Crockpot Mac and Cheese is a super simple recipe! It makes the perfect side dish or weeknight dinner for the whole family. This slow cooker macaroni and cheese is virtually foolproof, and it comes out extra creamy and extra cheesy every time. Mac n cheese is always one of the best cheesy comfort foods around!
Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Crockpot Mac and Cheese is the cheesy easy weeknight meal you’ve been waiting for!
This creamy mac and cheese recipe is one of the best, and I love to make it for any dinner, holiday side dish, BBQ, or potluck. It stores and reheats well too, so saving leftovers is a breeze.
Making macaroni and cheese in a slow cooker is extra easy, extra creamy and EXTRA CHEESY, just the way I like it.
Why You’ll Love this Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe:
- CREAMY: This is truly the creamiest and cheesiest macaroni recipe I’ve ever tasted. If you want the most comforting dish ever, make this!
- FAMILY FAVORITE: Everyone in the family will love this one. Kids can’t resists mac n cheese, and neither can the rest of us!
- CROCKPOT RECIPE: Making this in a slow cooker means it’s EASY, and mostly hands-off. You can go relax while it cooks!
Doesn’t matter when you eat this crockpot mac and cheese or why, it will always be delicious! It’s a dish that never feels out of place.
Ingredients
- Elbow Macaroni: The classic macaroni noodle is ideal, but you can actually use other short pasta shapes too.
- Butter: Use salted butter, cut into cubes to help it melt evenly.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Eggs
- Sour Cream: I like to use light sour cream, or you could substitute plain Greek yogurt.
- Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup: This is the secret to the cheesiest mac and cheese you’ll ever taste!
- Heavy Cream: This helps create a nice creamy texture.
- Milk: Whole milk is great for this dish, but other milk types are fine.
- Dry Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make Mac and Cheese in a Crockpot
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook macaroni noodles on the stove until tender, then drain and set aside.
- Melt butter and shredded cheese in a saucepan, and mix together.
- Next, combine the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Then stir in the cooked pasta to fully coat.
- Cook on LOW setting for 1½ to 2 hours.
This creamy crockpot mac and cheese is the best set-it-and-forget-it recipe for dinners or side dishes. I just love the mix of cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream to create that super creamy texture and cheesy flavor!
Classic cheddar cheese is perfect for this recipe, but you can add other types of cheese if you prefer. Pepper jack adds some spice, or you can use a white cheddar.
Yes, you can freeze this to reheat and serve later. Let it cool completely after cooking, then place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 1 month.
It only takes 1½ to 2 hours to cook this macaroni and cheese in a slow cooker! It’s not an all-day recipe, so it’s still the perfect weeknight recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This crockpot mac and cheese is the perfect weeknight dinner for the whole family (talk about a kid-friendly dinner!). But it makes a great side dish too, to serve up with any main dish, as a BBQ side, or on any holiday. Here’s what I like to serve it with.
Tips!
- Keep it Warm: It’s already in the crock pot, so just keep it on a low setting, with the lid on, to keep it warm throughout dinner.
- Store It: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Or freeze it for up to 1 month.
- Reheat It: If you want to reheat this mac n cheese after storing it in the refrigerator, you can use a microwave, the stove, or place it back in the slow cooker. Add a small amount of liquid (milk ideally) to help rehydrate it.
How do you make mac and cheese extra creamy?
Every ingredient in this macaroni and cheese recipe just makes it creamier and creamier! The real secret ingredients are the heavy cream and cheddar cheese soup. These additions add so much creaminess and cheesiness, you’ll be amazed when you take a bite.
Can I make Crockpot mac and cheese ahead of time?
This dish keeps well in the fridge, and reheats well too. So yes, make it the day before if needed, then store it until it’s time to eat. That time in the fridge only enhances the cheesy flavor!
More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes:
Don’t have a crockpot? Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty more mac n cheese recipes to try instead.
- Baked Mac and Cheese Casserole (Two Flavors!)
- King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Mexican Macaroni and Cheese
- One Pot Macaroni and Cheese (15 Minute Recipe!)
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese (Made in a Skillet!)
