This Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is a family favorite! Elbow macaroni noodles are slow cooked in a rich cheesy sauce.
It is great as a holiday side and a favorite for Sunday supper. This easy mac and cheese recipe needs just minutes of prep and comes out of the slow cooker perfect every time!
Why This is The best Crock Pot Mac & Cheese Ever.
Homemade mac and cheese is my personal favorite food and I can assure you that this is the best crock pot macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had!
- Unusual ingredients, amazing flavor. The recipe (and the reviews) speak for themselves.
- It has a perfect consistency every time (and the pasta is not mushy).
- This recipe takes only about 10 minutes of prep and the slow cooker does the rest.
- This recipe can be doubled for a crowd (and left on warm for serving).
- Everyone loves this recipe when I make it.
Why This Recipe Works
1. Precooked Pasta
Precooking the pasta ensures it is perfect every time. I’ve tested countless “no boil mac and cheese recipes” (using uncooked pasta). Depending on the brand, the pasta can become mushy or gummy in texture and I find it to be inconsistent.
Boiling the macaroni about 2 minutes less than indicated on your package (so it’s quite firm) keeps it from getting mushy.
2. Sauce Ingredients
I prefer crock pot macaroni without evaporated milk or Velveeta cheese. While some of the ingredients in this recipe may seem odd, they really make a great cheesy sauce!
A traditional cream sauce or cheese sauce doesn’t hold up well in the slow cooker, as dairy can curdle and/or separate in the crock pot.
The addition of mayonnaise sounds odd and even if you don’t love mayonnaise, it works (as you can see by the reviews on this recipe below). Regular or light mayonnaise (or dressing) will work.
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is perfect for camping or potlucks, basically, anywhere you don’t have an oven.
It’s also a great way to save oven space for Thanksgiving dinner (including turkey and stuffing!) and cook this on the side.
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
This slow cooker macaroni and cheese takes less than 10 minutes to get into the Crock Pot and then it’s ready to go!
- Boil pasta for about 2 minutes less than the package indicates.
- While pasta is boiling, shred the sharp cheddar cheese.
- Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook per the recipe below.
Tips for Perfection
- Pasta – Do not overcook the pasta, it should be very firm after boiling. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking.
- Cheese – Shred the cheese from a block, pre-shredded cheeses do not work as well.
- Cooking time – Check the pasta early, slow cookers can vary.
- Double the recipe – A single batch of this slow-cooker mac is cooked in a 4qt slow cooker. To double this recipe, cook in a 6QT crockpot. Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours, stirring after 1 hour and 2 hours. (When stirring, try to do it as quickly as possible to keep the heat inside).
- Make ahead – To prepare this ahead of time, mix all of the ingredients except the pasta. The pasta can be cooked ahead, rinsed, and cooled. Combine the pasta and sauce ingredients in the crock pot just before cooking.
- Baking in the oven – If you prefer or if you are short on time, you can bake this in the oven (and I have many many times!) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.
Note: Slow cookers can vary! You may have to slightly adjust the time for your slow cooker. If your Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is done early, you can turn your slow cooker onto warm.
More Crock Pot Holiday Sides
- Crock Pot Creamed Corn
- No Boil Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
- Crock Pot Stuffing
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 10 ½ ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream regular or light
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
-
Boil macaroni noodles according to directions to make them very al dente. (I cook them for at least 1-2 minutes less than directed on the bag. Mine boiled for 5 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water.
-
Combine all ingredients in a 4qt slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3 hours, stirring once or twice.
-
Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Pasta - Do not overcook the pasta, it should be very firm after boiling. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking.
- Cheese - Shred the cheese from a block, pre-shredded cheeses do not work as well. If you do not have gruyere cheese, you can use an additional cup of cheddar instead (4 cups in total).
- Cooking time - Check the pasta early, slow cookers can vary.
- Double the recipe - To double this recipe, use a 6QT crockpot. Cook on high for 2 ½ hours, stirring after 1 hour and 2 hours. (When stirring, try to do it as quickly as possible to keep the heat inside).
- Make ahead - To prepare this ahead of time, mix all of the ingredients except the pasta. The pasta can be cooked ahead, rinsed, and cooled. Combine the pasta and sauce ingredients in the crockpot just before cooking.
- Baking in the oven - If you prefer or if you are short on time, you can bake this in the oven (and I have many many times!) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine American
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Recipe looks great. Can I sub the condensed cream of chicken soup with a can of cheddar cheese soup?
Absolutely!
I have made this in the crockpot many times, this is now a Thanksgiving dinner tradition!! This year I plan to bake instead. What size baking dish do you recommend for the amount of ingredients? Thank you :)
So glad your family loves it as much as mine does. I use a 9×13 baking dish.
Best mac and cheese ever. I usually add a splash of milk to make the sauce thinner as that is my preference. This gets eaten so quick at a cookout!!!
I doubled the recipe and everyone raved over it, even my picky daughter! Definitely a keeper!
I made this mac n cheese for my fussy teen. He chose the recipe based on how good the pic looked. It was a success and tasted good. I used parmesan and cheddar. I’ll try something differ4 next time.
Do you think the leftovers would freeze ok?
Hello Michelle. This mac and cheese would freeze ok. However it may alter the texture slightly. Try adding a little extra milk, and cheese when reheating.
This recipe looks great and I don’t want to mess it up for a party, so I have a few questions.TIA!
1) I see in the recipe notes that you say to grate our cheese from a block and that pre-shredded cheese won’t work well, then I saw in a comment below that you said it would work fine. I’d sure like to save some time before a birthday party if I can use pre-shredded cheese, but not if it will make the sauce split or cause weird texture issues. What risks would I be taking if I used pre-shredded? In other words, what unfavorable things did you have in mind when you said in the notes that we should grate ours instead of bag pre-shredded?
2) What type of cheddar works best? Mild? Sharp? Medium?
3) If I can’t snag gruyere cheese, what would you suggest as an alternative cheese for the last two cups? Would Monterrey or Colby Jack be fine? Or do I need to stick with gruyere at the risk of the texture/flavor being off?
So excited by the great reviews!
Great questions, Erin!
1) Pre shredded cheese has an additive that prevents it from sticking together in the bag. That can cause the texture to be off in the cheese sauce so I prefer shredding my own cheese for this recipe.
2) Sharp will have more flavor, mild will have a more mild flavor. So it’s mostly personal preference, but they are turn out delicious.
3) If you do not have gruyere cheese, you can use an additional cup of cheddar instead (4 cups in total).
I hope you enjoy it, Erin!
Swiss is always a perfect replacement for me!
OMG! The best Mac and cheese EVER!
The recipe states it’s for 8 servings and calls for 2 cups of macaroni. In the comments you said you use 2 lbs of macaroni for 8 people. So to be clear, 2 cups means 2 lbs?
Sorry for the confusion, I measure out 2 cups of elbow macaroni in a measuring cup. This will make approximately 8 servings, ½ cup each.
if its a half cup each then wouldnt it make only 4 servings?
Hi Azaylia, we use 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni which once cooked is approximately 4 cups of pasta. At ½ cup a serving it is approximately 8 servings.