water, whole milk, half and half, sour cream, sea salt, and pepper to the container of a slow cooker and whisk to combine.
- Then, add the macaroni and Stir.
- Top with cubed butter.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the pasta is al dente but not too soft. (check at 1 hour. Do not overcook the pasta).
- Once the pasta is al dente, add the shredded cheese and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook for 15-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Stir and serve warm.
Video
Notes
*You can leave the mac and cheese on warm in the crockpot for up to 1 hour. Longer than that you run the risk of overcooking the noodles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Couldn’t you just cube the cheese? And what size is your slow cooker? It looks like the 3qt. I have
I use a 5 quart slow cooker when I make this recipe. I guess you could technically cube the cheese, it will take longer to melt but I’m sure that’s fine.