Easy Crockpot Mac and Cheese

This crockpot mac and cheese recipe is a super easy way to get your favorite creamy cheesy pasta made with very little work.

Just add ingredients and slow cook it to perfection.

If you love creamy mac and cheese then you are going to love this easy slow cooker mac and cheese recipe. It’s packed with so much great flavor in every bite and takes hardly any effort to make.

No standing over a pot, excessive whisking, or multiple pots to clean up afterward. This recipe is sure to be a huge hit with the whole family and it’s not hard to see why. A classic cheesy pasta dish is always a welcomed meal.

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

This may possibly be the best crockpot mac and cheese recipe because of how simple it is to make. With just 5 minutes of prep, you can enjoy a wonderful meal with no effort.

Your crockpot will slow cook your meal to perfection and all you have to do is resist the urge to dig in until it’s ready.

Ingredients You’ll Need For Crockpot Mac and Cheese:

• Elbow noodle pasta
• Milk
• Evaporated milk
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Shredded American cheese
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Ground mustard
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne powder
• Butter

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Crockpot Mac and Cheese:

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray to make the cleanup easier later.

Add your uncooked pasta to the pot.

Add in the milk, evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, American cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, and cayenne pepper, and then stir well to combine.

Add in the cubed butter.

Cover the crockpot and cook on low for about 1 hour.

Remove the lid and stir together.

Continue cooking until the pasta is tender and ready.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Recipe tips

• To make your clean-up even easier you can use those plastic slow cooker liners instead of spraying the inside of your pot with cooking spray. This means that after your meal has been eaten, you can just toss the liner away and cleanup is practically finished!
• You can use any pasta noodle of choice but elbow noodles are more commonly seen and used with mac and cheese recipes. Other great noodle varieties to try to include penne and shells.
• You can use 2% or whole milk for the cheese sauce and it will turn out nicely either way.
• Even though it means a little added prep work, I recommend shredding the cheeses yourself. Buying premade shredded cheese is great when you want very little to do, but the cheese is precoated in an anticaking agent that makes cheese sauces not turn out right and often look clumpy. Using block cheese that you shredded will result in a much smoother cheese finish.

FAQs

What cheeses go well with mac and cheese?

I personally enjoy using Cabot white cheddar cheese for my mac and cheese recipes as seen in multiple posts throughout this site but other great cheese options like American cheddar and Monterey Jack work well too. Honestly, you can use any cheese preference you may have and it will probably turn out fine.

What to serve with mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is a recipe that tastes great on its own but some great additions to the meal would be cooked meats like ham, chicken, pork, or white fish. For vegetables, you want something that pairs nicely with cheese like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or even asparagus depending on your own personal preferences.

How to reheat mac and cheese

You can reheat large servings of mac and cheese in a pot on the stove over low-medium heat until heated through. You may wish to add in a little milk or water to help rehydrate the pasta.
To reheat a single serving or two of pasta, add it to a plate and top with some pads of butter before microwaving for 1-3 minutes. The added butter will help to rehydrate the pasta and add a nice rich taste.

For more great mac and cheese recipes check out my Cajun Shrimp Mac and Cheese,Bacon and Crab Mac and Cheese,Lobster Mac and Cheese, or my Spanakopita Mac and Cheese for fun and interesting variations.

Continue to Content

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Lb Elbow Pasta
• 2 1/2 cups Milk
• 1 Can Evaporated Milk
• 3 Cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
• 1 Cup American cheese (shredded)
• 1 Tsp Salt
• ½ Tsp Black Pepper
• ½ Tsp Ground Mustard
• ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder
• ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Cup butter (cubed)

Instructions

1. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray.
2. Add uncooked pasta to the crockpot.
3. Add milk, evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, american cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Add cubed butter.
5. Cook on low heat for 1 hour.
6. Remove the lid and stir.
7. Keep cooking until pasta is tender.
8. Serve and ENJOY!

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