Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is super creamy and cheesy with no boiling or pre-made noodles and no velveeta or condensed soups!
SUPER CHEESY Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese has gone through a number of different methods and recipes in our house before we settled on this one. We’ve made versions with fully cooked noodles, half cooked noodles, noodles added at the end and finally non-cooked noodles. We’ve used a huge variety of soups/cheeses/cornstarch/cream cheese and more.
THIS IS THE RECIPE.
A LOT of people make Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese with Velveeta, but I use cream cheese to keep the mixture from separating. No cornstarch or flour is needed and this recipe is a hit every single time. Plus this dish is SUPER EASY.
Did I mention easy? It’s a dump the ingredients in, mix and cook sort of recipe: 
Tips for the Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese:
- Know your slow cooker. Does it run hotter than other recipes call for? If so check this a half hour early since you don’t want the pasta to turn to mush.
- Make sure things are mixed well before starting the slow cooker.
- Don’t keep opening the slow cooker to check on the pasta, it totally throws off the cooking/the steam built up/the moisture helping to keep the pasta from drying out.
- You can swap out the cream cheese for Velveeta or American cheese if you’d like.
- You can add in a can of Cheddar Cheese Soup (Condensed) instead of cream cheese if you’d like.
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese with Bacon: Top with 6 slices of crumbled bacon on top just before serving. Adding during cooking will make the bacon soggy.
- Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese: Add half of a jalapeno (minced) to the slow cooker before cooking. Top with the remaining half of finely minced jalapenos and stir before serving.
Can I make this Mac and Cheese on the stovetop?
This recipe may not be right for the stovetop, but you’ll love this one pot mac and cheese I made on the stovetop.
Looking for more great cheesy pasta dishes?
- Bacon Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
- Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Copycat)
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Philly Cheesesteak Hamburger Helper
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
Looking for more side dishes?
- Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Mushroom Rice
- Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
- Roasted Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- How To Cook Spaghetti Squash (The Ultimate Guide)
Tools used in this Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe:
3 Qt. Slow Cooker: The perfect size for side dishes for 10-12 people, this slow cooker is an absolute bargain and a workhorse.
Evaporated Milk: Different than condensed milk, evaporated milk is actually milk with half of the water content removed. This makes for a thicker, creamier milk but without the high fat content of heavy cream. Condensed milk is similar to evaporated milk in that the water is removed from the milk, but the difference is about 40% of the content of that can of condensed milk is sugar. Not the best fit for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 12- ounce cans evaporated milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese diced
- 1 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 cup butter diced
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a slow cooker and mix well.
- Cook on low for 90 minutes to 2 hours (If your slow cooker runs hot, check at 90 minutes).
- Stir gently and serve.
Nutrition
Made this tonight for book club! It was tasty. Grated the cheese myself (vs prepackaged) Doubled the recipe in a 6 qt slow cooker. At 90 minutes I didn’t think it would be ready in time for my guests but 2 hours did the trick. Had crushed parmesan crisps (which I definitely suggest trying as a swap for a panko crust), broccoli, and bacon available as optional garnishes. Easy, delicious crowd pleaser!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Janet. Thanks for the 5 star rating.
I made this dish for dinner and it turned out absolutely amazing! It had a gooey yet creamy consistency. I didn’t have whole milk, I had 2%, so that’s what I used. My boyfriend raved about it as well as my younger brother. I am definitely making this macoroni and cheese again! 🙂
Hi, I love this recipe!! It’s really good. I was wondering how much 1 serving size is?
It’s about a cup.
Did everything it said to do but Mac came out mushy … too bad because it smelled amazing
So sorry to hear that! It sounds like your slow cooker ran too hot. If you decide to make again, I would cut down the cooking time.
The noodles go in hard correct?
Correct. 🙂
What size crock pot is best for this recipe?
I used a 3qt slow cooker, it’s a good size for 10-12 servings.
I followed the recipe and instructions exact and it was grainy. Any ideas?
I’m thinking it comes down to your cheese. Lower fat or pre-shredded cheese can cause graininess.
I used pre-shredded cheese and mine came out perfectly.
