This Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is a family favorite and appears at every holiday! With just minutes of prep, the sauce is unexpected and always gets rave reviews!
Serve this slow cooker macaroni as a holiday side dish or alongside baked ham for Sunday supper. This comes out of the slow cooker perfect every time!
Holly’s Notes From the Test Kichen
Elbow macaroni noodles are slow cooked in a rich, cheesy sauce. Homemade mac and cheese is my personal favorite food, and I can assure you that this is the best crock pot macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had!
- Unusual ingredients, amazing flavor. Thousands of reviews can’t be wrong!
- It has a perfect consistency every time, and the pasta is not mushy.
- This recipe takes only about 10 minutes of prep, and the slow cooker does the rest.
- This recipe can be doubled for a crowd and left on warm for serving.
- Everyone loves this recipe , it’s the best.
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Why This is the Best Crockpot Mac & Cheese Ever
1. Precooked Pasta
To ensure a perfect texture, precook the pasta to ensure it is perfect every time.
After testing countless “no boil” mac and cheese recipes that call for uncooked pasta, I’ve found the results to be inconsistent, with some brands becoming mushy or gummy.
Tip: Boil the macaroni about 2 minutes less than indicated on your package to keep it from getting mushy.
2. Sauce Ingredients
I prefer crock pot macaroni and cheese without Velveeta or evaporated milk. This sauce uses an unusual mixture that I created, and while some of the ingredients may seem odd, they come together to make the best cheesy sauce!
A traditional cream sauce or cheese sauce doesn’t hold up well in the slow cooker, as dairy can curdle and/or separate in the crock pot. The mayonnaise keeps the sauce silky smooth, you can’t taste it, and either regular or light mayonnaise or dressing will work.
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is perfect for camping or potlucks, basically, anywhere you don’t have an oven. It’s also a great way to save oven space for Thanksgiving dinner (including turkey and stuffing!) and cook this on the side.
How to Make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
This slow cooker macaroni and cheese takes less than 10 minutes to get into the Crock Pot and then it’s ready to go!
- Boil pasta for about 2 minutes less than the package indicates.
- While pasta is boiling, shred the sharp cheddar cheese.
- Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook per the recipe below.
Tips for Perfection
- Pasta: Do not overcook the pasta, it should be very firm after boiling. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking.
- Cheese: Our recent recipe tests have shown little difference between shredding your own cheese and pre-shredded cheeses.
- Cooking time: Check the pasta early, slow cookers can vary.
- Slow cooker size: A single batch of this slow-cooker mac can be cooked in a 4QT slow cooker. If using a 6QT slow cooker, it will cook faster so check it early.
- Double the recipe: To double this recipe, use a 6QT crockpot. Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours, stirring after 1 hour and 2 hours. (When stirring, try to do it as quickly as possible to keep the heat inside).
- Make ahead: To prepare this ahead of time, mix all of the ingredients except the pasta. The pasta can be cooked ahead, rinsed, and cooled. Combine the pasta and sauce ingredients in the crock pot just before cooking.
- Baking in the oven: If you prefer or if you are short on time, you can bake this in the oven (and I have many many times!) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.
Note: Slow cookers can vary! You may have to slightly adjust the time for your slow cooker. If your Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is done early, you can turn your slow cooker onto warm.
More Crock Pot Holiday Sides
- Crock Pot Creamed Corn
- No Boil Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
- Crock Pot Stuffing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream regular or light
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil macaroni noodles according to directions to make them very al dente. (I cook them for at least 1-2 minutes less than directed on the bag. Mine boiled for 5 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Combine all ingredients in a 4qt* slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3 hours, stirring once or twice.
- Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Pasta: Do not overcook the pasta, it should be very firm after boiling. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking.
- Cheese: If you do not have gruyere cheese, you can use an additional cup of cheddar instead (4 cups in total).
- Cooking time: Check the pasta early, slow cookers can vary.
- *Slow cooker size: A single batch of this slow-cooker mac should be made in a 4QT slow cooker. If using a 6QT slow cooker, it will cook faster so check it early.
- Double the recipe: To double this recipe, use a 6QT crockpot. Cook on high for 2 ½ hours, stirring after 1 hour and 2 hours. (When stirring, try to do it as quickly as possible to keep the heat inside).
- Make ahead: To prepare this ahead of time, mix all of the ingredients except the pasta. The pasta can be cooked ahead, rinsed, and cooled. Combine the pasta and sauce ingredients in the crockpot just before cooking.
- Baking in the oven: If you prefer or if you are short on time, you can bake this in the oven (and I have many many times!) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish
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Hi
I am looking forward to making this. I have always found my homemade Mac n cheese recipes dry out quickly. I am anxious to see how the mayo and cream soups do on that front.
Question: Can I use homemade noodles or would they fall apart?
Thank you!
I haven’t tried this with homemade noodles but if they are pre-cooked it may work. Check it early and once the sauce is melted, turn the slow cooker to warm.
Help, please! I’m making this for a potluck today, and I’m finding contradictory info on how many ounces of cheddar cheese yields three cups shredded. Please share this conversion with me ASAP. Thank you!
3 cups of cheddar cheese weigh 12 oz. We use a physical 1 cup measuring cup to weigh the cheese. Shredded cheese weighs 4oz per cup.
hello! do.you use sharp, medium, or mild cheddar typically when you do it? thanks in advance !
I use sharp because I prefer a stronger cheddar flavor, any of the above would work.
