Ultra Creamy Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Create a deliciously creamy simple crockpot macaroni and cheese that takes just a couple of minutes to throw together. 

Not normally one to share shortcut dishes, I came to make this on a busy day when there just wasn’t any time or energy left in me to muster the strength to cook yet another meal. I grabbed out my small older slow cooker and dumped some elbow noodles in along with the rest of the ingredients for this. Placed the lid on and was shocked to find it cooked so quickly and created an almost completely hands-off creamy mac and cheese.

An easy dinner idea for sure but since then has become one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. The good news is that the quick cooking time and the fact that I could use different cheeses and regular milk to create a creamy crockpot mac meant that this was a great recipe worth sharing with you. So for times when you find yourself short of time, or without the strength to make yet another meal, let this easy crockpot macaroni bail you out.  

This is a dump and go sort of recipe so it almost requires no work at all. However, it is a good idea to give it a stir midway through cooking to ensure all the uncooked noodles are cooked through when ready. 

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese Is…

• It is one of my favorite recipes for an easy side dish.
• A great option for an easy meal with little prep time.
• Perfect for a family dinner, family gatherings or a pot luck. 
• Delicious with a creamy texture and great flavor.
• A family favorite and made with simple ingredients.
• Simple homemade macaroni and cheese that gets rave reviews.

Ingredients

Milk- for best results use whole milk or 2% for this, as it will help make the macaroni and cheese creamy. I have also used evaporated milk or a blend of whole milk and evaporated milk when I was low on milk. 

Cheese- I like to use white cheeses like Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese but standard yellow cheddar cheese will work or even sharp cheddar cheese if you prefer. 

Salt- I like to use sea salt in my kitchen but Kosher salt, Himalayan pink salt or standard table salt work fine as well. You can also add a dash of cracked black pepper if you like but that is completely up to you. 

Butter- I use salted butter for this but if you only have unsalted that will work fine too. 

Pasta- I like to use elbow macaroni pasta but pasta shells work great for this as well. 

Mustard- use a good quality Dijon mustard like Grey Poupon or similar. The mustard gives the creamy macaroni and cheese a nice flavor. 

Eggs- use large eggs which helps add to the creaminess of the macaroni and cheese while also adding a bit of protein.

Tools

Crockpot

Directions

Spray your crockpot with a nonstick spray (I use olive oil spray, but use whatever kind you like). Pour in the uncooked pasta. Top the noodles with the shredded cheese. Add the milk to a bowl with the eggs, Dijon mustard, and salt. Mix well and then pour into the crockpot. Give the entire contents of the crockpot a good stir to combine.

Then place the butter on top before putting the lid on to cook. Cook on low heat for 1 hour or until the macaroni is soft. Stir the pasta halfway through cooking.

Cooking Notes

• It is best to use freshly shredded cheese from a block or the deli. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated with cellulose which is an anti-clumping ingredient that can cause the macaroni and cheese to be more gritty.
• Make sure to set your crockpot on the low setting as overcooking the pasta will result in a mushy macaroni and cheese
• It is a good idea to spray your crockpot with a nonstick cooking spray before adding the ingredients in. It makes for easier cleanup later.
• Check the macaroni and cheese after 45 minutes to make sure its not done faster than the time specified here. I have two crockpots and for some reason one of mine cooks just a tad bit faster than the other. Of course, we all are using different crockpots so cooking times can vary.
• It is a good idea to turn the crockpot off instead of on warm as the macaroni tends to dry out if it sits in the warm crockpot too long. I serve when ready and then turn off the crockpot, allow the leftover macaroni to cool then place it in a Tupperware and store it in the fridge.

Other Variations To Try

Hot Sauce-Adding a few splashes of hot sauce like Tabasco will give the macaroni and cheese a bit of a kick.

Garlic-Shaving in a couple of cloves of garlic before cooking will give it a more in-depth flavor and works wonderfully when using a white cheddar. Creating a white cheddar garlic macaroni and cheese for a more grown-up variation.

Crispy Bacon– If you are in the mood to spruce up the macaroni and cheese, you can garnish it with a bit of crispy bacon when serving. Simply cube and fry up some bacon prior and have it ready to garnish.

Ground Beef- This is my daughter’s favorite way to have macaroni and cheese. When serving this crockpot macaroni and cheese with ground beef. I brown a 1 lb package of ground beef in a skillet (drain if using a higher fat content beef) and when the macaroni is ready, I dump the ground beef into the crock pot and then mix to combine right before serving.

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

How To Store

To store any leftover macaroni and cheese, remove the macaroni from the crockpot. Place it in an airtight container or large ziptop plastic bag. Allow the pasta to come to room temperature. Then place the container or bag in the fridge. The macaroni will keep for up to 3 days. Be aware that it tends to try out the longer it sits.

Shop This Post

8qt CrockPot

4 Cocottes with Lids

White Porcelain Pasta Bowls Set of 6

Pin For Later

Other Recipes To Try…

Easy Black Bean Chili

Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Simple Pumpkin Pasta with Bacon

If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!