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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This sounds great and I’d love to give it a try prior to Thanksgiving. I have a large and small slow cooker. The small is 3.5 quarts, is that too small?
Hi Linda, I think that will be tight but it should be okay for this recipe. Please let us know how it turns out!
I have made this many times and do love it, but can’t get the correct ratio of sauce to noodles. Can you please list the amount of dry noodles and cheese in ounces instead of cups? Cups is a bit subjective in my opinion.
Hi Megan, in North America a cup is a standard measurement which is why we use it :). For this recipe you will want to use 8 ounces of dry elbow macaroni, 12 ounces of cheddar, and 4 ounces of gruyere. I hope this helps!
do you add milk for condensed soup or just the condensed soup? seems gummy
Just the condensed soup as listed in the recipe. It may seem gummy at first, but as you mix it with the other ingredients it becomes nice and creamy.
I’ve made before its yummy I’m wondering if you can do it a day a head???? And how to reheat????
Thanks
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh however I do often prep the ingredients ahead of time. I mix the sauce and cheese in one container and keep the cooked pasta in a separate container and then combine them just before cooking. If you do prepare it head of time, I would recommend reheating on low and adding a little bit of cream/milk as needed.
This recipe is so easy but with amazing results. Its hands down the best I’ve personally had and was a hiuge hit at 2 different potluck events, with many requesting I share the recipe with them. I made zero modifications, its perfect as is.
Delicious! The only way I make Mac and cheese now.
making this for the first time and realized I don’t have sour cream. Anything I can sub with?
I have only tried this as written but Greek yogurt may work (I can’t say for sure though).
I just realized I was out of sour cream also, so I’m trying with plain Greek yogurt as a sub. Praying it works out!
I subbed with cream cheese and it worked fine!
I have made this multiple times for gatherings and it is always a hit. I have passed on the link to this recipe many times!
Made this to specs and it was fabulous. Everyone asked me for the recipie! Wondering if anyone has tried freezing it after cooked?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t think it would freeze well. Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
If adding chicken breast tenderloins, how much longer would you cook it? Would the extra time lead to mushy noodles? Thanks.
I have never tried so I can’t say for sure. I would maybe recommend adding precooked chicken so you don’t overcook the noodles.
Made this today for a pot luck and it was a hit! I did turn my heat down lower before the 2 hours cause my crock pot is hot. One of the best mac and cheese I’ve had! Thoughts on freezing leftover and how to do that?
I did this recipe exactly as it states & cooked it on high for 2 hours in this low cooker but it came out grainy and not a pleasant texture. I shredded all the cheeses myself. Maybe I should have substituted the gruyere cheese for mor cheddar. what would prevent the granular texture?
If it became grainy it may have been too hot of a temperature. Perhaps your slow cooker runs a little hotter than ours.
I followed step 2 exactly by adding the ingredients to my slow cooker then setting it to high for 2 hours. maybe I should have cooked it on low.
Thank you for clarifying, we may have misunderstood the first question so I have updated my response. I do think that cooking on low might be a better option if you’re finding it a bit grainy, the selection of cheeses should be fine either way. I hope you do try it again—once it’s melted and creamy you can turn the slow cooker to warm if your slow cooker tends to cook a little faster. I hope that helps!
I made this for some young adults. The recipe was easy to follow and exact. I did not like ithe finished mac and cheese. It did not taste chessey. It had a baconor ham flavor that you tasted instantly. I wish you would have put what type of guyere cheese you used as it comes in different flavors. floral, nutty, smokey, fruitie. perhaps even more flavors than what i listed.. Someone said it is the same as Swiss cheese but I know Swiss cheese does not come in different flavors. the young adults loved it and came back for seconds so I give 4 stars because they finished the whole pot. I am someone who loves Mac and cheese and this was not for me.
I want to make this, but haven’t yet. Question – what soup other than cream of chicken can be used that will still taste great? I like to make dishes like this during Lent, and we don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent. Thank you!
You can use any “cream of” in this recipe. I think cream of mushroom or cream of cheddar soup would be delicious!
Made this for my daughter’s book club gathering along with sweet cornbread and white chicken chili. The Mac and cheese was a big hit.
I made this according to directions and was very disappointed. It was not creamy and yummy as I expected with all the cheese, soup, mayo and sour cream in it.
The taste was just okay, but I will not use this recipe again.
Sub 1 cup of cheddar for smoked gouda. Friends call it “crack and cheese”…
Good solid recipe
I need to avoid whey. Is there a replacement for the sour cream that I can use instead?
I haven’t tried this recipe without sour cream so I can’t say for sure, but you might be able to use a dairy-free sour cream substitute. Maybe another reader has tried and can offer some guidance!
Probably the worst Mac and cheese I’ve ever made. Needed twice as much noodles, and half as much onion and mustard seasoning. Sorry, but this was nearly inedible.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that, Amy. This recipe is usually a hit with readers, I am sorry it wasn’t what you expected.
Could I use another kind of pasta, like Cavatappi?
Sure you can! You’ll need to use a little bit more pasta than the 2 cups called for as less fits in each cup.
I just used that past and it was excellent. This recipe is a great boilerplate recipe. It can be tinkered with. I love it!
Easy and always a huge hit! I love trying new cream soups in it!