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Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

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This recipe for slow cooker mac and cheese is rich and creamy with only 15 minutes of prep time. It’s the easiest crock pot macaroni and cheese ever!

This macaroni and cheese is total perfection, my kids absolutely adore it and ask for it every week. It’s perfect for a holiday meal side dish or as an easy weeknight dinner.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese | Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese | Homemade Macaroni and Cheese | Mac and Cheese Recipe

This slow cooker mac and cheese is rich, creamy and so easy to make.

I’ve found that homemade mac and cheese can be a little tricky to get right. Sometimes I have issues with the sauce separating or being grainy from the flour, and I find that baked versions of mac and cheese can dry out easily. This slow cooker mac and cheese is practically fool proof; it comes out ultra creamy every time thanks to a secret ingredient.

Noodles for slow cooker mac and cheese.

How to make Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This crock pot mac and cheese is very simple to make. First step is to boil you noodles. Slow cooker mac and cheese can sometimes come out with mushy, overcooked pasta if it cooks for too long. To avoid that, I use a heartier noodle like cavatappi, and I undercook it by 2 minutes before I put it into the slow cooker.

In about 2 hours you’ll have mac and cheese perfection! The cook time for this mac and cheese varies a bit depending on your slow cooker. I find that some of the older slow cookers tend to run on the hot side and have less heat settings. If you’ve got an older crock pot, cook this mac and cheese for about 1 1/2 hours to avoid mushy noodles.

If you’ve got a more modern crock pot with multiple heat settings, cook on the lowest setting for 2 hours. Either way you’ll want to stir the mac a few times during the cooking process. IF it looks soupy at the end of the cook time, just keep stirring and it will come together into a smooth sauce.

Ingredients to make slow cooker macaroni and cheese.

And now for the secret ingredient reveal: American cheese! Not the kind that comes in the little slices wrapped in plastic; go to your deli and buy a block of American cheese to cut into cubes for this recipe. This cheese melts beautifully and makes the end result ultra creamy.

This crock pot macaroni and cheese comes out perfect every time with a smooth and creamy sauce.

The American cheese, combined with cheddar cheese, butter, half and half and evaporated milk, make the sauce perfectly smooth. This is a basic mac and cheese in terms of the seasoning profile, but you can amp it up with the addition of your favorite herbs and spices, or even add some cubed ham at the end of the cook time for an extra special treat!

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More slow cooker recipes

This slow cooker mac and cheese is rich, creamy and so easy to make.
5 from 10 votes
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Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

This slow cooker mac and cheese recipe is rich and creamy and super easy to make!

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, slow cooker mac and cheese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 571 kcal
Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cavatappi pasta or other corkscrew shaped pasta
  • 1/4 cup butter cut into cubes
  • 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 lb block of orange American cheese cut into cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • cooking spray
  • 2 teaspoons chopped parsley optional garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than package directions call for.

  2. Coat a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the noodles in the slow cooker and add the butter. Stir until the noodles are coated with butter.

  3. Add the evaporated milk, half and half, cheddar cheese, american cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder and paprika.

  4. Stir until combined.

  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.

  6. At the end of the cook time, stir until a smooth sauce coats the noodles. Serve, topped with parsley if desired.

Recipe Notes

  1. Adapted from The Country Cook.
  2. Cavatappi is sometimes called corkscrew pasta or cellentani. If you can't find cavatappi you can use farfalle or gemelli.
Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 571 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Cholesterol 88mg 29%
Sodium 912mg 38%
Potassium 419mg 12%
Total Carbohydrates 51g 17%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 10g
Protein 25g 50%
Vitamin A 19.2%
Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 65.4%
Iron 6.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was originally published on April 10, 2017 and was updated on December 14, 2017 with a new and improved recipe and photos.

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Comments

    • I have not tried doubling it, what size is your slow cooker? I used a 4 quart and I don’t believe there would be enough room in that size to double it, it would likely not cook through.

      Reply

  11. I can’t wait to make this! I love making homemade mac and cheese, but the traditional way is so time consuming. I have to make a roux, and then I have to cook it off, and then I have to melt the cheese, and then I have to take a break… LOL Thank you!

    Reply

  16. Oh yum! Everything tastes better in a slow cooker – I even recently started making Ziti in it! This looks so good and and my kid would love it!

    Reply

  18. You can never go wrong with mac and cheese! My kids are huge fans of those and I’m always happy to make it especially since it’s really easy to put together! Love this slow cooker recipe of yours!

    Reply

  19. Oooh, it does look so creamy and good. I really like breaking my slow cooker out this time of year. I have so many other things going on, it saves me a lot of time!

    Reply

  22. Your mac and cheese looks perfect! It has been like two weeks since we had mac and cheese so thanks for the motivation! I will make some tomorrow. My husband and my sons will have happy tummies!

    Reply

  23. Sounds like a lovely mac and cheese recipe! I would love to give it a try and I love that fact that it’s a slow cooker recipe, which means you can simply leave it to cook! Super convenient!

    Reply

    • Yes you can, you’ll just want to add less liquid since it won’t cook as long, it won’t absorb all the milk that the original recipe calls for!

      Reply

  25. I made this for a 4th of July party and it was a hit! I got a lot of compliments and many of my guests asked for the recipe. I was disappointed there weren’t any leftovers! It was delicious and very easy to make. This will definitely be in my dinner rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

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