Crockpot mac & cheese with cream cheese

Crockpot mac and cheese is about to be your new favorite method of making macaroni and cheese because it's so easy and there are no dishes! There's no boiling your macaroni noodles, you just toss them in your slow cooker with the other ingredients and let it do its thing!

Easy Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese

If there's one food everyone can agree on, it's mac and cheese. There are so many choices and varieties: baked mac and cheese, easy microwave mac, good old-fashioned stovetop macaroni, you can even make cheesy macaroni in your smoker...and now you can make crockpot mac & cheese, too!

A big bowl of creamy, cheesy pasta makes all feel right with the world. The only thing better is a mac and cheese you can throw in the crockpot and forget about until it's time to eat!

Give my tasty slow cooker macaroni & cheese a try the next time you're craving some indulgently rich and creamy macaroni and cheese!

Crockpot mac and cheese is a must-have side dish for holidays or special occasions!

• Easy Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Mac & Cheese In A Crockpot
• 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🤔 Can I Skip Rinsing The Pasta?
• 🍲 More Easy Crockpot Recipes!
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

You could easily add another type of cheese to make this a 4-cheese macaroni & cheese! Gruyere, gouda, muenster, white cheddar, whatever you like!

• Elbow Pasta - 1 pound, uncooked.
• Milk - 2 ½ cups, whole milk yields the best results.
• Evaporated Milk - 12 ounces.
• Cream Cheese - 4 ounces (half a block) up to 8 ounces for extra creamy mac and cheese.
• Extra Sharp Cheddar - 3 cups freshly shredded, not pre-shredded packages.
• American Cheese -  1 cup freshly shredded, not processed slices. Or Monterrey cheese.
• Seasoning - 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder.
• Butter - ¼ cup, cut into cubes.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*

🔪 How To Make Mac & Cheese In A Crockpot

The crockpot makes any recipe a breeze, and crockpot mac and cheese is no different! You will need a slow cooker, a colander for rinsing the pasta, and a wooden spoon for stirring.

1. Prep. Spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse1 pound of uncooked macaroni noodles under cool water and drain.
2. Combine ingredients. Place the uncooked pasta in your crockpot. Then, add 2 ½ cups milk, 12 ounces of evaporated milk, all cheeses ( 4-8 ounces of cream cheese, 3 cups of cheddar, and 1 cup of American), and seasonings ( 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder). Stir to thoroughly combine.
3. Add cubed butter. Make sure the macaroni noodles are as submerged in liquid as possible. Place ¼ cup of cubed butter on top, spreading the cubes around evenly.
4. Cook. Replace the lid to your crockpot and cook on low for 1 hour. Then stir and check pasta for doneness. If not done, continue cooking and check a piece of pasta for doneness every 30 minutes.
5. Serve. Mac and cheese is done when the pasta is tender and the cheese sauce is thick and creamy. Serve immediately.

Go all out and serve your crockpot mac and cheese with some crusty garlic bread. Or serve it as a side dish to some Sloppy Joes or Shake and Bake pork chops. Enjoy!

For more suggestions on what to serve with mac and cheese, check out our page dedicated to macaroni and all the awesome recipes that go with it!

💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

• For best results, rinse the pasta under cool running water until the water runs clear and no longer has a milky appearance.
• Using freshly shredded cheese is essential in getting creamy macaroni and cheese! The pre-shredded packaged cheese is coated in preservatives to keep it from sticking together or melting properly. 
• The age, make, and model of your crockpot can affect the cooking time. So, it is normal for cooking time to vary some.
• The easiest way to find fresh American cheese is to ask for it from the deli counter at your local grocery store!
• Your cheese sauce will thicken up if you remove the lid and let it set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• You may leave your crockpot on warm for up to 2 hours for easy serving. 
• Storing: In a shallow, airtight container, mac and cheese will last for up to 3-5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.

🤔 Can I Skip Rinsing The Pasta?

Yes, you can. However, this does affect the resulting mac and cheese. If you're serving up your mac & cheese right away it can work out just fine.

If you're going to leave the crockpot on warm to serve later or at a family gathering, your pasta will get clumpy. Skipping the rinse will also lead to less desirable results when reheating your leftover mac and cheese.

🍲 More Easy Crockpot Recipes!

• Grape Jelly Meatballs
• Green Beans and Potatoes
• Beef Stew
• Cube Steak
• Candied Yams
• Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📋 Recipe

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4.99 from 172 reviews

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

Crockpot mac and cheese is about to be your new favorite method of making macaroni and cheese because it's so easy and there are no dishes! There's no boiling your macaroni noodles, you just toss them in your slow cooker with the other ingredients and let it do its thing. Give crockpot mac and cheese a try the next time you're craving some indulgently rich and creamy macaroni and cheese!

Author | Angela

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 652kcal

Prep 5 minutes

Cooking 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric

1x2x3x

• ▢1 pound elbow macaroni (uncooked)
• ▢2 ½ cups milk (whole milk is best)
• ▢12 ounces evaporated milk
• ▢4 oz cream cheese (up to 8 ounces for extra creamy mac and cheese)
• ▢3 cups sharp cheddar (freshly shredded, not pre-packaged shredded)
• ▢1 cup American cheese (freshly shredded, not processed slices- or Monterrey cheese.)
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢¼ tsp garlic powder
• ▢¼ cup butter (cut into cubes)

Instructions

• Spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse the uncooked macaroni noodles under cool water and drain.

  1 pound elbow macaroni

• Place the uncooked pasta in your crockpot. Then, add milk, evaporated milk, all cheeses (cream cheese, cheddar, and American), and seasonings (salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder). Stir to combine.

  2 ½ cups milk, 12 ounces evaporated milk, 4 oz cream cheese, 3 cups sharp cheddar, 1 cup American cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• Make sure macaroni noodles are as submerged in liquid as possible. Spread cubes of butter over the top of everything.

  ¼ cup butter

• Replace the lid to your crockpot and cook on low for 1 hour. Then, remove the lid and stir. Check pasta for doneness, depending on your crockpot it may take 1-2 more hours. If not done, continue cooking and check a piece of pasta for doneness every 30 minutes.

• Mac and cheese is done when the pasta is tender and the cheese sauce is thick and creamy. Serve immediately.

Equipment You May Need

crock pot (slow cooker)

colander

Wooden Spoon

Notes

• For best results, rinse the pasta under cool running water until the water runs clear and no longer has a milky appearance.
• Using freshly shredded cheese is essential in getting creamy macaroni and cheese! The pre-shredded packaged cheese is coated in preservatives to keep it from sticking together or melting properly. 
• The age, make, and model of your crockpot can affect the cooking time. So, it is normal for cooking time to vary some.
• The easiest way to find fresh American cheese is to ask for it from the deli counter at your local grocery store!
• Your cheese sauce will thicken up if you remove the lid and let it set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• You may leave your crockpot on warm for up to 2 hours for easy serving. 
• Store leftovers in a shallow, airtight container. Mac and cheese will last for up to 3-5 days in the fridge.
• Reheat in the microwave in short 30-second intervals, stirring between. Add more milk as needed. Or heat over low on the stovetop in a small saucepan.

Nutrition

Calories: 652kcal (33%) | Carbohydrates: 53g (18%) | Protein: 27g (54%) | Fat: 37g (57%) | Saturated Fat: 21g (131%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg (37%) | Sodium: 1028mg (45%) | Potassium: 448mg (13%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 11g (12%) | Vitamin A: 1183IU (24%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 715mg (72%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com

Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!

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