Crockpot Mac and Cheese
116 CommentsUpdated Feb 10, 2026
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This crockpot mac and cheese has that classic, creamy texture thanks to a blend of real cheeses—no shortcuts, just comfort food done right.
What I love most about my crockpot mac & cheese recipe is that there’s no need for a flour and butter roux to make the sauce. Instead, cream cheese does the work of thickening it up. This version uses freshly shredded cheese—no Velveeta or cheddar soup here!
Key Ingredients
No complicated steps—just these pantry-friendly ingredients. Full Recipe is in the recipe card below the images.
- Elbow Macaroni: Use large or small elbows
- Cheese Combo: A mix of sharp cheddar and white cheddar gives the sauce its rich, classic flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Adds extra creaminess and helps the sauce stay smooth.
- Milk: Thins the cheese mixture just enough to coat the noodles perfectly.
- A Large Crockpot: This recipe makes a big batch, so be sure to use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker to avoid overflow.
Cook’s Tips and Variations
A few things to keep in mind for the best texture and flavor:
- Cook the pasta separately—the slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to properly cook dried noodles.
- Don’t overcook the pasta on the stove; it’ll keep softening while it cooks in the crockpot.
- Mac and cheese doesn’t freeze great—this one’s best eaten fresh within a few days.
- Sharp cheddar is the way to go—mild cheddar doesn’t have enough flavor for a dish like this. You can swap the white cheddar for more sharp cheese, or try Swiss, Gouda, or Fontina.
- Try other shapes like shells, penne, or cavatappi if you want to switch things up—they hold up well.
What to serve with this
Crockpot macaroni and cheese is a fantastic dish that can be served as-is or with other dishes to create a full-course meal. Here are a few meal ideas to pair with it:
Mac and cheese goes great with holiday mains like crockpot ham, or turkey.
Other great main dishes we love to serve this with are grilled burgers, slow cooker cube steak, slow cooker whole chicken, crockpot drumsticks, or slow cooker baby back ribs.
If you want more sides that pair well, try my green bean casserole or honey garlic carrots.
Featured Comment
“This is such a great recipe. I love that it’s in the slow cooker and the whole family loves it.”
– Christine
Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe
How to Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups dried elbow noodles, large or small, (see instructions on how to prepare)
- 8 oz. cream cheese,, cubed
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
For topping:
- 1 cup shredded cheddar sharp cheese, (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions on the stove top and not any longer. Get other ingredients ready while pasta cooks.
- Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray or rub down with oil or butter. Drain the pasta immediately after done cooking and add to the slow cooker add remaining ingredients and stir.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours. Stir the pasta twice during this cooking time, once at the hour mark and then and the 1.5 hour mark. Be gentle when you stir.
- When the cooking time is up add more cheese on top, add the lid and let melt for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Pasta Recipes
Pesto Chicken Pasta and Slow Cooker Chicken Penne are two easy, creamy chicken dinners packed with flavor.
For classic Italian comfort, try Slow Cooker Lasagna or Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs—both are hearty and hands-off.
Can’t wait to try the Mac an Cheese!
I loved the Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes, they turned out great!!!! this is my go to way!!!! The best!!!!
Thank you Sarah!! ☺
Can you add breadcrumbs on the top and have it turn out okay?
Can you freeze this after cooking?
Yes! Will freeze fine
Can I double this recipe ? Want to make for thanksgiving
Yes! Will work fine. Make sure not to over cook your pasta when you boil it, it should be slightly undercooked.
Should you rinse the pasta after cooking or just drain it? I usually rinse, but wanted to make sure. I look forward to trying this!
No, don’t rinse. Best if it is warm to melt the cheeses. Rinsing pasta is mostly for cold pasta dishes such as pasta salad.
Disappointed in this. Followed directions (used 2 cups cheddar and 2 cups red Leicester cheese).
Came out like a slightly curdled/baked texture and not a very nice melted smooth one.
Shame! I used a lot of cheese and cream cheese to try this and not impressed at all.
Most of it will be thrown away – why is this working for others and not me?
This is way too late, but for future reference and other posters reading through the replies, there are additives added to the shredded cheese that prevent the shreds from clumping together in the bag. That same additive also prevents a nice smooth velvety sauce too (the recipe did mention grating your own).
can you use evaporated milk or 1/2 & 1/2 for richer sauce
Yes! That will work fine.
This was really good! I added 1/3 cup finely diced onions, doubled the pepper, and 1/8 tsp of ground mustard. One of best Mac and cheese recipes I’ve ever made! Thank you!
You state cooking time as 2 hours, yet say stir twice once at one hour and again at 1.5 hours.
Yes, set the slow cooker for 2 hours. Open and stir at the 1 hour and 1.5 hour mark. 🙂
Stir at The hour mark and 1.5 hour (30 minutes later after the hour mark)
On the video an ingredient was added before the S&P. It was not on the ingredient list or captioned in the video. I’m assuming it was flour.?
It was the salt 🙂