Slow Cooker Mac N Cheese Taste Of Home

This creamy slow cooker mac and cheese only takes 10 minutes to prep and is made with only a few simple ingredients! Pure comfort in a bowl and tastes absolutely amazing.

Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

This is one of our favorite side dish recipes for any holiday. Slow cooking just makes everything easier. Some of my other favorite slow cooker sides are crockpot creamed corn, crockpot mashed potatoes and slow cooker carrots.

If you're looking for a recipe for slow cooker mac and cheese without evaporated milk, this is it! My two year old LOVES this recipe and asks for it pretty much every day. Luckily it makes a lot, so we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. It warms up great!

I love that this dish is made all in the slow cooker. No precooking the noodles or making a roux. It would make the perfect side dish alongside a roasted turkey for Thanksgiving! Also, makes a great dinner when you don't have a lot of time to prep.

uncooked noodles in crockpot with slices of butter and cream cheese on top

Do you have to cook pasta before putting in crock pot?

No, that's the best part about this recipe! The uncooked pasta goes straight into the crock pot and will cook over the course of the 2 hours. It softens up and has the perfect consistency. So so easy and no boiling required!

Type of cheese to use

I typically use a sharp cheddar and monterey jack cheese combo, but the pepper jack cheese tasted amazing. It has a tiny little kick, but not enough for my kids to notice the difference. It really just adds an awesome flavor and makes the sauce extra thick and creamy.

How to make crock pot macaroni and cheese

This dish is SO simple…just throw everything in the crockpot and let it do the work for you! Scroll down for the printable recipe and video tutorial below.

COMBINE. Add the uncooked noodles to the bottom of the crock pot. Put the sliced butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper on top. Then pour in the milk and heavy cream and give the mixture a stir.
COOK. Place lid on top and cook on low until the pasta is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Make sure to stir at the halfway mark.
MELT CHEESE. Mix in the cheeses and then cover and let melt for another 5 to 10 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

Keeping warm

If you're not serving the mac and cheese immediately, you can turn it to the warm setting once it's done cooking. The longer that it sits, the cheese sauce will likely thicken up a bit. So give it a big stir and add more milk before serving to thin out the sauce as needed.

Quick tips

Other types of noodles (like elbow or macaroni) will work too. Cooking time will vary, so keep an eye on the mac n cheese after about an hour.
I used shredded sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese, but you can also use monterey jack or even gouda as well.
To thin out the sauce, add more milk. To thicken, add more cheese.
Add a dash of buffalo sauce if you like a little heat.
To reheat, either place in the microwave or oven until warmed throughout. I like to add a small splash of milk before reheating, to make sure it doesn't dry out when warming back up.

More types of macaroni and cheese:

Baked macaroni and cheese
Homemade macaroni
One-pot chive and bacon mac and cheese
Smoked gouda macaroni and cheese
Fried mac and cheese balls

dipping a fork into a bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe

Only takes 10 minutes to prep and is made with only a few simple ingredients! Pure comfort in a bowl and tastes absolutely amazing.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 50 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

1 pound cavatappi pasta (uncooked)
4 Tablespoons salted butter (sliced)
4 ounces cream cheese (cut into cubes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or black pepper
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream (can also use whole milk)
2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly shredded pepper jack cheese (can sub with monterey jack)

Place the uncooked pasta into the bottom of the slow cooker. Put butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper on top. Then pour the milk and cream on top and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the pasta is tender. Stir half way through.
Once the noodles are ready, add the cheese on top and stir to combine. Cover and let cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Stir before serving. Salt and pepper to taste. If you're turning to the warm setting and not serving immediately, add more milk to thin out the sauce as needed.

Noodles: You can use different types of noodles with the recipe, however cook times will vary with different noodles, so be sure to check around an hour and add time accordingly. Add a dash of hot sauce if desired.

This recipe comes from my friend Donna's cookbook: The Simple Kitchen