Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

A wooden spoon holds a portion of creamy macaroni and cheese with melted cheese strings, against a background of the same dish.

5 from 4 votes

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

🧀🎉🙌🏻 The EASIEST mac and cheese you'll ever make! Add everything to your slow cooker and let it do the work for you in just a couple hours. A simple recipe that uses real cheddar cheese and cream without any condensed soup in sight. PERFECT creamy texture, RICH cheesy taste, and an absolute family FAVORITE! Make it during the week or as a holiday side dish that frees up your stove and oven.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1 30

Course: Pasta, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine: Sides

Keyword: Crockpot mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, slow cooker mac and cheese

Servings:

Calories: 786cal

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups elbow macaroni (use dry uncooked pasta; small shells, capavatti, or wheels may be substituted)
3 cups milk (whole milk recommended, or 2%)
1 cup heavy cream (half-and-half may be substituted but mac and cheese will be thinner and not as rich)
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated (highly recommend to grate your own cheese using a box grater from a 1 pound block of cheddar rather than buying bags of pre-shredded cheese; read FAQs for more cheese details and substitutions)
8 ounces colby cheese grated (grate your own as recommended above)
2 to 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted is fine, depending on your preference for salt)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder ground mustard, optional but recommended

Instructions

If desired, spray the slow cooker liner with cooking spray. Then add dry uncooked pasta, milk, heavy cream, stir, and make sure all the pasta is submerged under the dairy.
Add all remaining ingredients, gently stir again, making sure the pasta remains covered.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 1 hour.
Quickly open the lid and stir the mixture, then cover and continue cooking for another hour (approximately), stirring every half hour until it gets to your desired consistency. Tips - Cook time will depend a lot on the heat output of your slow cooker, some are very powerful and run hot, others don't. Cook as long as necessary for the pasta to have softened and the cheese sauce mixture to thicken as desired. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will get. Resist the urge to take the lid off and "check on" the progress because every time you do so, it unnecessarily lengthens the cooking time.
Taste for seasoning balance, and if desired, add additional salt, pepper, or other spices and serve.

Notes

Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave. You may want to add a splash of milk when reheating to prevent it from getting dried out. While I have never frozen this, you probably could for up to 3 months.

Nutrition