The Best Crock Pot Mac And Cheese (Dump-And-Go)
4.42 ★ from 50 ratings – This no-boil Crock Pot mac and cheese uses Velveeta and evaporated milk so it stays creamy and silky, not gritty, when it cooks. The comforting side dish is easy to make with a few simple ingredients. Just dump-and-go, then come back to a delicious, melty cheese macaroni side.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 2 hours | 10 | Beginner + |
What Ingredients Do I Need For Crockpot Macaroni And Cheese (No-Boil)
- Macaroni noodles
- Butter
- Velveeta cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Milk
- Evaporated milk
Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Watch How To Make The Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese
Step-By-Step Instructions
Start by adding the uncooked macaroni noodles to a greased Crock Pot.
Next, cube the butter and Velveeta cheese and add it to the pot.
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and parmesan cheese on top.
Pour the milk and evaporated milk into the Crock Pot. Mix everything together, but make sure the noodles are submerged under liquid so they will cook. Replace the lid and cook for two hours on low temperature. Quickly stir at the 60 minute mark and replade the lid.
Note: 6‑QT units often cook hotter/faster. Start checking at 75–90 minutes.
Once the creamy macaroni and cheese recipe is finished cooking, remove the lid, mix, and serve.
Once you mix the macaroni and cheese, it’s ready to serve.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Tips and troubleshooting to watch out for before starting your recipe.
Cheese: I have one kid that loves Parmesan and one that doesn’t. So, the Parmesan is optional. You can add whatever cheese you love to the recipe. If you would like a lower-fat cheese, you can use mozzarella cheese, as well.
- Check early: Start checking noodle texture at 75–90 minutes to avoid mushiness.
- Keep it LOW: Avoid HIGH; it overcooks pasta and splits the sauce.
- Submerge noodles: After mixing, make sure all pasta is under the liquid.
- Mid‑cook stir: Quick stir at 60 minutes (and at 120 minutes if doubling).
- Hold gently: Once creamy, switch to WARM only for short stretches; stir every 20–30 min.
- Baseline: Recipe tested for 4–6 QT slow cookers.
Equipment And Doubling The Recipe
- Double batch: 6-QT needs to cook on HIGH for 2½ hours.
- Stir at 60 & 120 min if doubling the recipe.
The recipe makes such a great side dish for the holidays, and you don’t have to spend any time slaving over the stove or taking up any oven space.
Plus, if you don’t have a large crowd, you will have leftovers. You can add some turkey, veggies, or ham the next day and have dinner.
Substitutions And Variety
It’s always fun to switch things out on occasion and add some variety to the recipe. You can switch out the cheddar for some pepper Jack or white extra sharp cheese or add something else.
| Swap | Effect & Notes |
|---|
| American (deli slices) | Ultra‑melt, super smooth, kid‑friendly. |
| Monterey Jack | Milder flavor, creamier melt; mix with cheddar. |
| Sharp Cheddar | Bigger bite; combine with a melt‑friendly cheese. |
| White Cheddar / Muenster | For a white mac; smooth with gentle flavor. |
| Seasoning add‑ins | Onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika to taste. Or try some cayenne pepper for adding spice. Toasted bread crumbs sprinkled over the top when it’s finished cooking adds some crunch. |
How To Store The Macaroni And Cheese
Refrigerate leftovers 3–4 days in an airtight container.
Make Ahead And Reheating Instructions
It’s great to be able to make the recipe ahead of time. Here’s how to do it.
- Whisk together evaporated milk, regular milk, cheeses, butter, and seasonings up to 24 hours ahead; refrigerate.
- Do not add pasta until right before cooking.
- Day of: Add uncooked pasta to crock, pour cheese sauce in, stir to submerge, and cook as directed.
Reheating
- Stovetop (best): Add 1–2 Tbsp milk per cup, warm on LOW 3–6 min, stir gently; finish with a pat of butter.
- Microwave (fastest): Add 1–2 Tbsp milk per cup, cover loosely, 50% power 60–90 sec; stir; repeat in 30–45 sec bursts.
- Oven (larger pans): Shallow dish; add ¼ cup milk over the macaroni in a 9×13; cover with aluminum foil and bake at 300°F for 15–20 min; stir once; uncover last 3–5 min if desired.
- Slow cooker: Reheat quickly first, then transfer to WARM; stir every 20–30 min and add warm milk as needed.
Tip: Reheating thickens sauce—add liquid warm and gradually. Avoid boiling to keep pasta from softening further.
What To Serve With Mac And Cheese
- Green beans and bacon is another great side dish for the holidays that is super easy to make.
- Broccoli cheese casserole is a great way to sneak in those veggies with a cheesy, crunchy texture and taste.
- If you like mac and cheese in the oven, this baked mac and cheese with evaporated milk is a great way to add some variety.
- If you love sides from local drive-thrus, you’ll love this recipe for Copycat Chick-fil-A mac and cheese baked in the oven.
- Jiffy corn pudding is another great side dish that tastes great with some mac and cheese on your plate.