What would happen if I used almond milk instead of whole? I don’t often have any real dairy milk around the house just for flavor preference. Any ideas if it’ll work or anything else I can add to supplement the almond milk?
I haven’t tested it yet but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work as a substitution. Good luck!
I did use unsweetened almond milk and it came out great. Good recipe, Sabrina.
do you think it will turn out badly if I cook it the full time and then leave it on warm?
You’ll have to make sure to keep stirring it occasionally. The only thing I would worry about is the texture if you left it for too long. Good luck!
Can a double batch fit in a 4-6 quart crockpot?
I would recommend using a 6 qt to double the recipe. Enjoy!
Your recipe calls for 8 oz. of pasta. Do you mean one box or 16 oz.? When I used a full box and doubled the rest of the ingredients, it came out as cheese dip with some macaroni in it. ?
Oh no, sorry to hear that. My original recipe calls for 8oz of pasta. I’m not sure what box size you had, but if you are doubling the recipe, be sure to use 16oz of pasta. Best of luck if you try again!
I use (one box) 16 oz of pasta. If I use the 8 it calls for, it comes out like soup. Perfect cheese to noodle ratio with a whole box.
I doubled this recipe in a 4 quart crockpot and it worked just fine!
I doubled recipe but used 2 cups of milk and 1 can evaporated milk (what I had on hand). Used cavettapi pasta. It goes from undercooked to perfect to undercooked fast. Serve it when it perfect and it is delicious. Not a great make ahead and keep for hours on warm dish.
A little goopy — could have used some stock or water to thin it out a bit. But easy to make and the pasta turned out perfect in my slow cooker (100 min on Low = al dente).
How long can this sit on the “warm” setting before it begins to change the texture? My pot runs a little hot but I’d like to double the recipe for a big crowd so I need to leave extra time to cook.
It starts to change pretty quickly. If you plan on letting it sit, I would make sure to stir frequently to try and keep the texture the same for as long as possible. Good luck!
How much would I make for 15 people
You’ll probably need to double this to have enough for 15 people.
Quadrupled the recipe for a work cookout and used my biggest crockpot. It took longer to cook than I expected, so I had to crank it up to high. But it turned out really good. I substituted one jar of Ragu cheddar cheese sauce for one of the cans of evaporated milk. It’s mostly gone — just enough left for supper tonight. Thanks for the great recipe!
I wasn’t terribly impressed with this recipe. It was quick and super easy which was great but it had a very sweet taste unlike most Mac and cheese and wasn’t very creamy by 90 minutes. I used the exact ingredients and measurements it called for.
Did you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?
I want to make this for a large party. I have an 8 qt. mealthy pot. How do I adjust the ingredients to make as much as possible? Also, will this keep and not become mushy if I set the mealthy pot to warm when it is done? THANK YOU!
The biggest batch I would recommend is doubling it. To keep it on warm, you’ll want to stir it frequently because the texture will start to change the longer it cooks. I hope this helps!
Could I make this faster in my electric pressure cooker ( ninja foodie )? If I were to do this, how should I adjust the ingredients?
I’ve not tested this recipe using one so I’m not comfortable giving a recommendation. You might be able to find a recipe online with similar ingredients using one and use that as a guideline. Good luck!
This recipe calls for whole milk, which I rarely have on hand because we use 1 per cent for almost everything. I do usually have half and half, though, and a lot of times if a recipe calls for whole milk I’ll mix a little of the half and half in to boost the fat content of the milk. I don’t remember ever having a bad outcome doing that….do think that would work in this recipe? It sounds so good, and I have a THING for mac ‘n’ cheese….at times I really crave it!
That’ll work! I hope you enjoy it!
Do you think these ingredients, sans pasta, would do well in a freezer-meal prep situation… trying to find some make ahead meal/freezer meal ideas.
I’m not sure it would freeze well because of the cheese. Sorry.
Do you put the noodles in cooked or uncooked?
