This is hands down the creamiest, cheesiest, easiest, very best slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipe ever. Give it a try!
Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese
When testing began for our Slow Cooker Volume 2 Menu Plan I knew I wanted to include a yummy macaroni and cheese. We tested, tweaked and tasted until we came up with what is the BEST tasting slow cooker macaroni and cheese on the planet!
This recipe is straight from Jesus good. 🙂 So good you could even include it in ANY holiday meal if you'd like!
MENU TIP: This recipe is from our Slow Cooker Volume 2 Menu Plan!
Tips for homemade crockpot macaroni and cheese:
Whole milk and real butter are a must for this recipe. If you're eating mac ‘n cheese you need to go all out!
You can totally use pre-shredded packaged cheeses but if you're able to shred your own it just melts up better. I didn't notice a huge difference with the pre-shredded cheese so I'll choose that if I can save some time. The flavor is still amazing!
DO NOT OVERCOOK…..I REPEAT……DO NOT OVERCOOK!
There's nothing worse than dried out macaroni and cheese so keep an eye on your crock towards the end of cooking time.
What cheeses are best for Macaroni and Cheese?
This recipe calls for sharp cheddar and a triple cheddar cheese blend, but the sky is the limit with cheeses for slow cooker mac and cheese.
I've seen recipes using smoked gouda, cream cheese, gruyere, Parmesan, brie and even goat cheese. All of these cheeses melt really well and will make a killer adult macaroni and cheese.
If you have picky kiddos that prefer the stuff out of the box, White American and yellow American cheeses also melt great.
Can I put uncooked pasta in the slow cooker?
Yes, yes, yes!!! Just be sure you have enough liquid in the crock pot since the uncooked macaroni noodles will absorb quite a bit. This slow cooker recipe has 3 1/2 cups of liquid (the whole milk and evaporated milk) to 8 ounces of pasta. This is one of the beauties of this slow cooker macaroni and cheese. 🙂
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Ingredients:
- elbow or large macaroni noodles
- evaporated milk
- whole milk
- butter
- salt
- pepper
- eggs
- triple cheddar cheese blend
- sharp cheddar cheese
- paprika
How to make slow cooker macaroni and cheese:
Start by spraying the crock with a generous amount of cooking spray. Next, add uncooked elbow macaroni noodles to the prepared crock. Yep it works and makes it sooooo simple and the noodles turn out perfect! Use either regular elbow or the large macaroni noodles.
Go ahead and add in the evaporated milk, whole milk, melted butter, salt, pepper and eggs.
Next, stir in all the cheeses except 1/2 cup of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese and a dash of paprika over top.
Cover and cook on low 3 hours and 15 minutes. DO NOT overcook.
If your slow cooker tends to cook a wee bit hot you might want to check this Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese at the 3 hour mark.
It's so easy to make this in the crockpot that I may never go back to cooking it any other way. I think this creamy mac and cheese recipe will soon be another holiday must have at our house! If you're feeding a BIG crowd, you could easily double this recipe as well (just make sure your slow cooker is big enough!)
Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz uncooked elbow or large macaroni noodles
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2-4 Tbsps butter, melted
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups shredded triple cheddar cheese blend
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- dash of paprika
Instructions
- Coat a 3-to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add uncooked macaroni, evaporated milk, whole milk, melted butter, salt, pepper and eggs.
- Stir in all cheese except ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese and a dash of paprika over top.
- Cover and cook on low 3 hours 15 minutes. DO NOT overcook.
Nutrition
Looking for more yummy meals? This recipe is from week two of our slow cooker volume 2 menu plans. It includes 72 recipes (with 12 desserts)! When you purchase, you also get access to our private Facebook group.
If you need a little more menu inspiration, here are some more family friendly recipes.
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