Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is creamy, cheesy, and my kids love this dish! I make this at least once a week.
With the holidays being just around the corner, of course I’m making a family size portion of this mac!
Mac and cheese is comfort food at its finest. I almost can’t think of anything that is better.
Nothing says comfort, like a gooey, bowl, of delicious macaroni and cheese.
Why You’ll Love Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- This recipe is inspired by Paula Deen’s mac and cheese. Except I do not add eggs.
- Crock pot macaroni and cheese is Perfect at holiday parties and Winter gatherings. What’s great about this meal is you can keep mac and cheese on warm setting in your crock-pot So food remains hot, fresh, and guests can serve themselves when ready to eat.
- This is the creamiest mac and cheese ever! The way this dish is cooked comes out perfect every time. A lot of no boil crock-pot macaroni and cheese recipes claim that you can toss all ingredients into a slow cooker. However, I tried this in two different slow cookers and well, the noodles just don’t have the desired texture I like. ( see recipe notes)
- Try different variations of slow-cooker mac and try adding some of your favorite ingredients to this recipe.
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe
This slow cooker mac begins with four basic ingredients:
De Cecco Orecchiette noodles, sour cream, cheddar cheese soup mix, and milk.
To elevate, the flavor I add a few extras. Here is what you need.
Ingredients
- De Cecco Orecchiette noodles
- Cheddar Cheese (Block)
- Sour Cream
- Milk
- Cheddar Cheese Soup Mix
- Butter
- Ground Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
De Cecco Orecchiette noodles: I usually use De Cecco elbow noodles in this dish. But the grocery store was out of these noodles.
So I tried Orecchiette noodles and honestly, I loved the texture and I will be using this noodle brand from here on out.
According to, Taste of home De Cecco noodles were ranked as best, texture wise. Never too soft or under cooked.
So anytime I make pasta De Cecco noodles are now the brand I go with.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: You can’t hear me stress this enough…Make sure to get a block of cheddar cheese and grate it yourself.
Prepackaged cheese doesn’t melt as good and it would turn your pasta into a stringy mess.
Sour Cream: I got this tip from Paula Deen’s mac and cheese recipe and I will never make mac and cheese in a slow cooker any other way. Only I don’t use eggs because I do not like eggs in my macaroni.
Milk: For the creamiest macaroni and cheese use whole milk or 2% milk. Steer away from non-fat milk.
Likewise, you can substitute a cup and a half of milk with a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk. Or use half milk and half heavy whipping cream. (See recipe notes below)
Cheddar Cheese Soup Mix: Cheddar cheese soup mix makes this macaroni super creamy and is one of the key ingredients for a delicious ooey, gooey, mac.
Butter: I like to use regular unsalted butter. However, feel free to use vegan butter, salted butter, or margarine.
Ground Mustard: Ground mustard is always used in any mac and cheese meal I ever make. It adds such a delicious flavor.
Salt & Pepper: I love to use my salt & pepper grinders. They dispense the perfect amount of salt and pepper.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Boil De Cecco Orecchiette noodles until al dente. Drain, rinse, toss with olive oil and set aside.
- In a pan on medium high heat melt butter and cheese. Stir in milk and stir until melted.
- Turn heat to low and add sour cream and cheddar cheese soup mix. Stir until smooth.
- Spray slow-cooker with cooking spray, add noodles, pour cheese sauce over noodles. Stir and cook on low for 1 hour. Stir mac every 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Substitute half milk with evaporated milk: For added calcium and vitamins add a can of evaporated milk.
Use this ratio: replace a cup and a half of milk with a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk.
And, if you’d like to use half milk and half heavy whipping cream, or half and half. Substitute 2 cups milk with two cups of heavy whipping cream or half and half.
Cooking time may vary depending on your crock-pot. Make sure to check mac and cheese every 30 minutes. To ensure noodles do not over cook.
Key Tip: Boil noodles for 6 minutes, drain, and rinse. Also make a cheese sauce by melting butter and cheese on medium high heat on the stove. Add milk and other ingredients and turn down the heat.
Making a cheese sauce is best, trust me, this has to be made this way.
Or else you could end up with stringy, thick cheese, or noodles will be gummy and stick together.
For delicious seasonings I like to season mac with ground mustard and salt. When the mac is finished cooking, I sprinkle it with a little black pepper.
There are two ingredients that make the creamiest mac and cheese recipe you’ll ever make!
Be sure not to skip these ingredients: Sour cream, and canned cheddar cheese soup mix.
Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese
Slow cooker mac and cheese without evaporated milk is creamy, and full of flavor. This is a copycat Paula Deen mac and cheese recipe. Except in this macaroni dish I skipped adding eggs and I used orecchiette noodles. And I must say, this was quite delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 cups De cecco Orecchiette noodles
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 16 ounce cheddar cheese block, shredded, (makes 4 cups)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 10.75 oz can cheddar cheese soup mix
- 2 cup whole fat milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- sprinkle black pepper, to serve
Instructions
- Boil water and add noodles. Cook noodles until al dente. ( about 6 minutes) drain, rinse, toss with light olive oil.
- Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray and add noodles.
- In saucepan, add butter and shredded cheese Cook on medium high heat until cheese is slightly melted. Add milk, stir mixture, scrapping the bottom of the pan to ensure cheese melts evenly and there are no clumps.
- Turn heat to low and stir in canned cheddar cheese soup and sour cream. Stir until cheese sauce is smooth.
- Pour melted cheese sauce over noodles and season. Stir and cook on low heat for 1 hour. Make sure to stir mac every 30 minutes to ensure noodles cook evenly.
Notes
Make sure to melt cheese sauce before adding to the crock-pot and boil noodles for 6 minutes. Following these steps ensures noodles aren't mushy and cheese isn't stringy.
Cooking time varies depending on what crock-pot you use. I used Rival Crock-Pot Stoneware Slow Cooker. I linked a slow cooker that should be the best comparison.
De Cecco Orecchiette noodles are my favorite noodles to use. However, De Cecco elbow noodles work in this recipe as well.
Do not use low fat milk in this recipe. Whole fat milk or 2 % milk is best. And makes the creamiest mac and cheese ever!
Grate block cheddar cheese for best taste and no added chemicals. Block cheese also melts better without clumping up.
You may substitute cheddar soup mix with cream of mushroom soup mix or cream of chicken soup mix.
If you would like to use evaporated milk in this slow cooker mac and cheese recipe. Substitute a cup and a half of milk with a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk.
Feel free to also use half and half or heavy whipping cream in this dish. If using I'd recommend substituting equal amounts whole milk and half and half or heavy whipping cream.