Crockpot mac and cheese is thick, creamy and sharp with cheddar, and the pasta cooks right in the milk so you never boil a pot of water. It is the side you put on before a potluck, a game day spread or a holiday dinner when the oven is already full.
How to make crockpot mac and cheese: Stir uncooked elbow pasta, milk, evaporated milk, shredded cheese and seasonings together in a 6-quart slow cooker, dot with butter and cook on low. Stir after 1 hour, then check about every half hour until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thick.
Why You’ll Love It
- No boiling. The elbows go in dry and soak up the milk as they cook.
- One pot. Everything is stirred together in the slow cooker, so there is no saucepan or colander to wash.
- Velvety sauce. Evaporated milk and two cheeses melt into a smooth, clingy sauce.
- Frees up the oven. It cooks on the counter while the rest of dinner bakes.
Ingredient Notes
Elbow pasta. Use regular dry elbows. Gluten-free and quick-cook pasta do not hold up to this method.
Extra-sharp cheddar. Shred it yourself from a block. Bagged shredded cheese does not melt the same way here, so skip it.
American cheese. Ask for a piece at the deli counter and shred it at home. Wrapped processed slices are not the same thing.
Evaporated milk. One 12-ounce can goes in along with the whole milk.
Dry mustard and cayenne. You will not taste mustard or heat. They sharpen the cheese flavor, and the cayenne is to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta, uncooked
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese (3 cups), shredded from a block
- 4 ounces American cheese (1 cup), shredded from deli cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
How to Make Crockpot Mac and Cheese
1. Prepare the cooker. Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.
2. Rinse the pasta. Rinse the uncooked elbow pasta well in cold water and drain it.
3. Combine. Add the pasta, whole milk, evaporated milk, both cheeses, salt, black pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder and cayenne to the slow cooker. Stir, then push as much of the pasta under the liquid as you can. Dot the top with the cubed butter.
4. Cook and check. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Lift the lid briefly and stir. It may already be done. If not, keep cooking and check about every half hour. Depending on your slow cooker, it may need up to 1 to 2 more hours.
5. Check doneness and serve. Stop cooking when the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and creamy. The sauce thickens more once the lid is off and the mac and cheese sits for a few minutes.
When Is Crockpot Mac and Cheese Done?
Go by the pasta, not the clock. Slow cookers run at different heats, so one pot can finish at the first check while another needs a good while longer.
Bite an elbow each time you stir. You want it tender all the way through, with no firm white center. Then look at the sauce: it should coat the pasta and look thick and glossy, not thin and milky.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| After 1 hour on low | Stir and taste an elbow. It may already be done. |
| Every half hour after that | Stir, taste again and look at the sauce. |
| Up to 1 to 2 more hours | Some slow cookers need this long. Keep checking. |
Keep the lid on between checks, and lift it only to stir and taste.
Tips for Success
Why is my mac and cheese too thick?
The sauce keeps tightening as it sits, so a pot that looked perfect can turn stiff by the time everyone sits down. Stir in a little warm milk, a splash at a time, until it loosens and turns creamy again.
Why is some of my pasta still hard?
Elbows that sit above the liquid cannot soften. When you stir at each check, press the pasta back down under the milk before you put the lid on.
Why is my sauce grainy?
Bagged shredded cheese is the usual cause. Shred the cheddar and the American cheese from a block and the sauce melts smooth.
Serving It at a Party
If the mac and cheese will sit out for serving, keep it hot. USDA FSIS says hot food should stay at 140°F or warmer, so check it with a food thermometer and stir in a splash of warm milk if it thickens while it waits.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven until a food thermometer reads 165°F; USDA FSIS does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. You can freeze it, but cream sauces can separate after freezing, so the texture will not be as smooth.
What to Serve With It
Set it next to a pan of slow cooker cream cheese chicken or Swiss cheese chicken for an easy dinner. For a party table, add a bowl of 4-ingredient cheese dip and a Big Mac casserole. If your family wants mac and cheese as the whole meal, try chicken broccoli macaroni and cheese with bacon or, for a special night, lobster, crab and shrimp macaroni and cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to boil the pasta first?
No. The elbows go in uncooked and soften in the milk as the slow cooker heats. Just rinse them in cold water and drain them before they go in.
What is the secret to flavorful crockpot mac and cheese?
Extra-sharp cheddar does most of the work. The dry mustard, garlic powder and dash of cayenne sharpen the cheese flavor without making it taste spicy.
Can I cook it on high to save time?
Stick with low. This recipe is written for the low setting, and the timing in the steps only works there.
Final Notes
I shred the cheese before I do anything else, so the pot comes together in a few minutes once the pasta is rinsed. If you make it, leave a comment and tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta uncooked regular pasta, not gluten-free or quick-cook
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese 3 cups, shredded from a block
- 4 ounces American cheese 1 cup, shredded from deli cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash cayenne pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup butter cubed
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Rinse the uncooked elbow pasta well in cold water and drain.
- Add the pasta, whole milk, evaporated milk, cheeses, salt, black pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder and cayenne to the slow cooker. Stir, keeping as much pasta under the liquid as possible. Dot with the cubed butter.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Lift the lid briefly and stir. The mac and cheese may already be done; if not, keep cooking and check about every half hour. Depending on the slow cooker, it may need up to 1 to 2 more hours.
- Stop cooking when the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and creamy. The sauce thickens further as it sits with the lid off.
