Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
When I tasted this Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe I thought to myself OMG where have you been all my life!! I wish I could say this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe tastes just like mom made it but I know my mother never made homemade macaroni and cheese. And honestly, mom ever did make homemade macaroni and cheese she didn’t make it in a slow cooker.
The closest I can come to describing the rich and creamy flavor of this Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe is Bob Evans. Last year I had a serious addiction to the Bob Evans Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese you could buy in the grocery store. It was sold in the refrigerator section. I ate that stuff about once a week. And then for some reason, the stores here quit selling it.
Lucky for me because I probably gained 10 pounds because of that Bob Evans Mac & Cheese. I almost fell off the wagon today because of this Copycat Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese recipe.
My family loves macaroni and cheese. This homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that I made in the crock pot lasted all of about 2 hours.
You see I made it in the early afternoon so I could get the photos taken for this post. Then as everyone started coming in from work or school they all ate some. The warm setting on my crock pot kept it nice and cheesy.
Usually, I use my 6-quart crock pot but today I used the smaller 4-quart crock pot. It worked very well in cooking the macaroni and keeping the cheese warm and gooey. If you end up using the bigger 6-quart crock pot keep an eye on it. It only took about 2 hours to cook. In a 6 quart crock pot the macaroni will be spread out a bit more thinly and it may cook faster and or dry out if you aren’t keeping a close eye on it.
How to make Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounce Large Elbow Macaroni
- 12 ounces Velveeta Cheese, cut into cubes
- 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1-12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup half and half or milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Boil macaroni for 5 minutes, drain and put into the crock pot.
- Add 12 ounces of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, reserving 4 ounces.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and stir well.
- Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until the macaroni is cooked through.
- 30 minutes before the end of cooking time add the remaining 4 ounces of sharp cheddar to the top of the mac and cheese.
- Cover the crock pot and cook until the cheese is melted.
- Turn the crock pot to the warm setting and serve as needed.
You can start with uncooked macaroni for this recipe. When I made my Crock Pot Baked Ziti I started with uncooked pasta so I know the pasta will cook. But if you are starting with uncooked pasta for this Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe I would increase the amount of half and half (or milk) a 1/2 cup and keep an eye on it.
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PinDescription
Thick and creamy crock pot slow cooker macaroni and cheese is made with Velveeta. Using uncooked macaroni makes this easy crock pot side dish recipe a dump and go side dish recipe your family will love. I love to serve it over the holidays.
Ingredients
- 16 ounce Large Elbow Macaroni
- 12 ounces Velveeta Cheese, cut into cubes
- 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Boil macaroni for 5 minutes, drain and put into the crock pot. Or skip this step all together if using regular sized macaroni.
- Add 12 ounces of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, reserving 4 ounces.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and stir well.
- Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until the macaroni is cooked through.
- minutes before the end of cooking time add the remaining 4 ounces of sharp cheddar to the top of the mac and cheese.
- Cover the crock pot and cook until the cheese is melted.
- Turn the crock pot to the warm setting and serve as needed
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 424
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Julie Wood says
I have not had luck making homemade Macaroni and cheese. But I have not made it in the Crock Pot! This recipe looks so delicious and I am going to try and make this. Thanks for sharing another awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Arlene Mobley says
Julie
You should have no problem with this recipe. It turned out amazing. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!
Lori Mayfield says
So no butter in this recipe?? I’ve seen others that require butter, just making sure. Thank you. Trying it tomorrow for a funeral dinner.
Arlene Mobley says
No butter in this recipe Lori. Enjoy!
Heather says
Hi I accidentally bought heavy whipping cream instead of evaporated milk. Will that still work? Sorry I’m new to cooking
Arlene Mobley says
Heather
You could try it and see how it turns out. I have substituted other dairy products in other recipes and they have turned out just fine.
Kylie says
THISSSSS looks so good!! I am a HUGE mac n cheese fan. I need to try this!!
Arlene Mobley says
Kylie
Thanks so much it was pretty tasty!
Maureen says
Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? Of course non! Everybody loves macaroni and cheese. And your crock-pot version of this dish is so amazing. It’s so cheesy! I love it!
Arlene Mobley says
Maureen
I hope you get a chance to try this recipe!
Judy @ Contented at Home says
The slow cooker is a homeschool mom’s best friend – and this recipe looks like a delicious addition to our menu plan! 🙂
Arlene Mobley says
Judy
It was delicious and I hope you enjoy it!
Colletta says
I love mac-n-cheese! This looks delicious!