Uncooked 🙂
I tried this for a potluck today. Doubled the recipe and all ingredients except the salt. It was getting dry at 90mins so I added a 1/4c of water, aside from that I followed the recipe verbatim. It was a big hit with everyone! Thanks Sabrina! 2 things I would pass along to those looking to try it:
1) Grate your own cheese. In my experience the pre-shredded does not work well in these kinds of dishes and turns out grainy.
2) This recipe goes from undercooked to cooked quickly. I cooked a total of 2 hours (for a double batch). At 90mins the noodles were still crunchy, at 2 hours it was very well cooked – any longer and it would have been overcooked. All slow cookers are different, so just keep a close eye on it after 90mins. No one likes mushy macaroni.
I agree with both of your suggestions. 🙂
This Mac and cheese was perfect! I didn’t have evaporated milk so I used 2.5 cups of milk instead. I also used Mexican shredded cheese as well and I added a little extra cheese to the recipe. Turned out perfect! I ended up cooking it on high for the last 30 minutes because it looked too watery at that point. Flavor was great! Definitely saving this recipe to use for the future. Super easy!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Katy! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Tested this recipe before Easter dinner as a side dish. Excellent! Macaroni was cooked, flavor was great and super easy. Done in exactly 2 hours. Only change I made is did not have evaporated milk so used milk instead making it a total of 2 cups milk. Will be making for Easter! Will also be making this in the future for pot lucks.
I’m so glad you loved it, Michelle!
This is my go-to potluck dish. Delicious!
Can you make this the night before, fridge it and reheat it in the crock pot again the next day when were ready to eat it. I have a work party and can’t cook it during work. But I can reheat it on warm.. will that work?
I’d be worried about the texture of the noodles in reheating. They might become a bit mushy from sitting. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Can your Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese be easily doubled?
Yes, you just may need an additional 30 minutes of cook time. I would check it at the normal time and keep an eye on it until it’s done so it doesn’t get overcooked. Enjoy!
8oz of pasta? 1 cup? That doesn’t seem to make sense. Cooked or uncooked? My box of pasta is 32oz.
You’ll be adding 8 ounces of uncooked pasta which when cooked ends up being around 4 cups of cooked noodles. You can always use a food scale if you’re feeling unsure about the correct amount. Enjoy!
8 oz of pasta is the weight, not the liquid volume equivalent. Imagine a cup of feathers vs. a pound. You would need a garbage bag to fit the pound. This is one of the shortcomings of not using the metric system in the US.
This recipe was really easy, but incredibly dry and bland. Followed everything exactly and yeah, it needs improvement to actually be good.
Would it be Okay to add cream cheese AND cheddarcheese soup to make the recipe very creamy?!
I haven’t tested it that way. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out.
If I double this recipe will i have to cook it for four hours instead of two?
You may need to add an additional 30 minutes of cook time but just keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Made this tonight and very disappointed. Doubled the recipe and followed instructions but ended up with glop – macaroni mush. Sorry – but don’t bother with this one.
I should have looked at the reviews prior to trying it. Most of theee 5 star reviews are from people who didn’t make this recipe. Well I made it and it didn’t turn out at all. The pasta clumped on the bottom and the sauce was just oily. I would probably look for another recipe.
What setting should the Crock-Pot being on
Cook it on low heat.
This Mac and cheese looks amazing! Have you doubled the recipe? I’ve got a big group and want to make sure it’ll turn out. Thank you!
It might take an additional 30 minutes to cook when doubled. Just check it at the normal cook time and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t over cook. Good luck!
Would Guyere cheese work in this instead of motzarella?
Yes 🙂
This was delicious and so easy…my family loved it ! Perfect after 2 hours. Don’t do any longer or it will dry out a bit. Super easy and frees up oven space. Would definitely make this again.
Phenomenal!! I have finally found a Crock-Pot mac and cheese recipe that my whole family loves! And it couldn’t be easier to make!
I didn’t like the ingredients in the evaporated milk, so the second time I made it, I substituted the same amount (24 ounces) of whole milk for the evaporated and it came out great! A lot of milk, but it tasted delicious!
I used pre shredded Mexican mix cheese, and added garlic as well. I am liking the no pre boiling the pasta.
ooh, I love the additions, I bet the added flavors were delicious!
