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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Is it 2 pounds of pasta or just 2 cups?
Jordan, it is 2 cups of uncooked pasta.
Made this for the company potluck today and everyone raved. Prepped everything the night before and put it in the fridge, took the crockpot to work, threw everything in and turned it on – came out perfect. Easiest recipe ever!
I used dijon as I didn’t have dry mustard, and I’m not sure about the taste. Dijon’s quite distinctive. I’ll definitely try the dry mustard next time. And thinking that bacon sprinkled on the top would be just the thing :-)
Made this for a work pot luck. I tripled the recipe and it was the crowd fave! Everyone asked how I was able to keep the macaroni from getting mushy. I just shrugged my shoulders and shared the recipe link! I found your directions so easy to follow and appreciate all the research you did so I didn’t have to!!
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit Chris!
can you sub Greek yogurt for the sour cream to make it a little healthier?
Caitie, I tried this with Greek yogurt recently and it worked just fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Best Mac and cheese ever! It has been a request from everyone whenever I go to a gathering. The guys I work with at the firehouse make it at least once a month.
This was great. Creamy, flavorful and, amazingly, pasta remained al dente. Can I freeze this ahead of serving and, if so, please
provide directions on thawing and preparing.
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, the texture is not the same when it thaws.
Holly, let me start with saying I love your recipes. If I’m going to double this & add bacon, How much bacon should I use do you think? I, of course will pre- cook the bacon & add it at the end so it doesn’t come out greasy. TIA!
I would suggest about ½ cup crumbled bacon mixed in (about 5 to 6 slices) and then a little more on top for serving. Let us know how it goes!
Great recipe. Don’t bother boiling the noodles first; just throw them in uncooked and add a can of water to the recipe. So easy!
CAN YOU SUBSTITUTE GRUYERE AND USED PEPPERJACK INSTEAD??
Sure you can Deanna! It might change the flavor slightly but I’m sure it’ll be delicious!
This recipe is more savoury than a classic mac and cheese dish with the addition of the chicken soup so I wasn’t sure what my kids would think. But it got outstanding reviews, even being called the “best mac and cheese” I’ve ever made by my kids! -SWP Employee
Is there a recipe you can recommend that does not use canned cream of chicken. Id like to make my own rue..
You can use this recipe to make your own homemade condensed soup. If you plan to use this recipe in a slow cooker, use evaporated milk. This recipe will be slightly thicker than store bought canned soup if cooked in the slow cooker so you may need to add a little bit of broth or water to your finished dish.
Thanks for the recipe. It was a hit at Thanksgiving and had people asking for the recipe. I have a Christmas potluck coming up in a couple of weeks and I will likely make it again!
I’d like to make this with sausage. What adjustments should I make?
I would suggest browning the sausage in a skillet and draining any fat. It can be mixed in with the other ingredients. No other changes needed.
I plan on making this vegetarian by replacing the cream of chicken with cream of mushroom. Do you think this will alter the flavor too much?
Many readers have successfully made this recipe with cream of mushroom. Let us know how it goes!
I brought this to Thanksgiving last year and everyone loved it so much that I was volunteered to make it every family function since. Easy to make and so dang tasty!
This was one of the best macaroni and cheese recipes I’ve made. It was a big hit at Thanksgiving!
I do believe there’s a typo on this.It is not two cups of macaroni by any means.Try two pounds, especially for the amount of cheese that’s called for this recipe.Come on now!!
2 cups of uncooked pastas is correct Christina.
Is 2 cups equal to 1 16oz box of macaroni, or is it 2 measuring cups of dry pasta?
Measure 2 cups in a measuring cup Anna. Enjoy!
Sounds great! I have a 6 quart crock pot, but a double recipe would be way too much. Do you think a 1 1/2 recipe would cook ok in the 6 quart? Thanks!
Hi John, I can double this recipe in my 6qt Crock Pot.
Thanks, but would a 1.5 amount be too small for that?
A slow cooker should be between ½ full to ⅔ full. It will cook a little quicker since it’ll be a thinner layer. I’d suggest checking it early and turning to warm as needed.
I have not tried this yet but I am going to take this dish to our Thanksgiving Day. We will not eat for at least an hour after I get there. What do you suggest to keep hte mac and cheese moist but not overcook the noodles?
I would begin cooking it before you leave and plan to finish cooking it while you’re there. I would make sure to cook the noodles really al dente and it should be just fine!
I only have a 3 qt crockpot and a 6 qt crock pot. Which one should I use? It says a 4 qt crockpot. Will that be too small for this recipe.
If you cook it in a 6-quart slow cooker, it will cook faster so you’ll want be sure to check it early so it doesn’t overcook.