I hope you can stop by:
http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2015/05/weigh-in-wednesday-5615.html
Colletta
Arlene Mobley says
Thank you Colletta!
swathi says
Delicious Macraoni and cheese,thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning.
Britta says
This looks RIDICULOUSLY yummy! And in a crockpot? Awesome.
This delicious recipe has been selected as a featured post for Family Fun Fridays! Stop by brittalafont,com (recipe hostess) after 1pm PST Thursday to grab your “I was featured” button. Already pinned it!
★★★★★
Colleen W. says
there’s a typo in the mac & cheese~~ It says a “cane of evaporated milk” and probably should be “can”
Arlene Mobley says
Colleen
Thanks! I’ll get that fixed right away.
WalterG. says
You have one ingredient list that has 1 cup half & half or milk. Your ingredient list in the box just has half & half, no milk. Can milk be used? I will be making this Sat. for my son.
Arlene Mobley says
Hi Walter
I used the half and half for my recipe but if you don’t have half and half you can use milk instead.Either one will work fine.
Samantha says
Could I double this recipe? Making for a large football potluck as a side to pulled pork and I suspect this will be popular; it sounds so good!
Thanks!
Arlene Mobley says
Samantha
I am sure you could just make sure you use a big enough crock pot. I made this recipe in a 4-quart crock pot.
Dino says
Can I use regular sized elbow macaroni? Or do it have to be large? Thanks
Arlene Mobley says
Yes you could use regular elbow but the cooking time will be shorter.
Brittney says
I have never used evaporated milk in a mac n cheese recipe. What is the benefit of using it?
Arlene Mobley says
Brittany
I think it lends and extra creaminess to the mac and cheese.
sarah says
I doubled the recipe when I made it for about 15 young adults. This was a side dish, and it was inhaled! Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Arlene Mobley says
Sarah
Glad to hear the recipe was a hit!
Kelli says
I need to make a side for turkey day. There will be 36 wish ppl. A majority little kids. Do u think doubling it would be enough?
Arlene Mobley says
Kelli
If every single person will be having a serving, I am not sure if double would be enough. But hey if the crock pot is scraped clean then you know the recipe is a hit and everyone will be begging you to make it again next year. Have a Happy Turkey Day!
KelliKelli says
Thank you! I highly doubt everyone will. But I may male a triple batch anyway : . Thanks so much! Happy holidays.
Arlene Mobley says
Kelli
Enjoy the holiday and recipe! I’ll be making this one myself tomorrow. The family loves it!
Shelby says
Hi. I was really dislike using Velveeta (had a bad experience with it my mom in law shouldn’t be allowed in a kitchen) could I just use more regular cheese and a little more milk and butter? I really want too use this recipe it looks great.
Arlene Mobley says
Shelby
You could try it but the Velveeta is what helps make it creamy.
nathan says
instead of velveeta block cheese i am using just shredded cheese. i will let you all know how it comes out
Melissa says
Did it work out? I can’t find velveeta and I don’t like the idea of cooking with food “products.” Hope it was good!
Laurie says
I brought this to a family party. Adults & kids alike snarfed it up. Not only is it delicious, but simple & easy as well! This is my new “go-to” Mac ‘n cheese!
★★★★★
Arlene Mobley says
Laurie
So glad to hear my Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe was a hit!
Allison B says
I doubled this in my 6 qt crock pot and made it for a Christmas party yesterday. It was a lot of mac and cheese but that was a good thing! Everyone raved about it saying they had 2nds and 3rds! Thanks for the great recipe!!! Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Arlene Mobley says
Allison
I love to get comments from happy readers! Thank you. It is one of my families favorite recipes.
Jenn says
This may seem like a dumb question, But do I cook it with the lid on or off?
Arlene Mobley says
Jenn
Cook with the lid on.
mike says
can you cook on high heat?
Arlene Mobley says
Mike
This recipe cooks pretty fast on the low setting. If you were to cook it on high the pasta may over cook. If you try it let me know how it turns out.
TallBoy says
Trying this tonight. But curious: why boil the mac first? I mean, you’re cooking it for 3 hours…does 5 minutes of boiling really matter?
Arlene Mobley says
I’ve done both. The recipe turns out fine both ways.
Brittany says
Can you use one of the crock pot plastic bags with this?
Arlene Mobley says
Hi Brittany
I have never used the crock pot liners so I can’t say if it will work or not. Sorry!
Paula M says
I don’t have any evaporated milk. Can I leave this out or add more milk?
Arlene Mobley says
Paula
Yes you can substitute milk for the evaporated milk but it is going to change the flavor and the creaminess slightly.
★★★★★