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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My grandkids love this mac and cheese. It’s requested at every family gatherings and they are picky eaters. It’s a keeper for sure. Thank you.
I made this recipe 2 years ago at Thanksgiving for about 35 people, I 3x the recipe. It was a huge hit! I am going to make it again this Easter, but I can’t remember how many hours to cook 3x the recipe?
A couple notes: I used Gouda cheese (less pricey) than Gruyère cheese. Used 0% Oikos
Yogurt instead of sour cream. It was fabulous!
So glad everyone loved it JoAnne! I would suggest checking it at 2 ½ hours on high or 3 ½ hours on low. You may need to stir it a couple of times to make sure the center heats through.
Absolutely delicious! Took to Easter dinner and everyone raved about it. I doubled it to feed 8-10 people. Definitely going in the recipe book, it was so easy to throw together and let the crock pot do the work.
So glad everyone loved it as much as we do!
I would like to try this as a side dish with ham. Can a double recipe be cooked on low and if so for how long? I only saw time given for cooking on high. Thanks!
Hi Kathie, you can double the recipe in a 6 QT slow cooker and I would cook for 3 ½ – 4 hours until the noodles are fully cooked and the cheese is melted.
Love the recipe but I’m going to try it without the mayo because I think it makes it too greasy/oily.
I would love to hear how it turns out for you, Shara!
Very good. Substituted cream of onion soup and omitted the onion powder. Savory and delicious. Will make again!
Can the pasta be cooked the day before, rinsed and then stored in the refrigerator to be mixed with the sauce the next day?
N
Yes, absolutely!
Is there a gluten free substitute for the cream of chicken soup?
Hi Margaret, you can often find glute free cream of chicken soup at the grocery store. In my grocery store they are in the health food aisle but other stores have them right with the other brands of canned soup. You can also make your own using our condensed cream of chicken soup recipe (it is made with cornstarch!).
Have you ever tried adding water to the crock and cooking your pasta in there? If so, was is a success? Lol
I have tried a few times and found it comes out a bit gluey and mushy.
what can you substitute for mayo if you are allergic to eggs?
A vegan mayo should work well in this recipe.
I’m excited to try this, but I only have light mayonnaise, and medium cheddar. Will those work?
Yes, both of those will work in this recipe!
I’m planning to make this next week for a large gathering and plan to double the recipe. How big is a serving size? I want to be sure I have enough.
A serving is about ½ cup.
Every time I make this , it’s a hit! People scraping out the pot for the last bits!! Love it. Thx
Unbelievable….This recipe is a game changer for my family functions…The 4.97 out of 5 stars is LEGIT
So glad you enjoyed it, David!
Amazing!
I make a double batch of this every holiday or potluck I anttend and never have any leftovers! A home run every single time!
Hello! I’m planning to double this recipe into a 6 qt crock pot. However, if I get to where I’m going and the crock pot isn’t available, will a doubled recipe fit in a 13×9 casserole dish? And if so, does the 30 minutes covered, 30 uncovered at 350 degrees apply for a doubled recipe? Thank you!
Hi Teresa, this will not fit in a 9×13 baking pan but you could separate it into two pans to ensure it cooks evenly.
can I use sour cream instead of mayo?
I’ve only tried this as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it works out for you!
I’ve tried MANY mac and cheese recipes and this is by far the best! Even my husband, the mac and cheese connoisseur agrees. The only thing I’d do the next time and every time after, is double it!
This was a hit! It was perfect if you like a smooth and creamy mac and cheese (not really a ‘baked” style). The only thing I would do diffferently would be to source a Cream of Chicken soup that doesn’t have chunks of chicken in it – that was a little strange. But it was delicious and turned out perfect! I doubled the recipe in the larger 6 QT crock and it turned out beautifully!
I was looking forward to trying your crockpot mac and cheese recipe because your baked mac and cheese is the best I’ve ever tasted and all the other recipes I have tried on your website are great. However, I was sadly disappointed with the crockpot version. I believe it is the mayo that gave it a strange taste that my family and I definitely did not enjoy.
Oh no! I am sorry it wasn’t quite what you expected, Brenda. Thanks for trying our recipe!