- Hawaiian Pizza Macaroni and Cheese (another Slow Cooker variation)
This cheesy, creamy crockpot mac and cheese recipe is a family favorite in our house, and it will be in yours too. It’s one of those dishes that comes in handy time and time again, whether it’s a quick dinner for the kids, a side dish for dinner or holidays, or as something easy to bring to a potluck. It’s basically perfect!
More Slow Cooker Dishes We Love
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
- Crockpot Baked Ziti
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Soup
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
- 4 tablespoons salted butter cubed (½ stick)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup light sour cream
- 10.75 ounces condensed Cheddar cheese soup 1 can
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a 2-quart saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.2 cups elbow macaroni
- Return the saucepan to the heat and melt butter and shredded cheese until cheese melts.3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 4 tablespoons salted butter
- Combine melted cheese, eggs, sour cream, soup, cream, milk, mustard, and salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Stir in the macaroni and give the entire mixture a couple stirs.3 large eggs, ½ cup light sour cream, 10.75 ounces condensed Cheddar cheese soup, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup milk, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Cook on low for 1½-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Serve and enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Keep it Warm: It’s already in the crock pot, so just keep it on a low setting, with the lid on, to keep it warm throughout dinner.
- Store It: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Or freeze it for up to 1 month.
- Reheat It: If you want to reheat this mac n cheese after storing it in the refrigerator, you can use a microwave, the stove, or place it back in the slow cooker. Add a small amount of liquid (milk ideally) to help rehydrate it.
Nutrition Information
Just curious, does this have to cooka in the crockpot? Or can it be eaten without the 2 hours in the crockpot?
You can also make it on the stovetop! It just needs enough time for the sauce to cook down and thicken.
Why the eggs? I’ve never seen eggs in a Mac & cheese recipe before and I’d worry about eggy bits (sorry for me that’s a huge no!) Haven’t tried it yet, just wanted to know the reason for the egg.
Hi Cathie! Eggs do seem a bit out of place in Mac and cheese if you’ve never tried it, but you won’t know they’re there. Beating and mixing them into the sauce essentially creates an emulsion, which makes the cheese sauce as smooth and creamy as possible. You can certainly leave them out if you prefer, but it will change the texture a bit (though it will still taste good).
Love your site and recipes. I blame myself for this fail.. I’ve done crockpot mac and cheese in the past with crummy results – I told myself over and over Don’t Put Cooked Noodles In Crockpot but I did it anyway. They should go in uncooked. I think back to the Instant Pot for me and Quick Mac N Cheese.
Cheese sauce was great tho.
Thanks for sharing, Greg! Always trust your instincts!
This was definitely a Pinterest FAIL!!
I am sorry to hear this didn’t work out for you, Vanessa!
This is adapted ever so slightly from Paula Deen’s recipe. You should really give credit to her and not yourself.
This is a recipe we have been making in our family for years. I’m not sure if there was inspiration or not, but I wouldn’t be shocked as there are so many slow cooker mac and cheese recipes out there. She does have fabulous recipes.
I believe there is a typo – this bullet point is a bit confusing (eg the 10 3/4)
“1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup 10 3/4 ounce can”
Hi, I just found your recipe, and I have a question. I’m living in Germany, I really love my Slow Cooker and I’m always looking for new recipes. I’d really like to try this one but I’m not sure I’ll be able to find 1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup anywhere around here. Never saw it at a shop so far. Could you point out what else I can use? Or how to make it myself? Thanks a lot.
Hi! That’s frustrating, I’m sorry! Here is a great recipe for a substitute: https://dinnerthendessert.com/cheddar-cheese-soup-condensed/
Thanks for saying hi!
Please revisit this recipe. I made it just as the recipe read. These were the results:
The Macaroni was mushy after being precooked and then cooked for another 3 hours. The cheddar cheese was lumpy and curdled. I set it on low, yet it burned to the side of the slow cooker. Not a winner.
I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. I have had so many people tell me it was a success and it always works for us so I’m not sure what happened! Hate to hear that.
A great recipe for potlucks. I never bring any home. It is very good.
That makes me so happy to hear :) :)
Do you cook macaroni or not????
Cook the macaroni in step 1!
Unfortunately, it didn’t come out right. The cheese didn’t right for some reason, it was a big clump and melted a bit after putting it in the crockpot. It wasn’t smooth.