Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

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Enjoy this easy Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese recipe is one of the best creamy crockpot mac and cheese you will find! 

You won’t even need to use any cream cheese to get the creamy texture of this ultimate comfort food recipe.

A creamy slow cooker mac n cheese recipe is one of my favorite things to see at get-togethers, family gatherings, or potlucks. They are the perfect side dish that I may or may not turn into a full meal. 😉

So if you are looking for an easy recipe for homemade mac and cheese, give this crockpot macaroni recipe a try and I promise you will get rave reviews!

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese:

• Pasta: use elbow pasta for traditional slow cooker macaroni
• Cheese: use Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded, and  sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (see notes)
• Milk: you will need both a can of evaporated milk and regular whole milk
• Seasoning: salt, black pepper, ground mustard, and garlic powder
• Butter: you will need to use sliced butter

How to make Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese:

Place dry uncooked pasta in a strainer and rinse well under cold water for a minute. Drain pasta and set to the side.

Generously spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Place the rinsed uncooked pasta into the bottom of the slow cooker next add in, Monterey jack cheese, 3 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, whole milk, and seasonings. Stir well and make sure the noodles are covered by the milks.

Put slices of butter on top of the macaroni and cheese mixture. Place the lid on top.

Cook on LOW for 1.5-2 hours (stirring every 30 minutes to ensure everything cooks evenly) keep in mind every slow cooker heats differently so yours might need more time or less to cook the pasta just keep checking for doneness.

Once pasta is tender sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese on top, place the lid back on the slow cooker and let the cheese melt. Once melted Enjoy!

How to store crock pot macaroni:

Fridge: Place any leftover ingredients of the creamy macaroni and cheese in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tips and tricks for getting the best results for easy mac and cheese: 

Favorite cheese to use with cooked macaroni:

When making this creamy crock pot mac and cheese I love the flavors of Monterey Jack cheese mixed with sharp cheddar cheese. Using different types of cheese allows you to get even more flavor for the gooey cheese sauce.

How to get the best creamy cheese sauce:

If you want to know the secret to get the best creamy sauce that isn’t super stringy. A great option is to use block cheese and shred it instead of using pre-shredded cheese. 

When you use shredded cheese from the grocery store your sauce will not thick up and become super cream, like if you used cheese you shredded yourself. Cheese from the grocery store has a coating put on it that keeps the cheese from sticking together, which isn’t ideal for making mac and cheese.

Shapes of pasta: 

Feel free to pick your own pasta, but I love using elbow macaroni noodles! Here are some more options:

• Penne
• Bowtie
• Shells
• Rigatoni
• Ziti

More slow cooker recipes:

• Slow Cooker Chicken Coconut Curry
• Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
• Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe by Julia Pacheco

Recipe rating: 4.3 from 23 votes

Course: Main, DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

7

servings

Prep time

6

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours

Slow cooker creamy macaroni and cheese is the best recipe to serve at your potluck! With an amazing creamy cheese sauce, you can’t go wrong.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow pasta

• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded (see notes)

• 3 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (see notes)

• 12 oz can evaporated milk

• 2 1/2 cups regular whole milk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp ground mustard

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 cup butter, sliced

Directions

• Place dry uncooked pasta in a strainer and rinse well under cold water for a minute. Drain pasta and set to the side.
• Generously spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Place the rinsed uncooked pasta into the bottom of the slow cooker next add in, Monterey jack cheese, 3 cups of the sharp cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, whole milk, and seasonings. Stir well and make sure the noodles are covered by the milks.
• Put slices of butter on the top of the macaroni and cheese mixture. Place the lid on top.
• Cook on LOW for 1.5-2 hours (stirring every 30 minutes to ensure everything cooks evenly) keep in mind every slow cooker heats differently so yours might need more time or less to cook the pasta just keep checking for doneness.
• Once pasta is tender sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese on top, place the lid back on the slow cooker and let the cheese melt. Once melted Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• You NEED to shred the cheese yourself for this recipe. Do not use pre packaged bagged cheese or the texture of this macaroni and cheese will be off.

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