Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is one of the easiest comfort foods you can make – and it tastes great! All you need is a few simple ingredients, including your favorite cheese, pasta, milk, butter, and a few other necessities.

With just a few minutes of prep time and some hands-off cooking in your slow cooker, you’ll have a deliciously creamy mac and cheese ready for dinner. And best of all, it’s not just for special occasions – you can make this classic family meal any night. So why not give it a try?

Why you need this easy recipe

• There are so many occasions for this recipe. Potlucks, special occasions, parties, get togethers and any weeknight dinners
•  It travels well because it’s made in the crock pot
• Everyone loves macaroni and cheese – especially the kids! 
• Not only is this recipe easy to make, but it’s so delicious! 
• The combination of Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese is divine!

Ingredients Needed

Get more info on these simple ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

• Monterrey Jack cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup
• Milk
• Butter
• Macaroni noodles

How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

1. In a crock pot combine: the two kinds of cheese cut into cubes, cheddar cheese soup, four soup cans of milk and one stick of butter sliced. Set your crock pot to High Temp. 
2. After 2 hours, stir the mixture and add the dry macaroni noodles. The mix will be very soupy at this point. Continue to cook on high for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the crockpot macaroni is fully cooked to your liking. You will want to stir the mix a couple times during this time as the elbow noodles cook and the ingredients combine to form the perfect creamy crockpot mac and cheese.
3. Once ready, serve and enjoy this family favorite meal.

Storage

Leftover crock pot macaroni and cheese should be stored in an airtight container and should be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Reheat leftover mac n cheese in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. If needed, you can add a splash of milk to help thin out the cheese sauce if it gets too thick after being stored in the refrigerator.

Can I make this on the stovetop?

Sure! No time for the slow cooker to do its thing all day? No problem!

If you need to make this quickly, you can make it on your stovetop in a large pot. Cook on medium until the noodles are cooked to your liking and the cheese sauce is thickened! 

Stir constantly to make sure the noodles don’t stick. I make it this way all the time if I’m not traveling with it. It cooks quicker, under an hour, so this method is perfect if you are making it for dinner.

What kind of milk should I use?

You can use whatever milk you prefer and have on hand. Whole milk will give your slow cooker macaroni and cheese even more of a rich, creamier flavor if desired. In addition, you can always add a splash of heavy cream if you want a bit of extra richness.

Can I add other cheese?

Certainly! If you’re a cheese lover, there are plenty of other cheeses you can add in or trade out for other choices. Try adding any of these or a combination of a few of them:

• A small block of Velveeta cheese
• Some cream cheese- usually the block kind is easier, but the whipped may be nice too
• Some cubed or sliced American cheese
• Add some sour cream (while this isn’t a cheese, it’s a great way to bring a little tang to your very delicious slow cooker meal)
• Some shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Some white cheddar cheese

What toppings can I add?

If you like baked mac and cheese with a little crunch on top, pop some of the finished mac and cheese into a single serve au gratin or ramekin dish. Then, bake in a 350-degree oven until the top is golden brown! 

You can also add some bread crumbs on top with another cheeses like parmesan cheese and some herbs and spices, like garlic powder and onion powder to really amp up the flavor profile before you pop it in the microwave.

Can I double this recipe?

My crock pot is 6 quart and with this size, I can double the recipe for a large group. It fills the crock pot, but it always comes home empty from family gatherings! Be sure to give this creamy macaroni dish a good stir if doubling when you are cooking it so everything gets well incorporated in this slow cooker recipe.

Tips and Variations

• If you don’t have elbow macaroni noodles, you can use other small shaped pasta. Small shells, farfalle, or even penne would all be great in this dish.
• No need to run out to the grocery store if you don’t have the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese blocks, you can always use any combination of cheeses to make the best mac and cheese around.
• You can use this as a main dish or as a side dish. If using as a main dish, you can add some cooked veggies in right before you serve or even some cooked protein, like rotisserie chicken or cooked shrimp to your meal right before you serve it. It’s a great way to bulk out this simple recipe and it’s something the whole family will love.
• If you want to help make clean up easier than it already is, you can use a Slow Cooker liner with this recipe. I also find that using some nonstick cooking spray helps make it easier to clean the slow cooker insert if it starts to get crusted over with some of your cheese sauce.
• This recipe was tested in a 6-quart crockpot. If you have a smaller crock pot, you may need to adjust the ingredient quantities so you don’t overflow the crockpot. If you have a larger sized Slow Cooker, you may be able to double the recipe or even triple it as I can easily double it in my 6-quart cooker.

Crock pot mac and cheese is an easy, delicious recipe that anyone can make with minimal effort. The fact that you can customize it to suit your own tastes makes it even better. Have fun, experiment and serve up a delicious dish everyone will love!

This cheesy macaroni really is the ultimate comfort food and has become the most requested dish I get asked to make and bring to any family or friend gatherings.

Since it’s made in the crockpot, it’s a great side dish that travels easily and doesn’t take up the majority of my day making it, so I never complain when others ask for it!

I hope you give this mac and cheese recipe a try over the holidays! And, you can find some of my other favorite recipes in the Recipe Tab above!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Print

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours

Ingredients

• One 8 oz. block Monterrey Jack cheese
• One 8 oz. block Cheddar cheese
• Two cans Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup
• Four empty soup cans of milk
• One stick butter
• 16 oz. macaroni noodles

Instructions

In crock pot combine: the two cheeses cut into cubes, cheddar cheese soup, four soup cans of milk and one stick of butter sliced. Set your crock pot to High Temp.  

After 2 hours, stir the mixture and add the dry macaroni noodles. The mix will be very soupy at this point. Continue to cook on high for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours until macaroni is fully cooked to your liking.   You will want to stir the mix a couple times during this time as the noodles cook and the ingredients combine.

Notes

If you need to make this in a hurry, you can make it on your stove top in a large pot. If I use this cooking method, I combine all of the ingredients at once and continually stir while cooking to make sure the noodles don't stick.

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