This recipe has become a go to for us! Everyone in the house loves it and we’ve made many different variations of the recipe, it’s so versatile! I work nights, but moms never get a break, especially when it comes to dinner… this is an absolute life saver ??
So happy to hear, Mary!
Hi, I don’t have a slow cooker. Can I cook it in a Dutch oven? Or any other way? Thank you!
If you want to use the stove top, I would recommend this recipe instead. https://dinnerthendessert.com/super-creamy-macaroni-cheese/
This is the best mac and cheese I EVER had…. And I am 72 years old…I just made it for a party I’m going to today….I know it will be a huge hit….?
I’m glad you love it, Judy! Happy New Year!
do you need to cook the pasta beforehand and is it alright to use other pasta if I don’t have elbow pasta?:
No need to cook the pasta beforehand, just toss it in the slow cooker. When it comes to pasta, you can use whatever shape you’d like just make sure it’s around the same size as elbow pasta or that could affect cook time. I hope this helps!
I made a double batch for a potluck at work. It was great, but ever so slightly sweet. I think the evaporated milk might have been the culprit. I think I’ll leave it out next time I make this.
Was not impressed with this recipe. 3 of us ate it but only 1 liked it enough to save the left overs.
Have you tried doubling noodles in recipe? if so, do you double everything else as well or just the cheeses and butter?
If you double the noodles, I would double the rest so it’s still cheesy and not just noodles. Enjoy!
Can noodles be precooked first? How would that adjust cook time, liquids?
No, cooked noodles won’t work for this recipe. Sorry
If you are doubling for a potluck. Make sure to leave extra time as i did 2 hours on low and it was nowhere near done, runny and pasta wasnt cooked. I did another hour and a bit on high and it finally cooked and soaked up. Also i found it needed lots more salt pepper then the recipe called for and i added garlic powder .
I made this recipe for my husband’s surprise party because he loves mac and cheese. I quadrupled the recipe and then divided it in half. One half I made just like the recipe here, the other half i made with Monterey Jack cheese. They both turned out really well and everyone loved it. It was completely gone. The one with the Monterey Jack cheese was a little more soupy, but the other one turned out perfect. And I would say it was about 2 hour cook time. I actually had people asking for the recipe, so I would totally recommend it.
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Melissa!
This recipe is so easy and incredibly delicious! Wow! I made it as a side at thanksgiving and everyone raved about it. And now I don’t have to make the boxed kind for my kids to save time- this is so much better!!
Yay!! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know!
Doubled the recipe for Thanksgiving. Cook time was the same. Although tasty, the pasta seemed to disintegrate. Kids didn’t like it. Adults said it was okay.
Great recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it! I’m so glad I found it. I had a recipe for Mac n cheese but not one for the crock pot. The family loved it! My kids went for seconds and I think my oldest may have gotten a third helping. I can’t wait to make it again. I had a little too much liquid, my fault, so I did put it on high for about 45-60 minutes to “burn” it off. I didn’t use all the ingredients either, just the cream cheese, milk, creamer (I didn’t have evaporated milk and I found the recipe right before starting to cook my turkey dinner. Good thing my husband doesn’t get flavored creamer. Lol.), butter, and I used generic Velveeta cheese. It’s a little salty so I plan on getting the cheeses you have in the recipe next time. I also loved I didn’t have to make the noodles first too. I’d share a picture of it but I don’t know how and it’s partly gone anyway. Happy Thanksgiving!!
So glad everyone loved it, Carol! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and letting me know.
Do you cook it on high or low? Do cooking times vary due to which temperature?
You’ll want to cook this on low.
Do I cook this on low or high?
Low 🙂
This recipe is my go-to I’ve used it multiple times for parties and yesterday for a Memorial Day picnic. I too added the garlic powder sans the salt and still good! Can’t wait to have it leftover for lunch today!
Can you cook on high for quicker results? Anyone try this?
I wouldn’t recommend it but if you’re looking for a shorter cooking time, try this one:
https://dinnerthendessert.com/super-creamy-macaroni-cheese/