FAQs
Before you cook, peek at these quick answers so your mac and cheese turns out perfectly.
Can I double this? Yes, you can double the recipe by adjusting the servings in the recipe card. Be sure to stir at 60 and 120 minutes.
What are the best white cheeses for this recipe? Muenster, white American and white cheddar.
Why did mine turn mushy? The noodles were cooked too long or the slow cooker runs hot (even on low). It can also be caused by using thin or small elbow noodles. If the slow cooker is left on warm for too long it can overcook and cause the noodles to turn to mush.
Ways to avoid mushy noodles: Check the noodles early. 6-quart slow cookers can cook faster. Choose standard elbow macaroni noodles (not thin and quick cook). Stir one time mid-cook (and again at 120 minutes if doubling the recipe).
If the noodles end up mushy, add some cooked and crumbled bacon or toasted breadcrumbs to add some contrast.
The Best Crock Pot Mac And Cheese (Dump-And-Go)
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta macaroni
- 4 Tablespoons butter cubed
- 16 ounces Velveeta cheese cubed
- 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 – 12 ounce cans evaporated milk
- 2 cups milk
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Grease the Crock Pot with non-stick spray.
- Add the macaroni noodles to the pot.
- Next, add the butter and Velveeta cheese.
- Sprinkle the cheddar and parmesan cheese over the top.
- Pour the milk and evaporated milk into the bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Replace the lid and cook for two hours on low. (Be sure to stir half way through the cooking process and at the end before serving).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If this helped you dodge dinner stress, tap ★★★★★ and leave a tip or a tweak you tried—your notes help the next cook!
That looks soooooooo cheesy and delicious!
Thanks, Carlee!
Do you cook the noodles first??
No, you don’t have to cook the noodles first.
I feel that this recipe would have been so much better if I cooked the noodles first. Did not come out very well with uncooked macaroni.
Hi Dianne,
I am sorry to hear that. Did you make sure all of the noodles were covered with liquid while cooking?
@Julie Pollitt,
Yes, they were very well covered.
Thank you for asking.
Dianne
Hi Dianne,
I am not sure why they wouldn’t have cooked. I’m sorry about that.
This was the most creamy and delicious mac & cheese! It came out perfect. I only cooked mine 1.5 hours because my new crockpot seems like it gets a bit hotter than my old one did but other than reducing the cooking time, I did not change a thing. Thank you!!
That’s great to hear, Wanda! I am so glad you liked it! My old one used to get extra hot, too.
Can you cook the noodles first? And if so, would it affect the cook time?
Hi Marc,
You can cook them first. If you cooked the noodles first I would add them to the Crock Pot and then add the cheese and cook for about an hour, or until all of the cheese is melted. I hope that helps!
Can you add kielbasa sausage or chopped broccoli to the crock pot, and when?
Hi Margie,
If you are using cooked kielbasa, then you can use it. I would put it in when you start the Crock Pot and let it cook the entire time. If you want to add broccoli, I think it’s fine to add it when you start cooking, as well. It’s only cooking for two hours on low, so I think putting them both in when you start it will work the best. Hope you enjoy it!
This looked like a really good dish to try, I was unfortunately, disappointed in the starchy, mushy pasta. You can’t cook any kind of pasta in cheese and butter. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t care for the gooey pasta….next time I make this I will cook the pasta first then throw it alll in the crock pot to melt together, then it will be a bigger hit than this recipe was.
Pasta does not cook in thick cheesy sauce. The pasta turned out mushy and starchy. Do yourself a favor and cook the pasta in water first, then put it together in the crock pot. The gooey pasta ruined the whole recipe and $20 worth of cheese and other ingredients added to it.
Hi Nancy, I am so sorry to hear that. How long did you cook it for?
Hi Julie,
What substitute can be used instead of Velveeta cheese ?
Hi Kim,
You can mix some cream cheese and one cup of cheddar cheese in place of the Velveeta. (So you would have a total of three cups of cheddar cheese). Hope you love it!
I made this recipe and I wasn’t happy with it. cooked it for 2 hours on low like it said, the end product was not only liquidy unlike Mac n cheese but the flavor was intense. someone in my house said “it could be a good dip…” I couldn’t finish my bowl and I’m not what to do with the rest. next time I would use a less intense cheese like mozzarella and honestly you don’t need all that milk. 1c less of milk and less cheese and or more mild cheese. I’m disappointed because I followed the recipe to a T but flops happen.
Hi Ceres,
I am so sorry to hear this came out runny. You can definitely use other cheese if that is too strong. I think parmesan has a stronger flavor. Mozzarella would be delicious.
If I were to cook the noodles first, by how much would I reduce the liquid, and which liquid? Loved it the way it was, but would like to try cooking the noodles first!
Hi Karen,
I haven’t cooked it that way. If I were going to try, I would probably just use one can of evaporated milk and no other liquid. But I am not sure how that will come out. You will probably not need to cook it as long, either. Let me know if you try it!