This creamy crockpot mac and cheese has to be one of the best mac and cheese recipes I make. It’s super creamy and crazy easy to make.
You add uncooked pasta (that’s right! No need to boil and drain in a separate pot), to the crockpot then add all the ingredients to make them super creamy cheese sauce! How easy is that? And let me tell you, the taste is out-of-this-world!!!
Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
We serve mac and cheese on virtually all holidays, family get-togethers, and neighborhood parties. I love that this is made in the crockpot and doesn’t require any time in the oven like classic macaroni and cheese.
Think about how handy that would be on the holidays when oven space is at a premium!
It’s also great during the hot summer months when it’s too hot to even make stovetop mac and cheese. Mac and cheese without heating up the house is a miracle on the 4th of July!
This isn’t a creamy crockpot mac and cheese with Velveeta. Instead of Velveeta, this recipe uses condensed cheddar cheese soup. I find that the soup achieves a much creamier result.
Also, sometimes, when Velveeta is in a sauce and cools, it can get kinda gummy. Remember, regardless of which one you use, as the sauce sits, it will need to be thinned with extra milk!
Try Paula Deen mac and cheese next for a true southern treat!
Let’s make some super creamy crockpot mac and cheese!
Extra Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese Video Tutorial
On your phone? Check the web story here.
Important Ingredient Notes, Tips + Tricks
- Pasta: It’s important that you use sturdy, high-quality pasta in this recipe such as Barilla. This pasta is made with Semolina flour. Semolina is high in gluten, which helps pasta keep its shape while cooking. Don’t skip rinsing the pasta before cooking as it helps it from clumping and sticking in the finished dish.
- Cooking time: The exact cooking time will depend on your crockpot. That is why we give you a range. It can be done in as little as 1 hour but can easily take 3 hours. It’s important if it is not done with al dente pasta after the first hour, you check it every 20-30 minutes so as not to overcook it!
- Evaporated Milk: Please don’t skip the evaporated milk. It adds a thick richness that you won’t achieve with regular milk and it holds up very well to crockpot cooking. Yes, the sauce includes both and both are needed to create this super creamy sauce!
Storing/Freezing Tips
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Crockpot mac n cheese can safely be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. It is, however, best served fresh. The pasta will become mushy as it sits. The sauce will become very thick. Stir in as much extra milk as needed to get the sauce to the proper consistency.
- Can You Freeze This? No.
- Make-Ahead Tips: This is best made right before serving it. I don’t suggest making it ahead of time and reheating. You can, however, mix all the sauce ingredients together (without the pasta of course!) and store them covered in the fridge the night before assembling and cooking.
Why Was My Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese Grainy?
To avoid this, use good quality Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. The cheap stuff can cause grittiness. Also, the anti-caking agent used in pre-shredded bagged cheese is a big culprit in grittiness. It’s best to shred your own cheese!
Why Was My Mac and Cheese Mushy?
All crockpots cook at different temperatures. Older models typically cook at a higher temperature than the current models. When this crockpot pasta cooks too long or at too high a temperature, your pasta will become mushy!
How Do You Keep The Sauce Creamy?
Stir in extra milk! As the pasta sits, it will release more and more starch and the sauce will thicken. Also, the pasta will absorb the sauce slightly. The easy way to fix this is to simply stir in extra milk and your sauce will return to its original super creamy texture!
Step By Step How To Make Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Place pasta in a colander and rinse well in cold water; drain well. Add drained pasta to crockpot.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together milk, evaporated milk, condensed cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese, jack cheese, salt, black pepper, dry mustard, onion powder, nutmeg, and cayenne until smooth.
- Pour over pasta and stir. Press down pasta, if need, to submerge as much as possible.
- Dot the top of the mixture with butter.
- Place cover on crockpot and cook on low for 1 hour. Remove lid and stir. Check pasta for doneness. If not done, cover and cook 1-2 hours more, as needed, checking every 20-30 minutes, to reach the desired doneness of pasta.
- Make the breadcrumb topping; Melt butter in a large skillet. Add panko, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Cook on medium, stirring frequently until crumbs are nicely toasted and crispy. Cool and stir in Parmesan.
- Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle casserole with cheese then bread crumbs.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through to the center.
More Crockpot Pasta Recipes
**Note** Because some people were having difficulty with this recipe it’s been updated from a custard-style Mac and Cheese to a Creamy Mac and Cheese. Some of the older comments are referring to the original custard-style so they aren’t applicable to this updated recipe!!!
Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta, uncooked
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, plus extra for thinning sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 (11-ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Bread Crumb topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups panko
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place pasta in a colander and rinse well in cold water; drain well. Add drained pasta to crockpot.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together milk (2 1/2 cups), evaporated milk (12 ounces), condensed cheddar cheese soup (11 ounces), sour cream (1/2 cup), cheddar cheese (8 ounces), jack cheese (8 ounces), salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), dry mustard (1/2 teaspoon), onion powder (1 teaspoon), nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon), and cayenne (1/8 teaspoon) until smooth. Pour over pasta and stir. Press down pasta, if needed, to submerge as much as possible. Dot the top of the mixture with butter (1/4 cup).
- Place cover on crockpot and cook on low for 1 hour. Remove lid and stir. Check pasta for doneness. If not done, cover and cook 1-2 hours more, as needed, checking every 20-30 minutes, to reach the desired doneness of pasta. (Each slow cooker cooks at different temperatures!!)
- Meanwhile, while mac and cheese are cooking, make the breadcrumb topping; Melt butter (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet. Add panko (2 cups), salt (1/4 teaspoon), pepper (1/4 teaspoon), and thyme leaves (1 teaspoon). Cook on medium, stirring frequently until crumbs are nicely toasted and crispy, Cool and stir in Parmesan (1/2 cup).
- When mac and cheese are cooked, evenly sprinkle bread crumbs over top. Cover crockpot, set on keep warm for 5 minutes then Serve!
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Pasta: It's important that you use sturdy, high-quality pasta in this recipe such as Barilla. This pasta is made with Semolina flour. Semolina is high in gluten, which helps pasta keep its shape while cooking. Don't skip rinsing the pasta before cooking as it helps it from clumping and sticking in the finished dish.
- Cooking time: The exact cooking time will depend on your crockpot. That is why we give you a range. It can be done in as little as 1 hour but can easily take 3 hours. It's important if it is not done with al dente pasta after the first hour, you check it every 20-30 minutes so as not to overcook it!
- Evaporated Milk: Please don't skip the evaporated milk. It adds a thick richness that you won't achieve with regular milk and it holds up very well to crockpot cooking. Yes, the sauce includes both and both are needed to create this super creamy sauce!
- To Keep The Sauce Creamy: Stir in extra milk! As the pasta sits, it will release more and more starch and the sauce will thicken. Also, the pasta will absorb the sauce slightly. The easy way to fix this is to simply stir in extra milk and your sauce will return to its original super creamy texture.
- To Avoid Grainy Sauce - Use good quality Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. The cheap stuff can cause grittiness. Also, the anti-caking agent used in pre-shredded bagged cheese is a big culprit in grittiness. It's best to shred your own cheese!
- To Avoid Mushy Pasta - All crockpots cook at different temperatures. Older models typically cook at a higher temperature than the current models. When this recipe cooks too long or at too high a temperature, your pasta will become mushy!
Is it possible to be sent the old recipe for this (custard style one)? We prefer it that way but lost our copy of the ingredients and measurements! Even if you could give them in the comments!
Hi, Alyssa. Thank you! Here’s the old recipe: https://www.gonnawantseconds.com/wprm_print/16126
My son loves this! He requested it again this week. Thank you for this recipe!
That’s great news, Macy! Glad your son like this 🙂
My kids love it!
That’s great! Thank you, Jessica 🙂
Can I use uncooked pasta?
Hi Jaycee! Yes this recipe is written to use uncooked pasta!
Just downloaded your 24 most popular recipes book that included this recipe. Only the instructions were messed up. The third instruction says to melt butter in a 12 inch skillet and fry the breaded chicken…. You may want to review that recipe again.
By the way, I just found your site and am in love with it.
Thank you Peter!
In this recipe is the amount of pasta correct there is more cheese than pasta