I don’t know what happened. :/ I came back after the 2 hours on high we’re up to find a lumpy, greasy, curdled mess. :( The flavor was super good though! I followed everything exactly. I don’t know where I messed up!
Oh no, how disappointing. If the sauce broke, your slow cooker may run hot or it has overcooked. I would suggest checking the pasta early, as slow cookers can vary. I hope that helps!
I was really excited to try this, followed the directions and tips to a T and it was just..meh. I realized the recipe didn’t call for salt and even after adding a few pinches, there wasn’t much improvement on taste. I am surprised by all of the high praise and compliments on this particular macaroni and cheese recipe.
I wanted an easy slow cooker mac and cheese and thought the sour cream/mayo seemed interesting so I gave this a try – I am so glad I did! This was one of the tastiest and easiest mac and cheese recipes that I’ve tried.
I did sub a can of cheddar cheese soup for the cream of chicken because I was trying to use it up. I also used 2 cups of sharp cheddar, 1 cup of white extra sharp cheddar and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan – all freshly grated. Those were the only changes I made to the ingredients.
I did do the cooking a little different because I misread the recipe but it worked. The sauce cooked for about 45 minutes on high by itself. Then I cooked the pasta for 6 minutes and added it in. I cooked the mixture for about an hour and a half on low and it turned out perfect! I’ll definitely keep this recipe and make it whenever I’m craving mac and cheese!
What’s the nutrition like if you use light Mayo and light sour cream?
Nutrition information is calculated using a program and is provided as an estimate only. In this case, I would suggest using a nutrition calculator and adding in the exact ingredients/brands that you use.
hi, can i use mushroom soup instead of chicken as vegetarian?
Hi Helen, It may alter the taste of the Mac & Cheese slightly, but mushroom soup would be a good swap. We would also suggest cream of celery or cream of broccoli as a vegetarian option.
This was my 1st time making homemade mac and cheeses and OMG, it was a HUGE hit! I made it for my daughter’s babyshower and everyone wanted the recipe. So good! The gruyere cheese is a bit pricey but other than that, this will be my go-to side.
If you make this recipe again you can use Swiss cheese to replace the gruyere. That’s what I do. You can’t taste the difference and it’s cheaper.
I am going to attempt to make this gluten-free (for a friend.). I bought gluten-free pasta and gluten-free cream of chicken soup and I plan on using Swiss cheese instead of gruyere. Wondering if you forsee any problems or if you have any tips. I’ve never cooked with gluten-free products before.
I have only tried this recipe as written. If using gluten-free pasta just make sure to cook them very al dente so they don’t get mushy cooking in the slow cooker.
I’m going to attempt to make this gluten free (for a friend.) I bought gluten free noodles and gluten free cream of chicken soup and I intend to use Swiss cheese instead of gruyere. Wondering if you forsee any issues or have any tips for me?
The only issue that might arise is that Gluten Free noodles do not require the same cooking time (they cook much faster) and often don’t hold up well when overcooked. So I would recommend checking it more often to ensure you are not overcooking and end up with mushy noodles! Hope that helps!!
Can this be made with velveeta? I already purchased my ingredients before finding this recipe and do not live close to a store. If velveeta is used, should I change any of the other ingredients? TIA!
Hi Shari, we have this delicious Velveeta mac and cheese recipe that sounds perfect for you! You will have to let us know what you think.
Has anyone tried this with egg free mayonnaise? My little one has an egg allergy so can’t have normal Mayo?
How large is a serving. I know it says that it makes 8 serving, but doesnt tell me the size of each.
Hi Jennie, this recipe makes 8 side dish servings for approximately ½ cup a serving.
Awesome!! – Not over cooking the pasta really helps keep it from becoming a bowl of mush! Also noted this recipe didn’t call for any butter or margarine so it wasn’t greasy at all. The Cream of Chicken soup really gave it a nice flavor and the whole dish was creamy and cheesy. I served it next to a crockpot full of chilli which was a nice pairing.
This is a keeper, Holly, thank you! So good! I especially appreciated your coaching on the cooking time for the macaroni. The five minutes of boiling you suggested produced a good product. Pure comfort food and so simple to put together.
I have enjoyed your recipes in the past and this one for the crockpot mac & cheese was very good. I did reduce a little bit the amount of the mayo and sour cream. Used light for both and the sauce still turned out creamy with no separation on low heat. We used whole wheat elbow macaroni since my husband is diabetic plus we substituted jack cheese for Gruyere. It was delicious and will always make my mac and cheese this way in the Future! Thank you!! BTW I did add more milk and a little half and half because of the Whole wheat pasta I think.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe and were able to make it work for your hubby too! Thanks for sharing your changes :)
hi, I hope you see this! I am not in a country where I can get cream of chicken soup. any suggestions for a sub?? thanks!
Hi Jessica, we also have a great recipe to make your own: condensed cream of chicken soup. Enjoy!
Thank you holly for saving my life once again with this easy peasy recipe that I have going in the crock pot now. It’s looking good!
Outstanding recipe!! I used Vermont Sharp Cheddar and shells. So delicious! Will definitely make again!
Any sub suggestions for the Mayo? I looked through comments and didn’t see anyone else ask this question- we just don’t eat it here :)
You could try additional soup but I can’t say for sure how this will change the texture/flavor. We have only made this as written. Let us know how it goes!
I would try using 2 tablespoons butter plus 2 more tablespoons sour cream instead of the mayo. I’m thinking the mayo just helps make it creamy.