Extra Cheesy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Extra Cheesy Crockpot Mac and Cheese is about to become your new favorite way to whip up everyone’s favorite comfort food. This creamy mac and cheese is the perfect side dish or meal, especially for the holidays!
When I was a kid the only thing my brother would eat for what felt like years was boxed mac and cheese. We ate it so often because of his picky palate that I reached a point where I couldn’t even try a spoonful for years. (Shockingly, he grew up to become the executive chef of a fine dining restaurant, so if you have a picky eater right now don’t lose hope!)
It wasn’t until I hit my 20’s that I started eating mac and cheese again! Turns out I actually loved the stuff, and quickly discovered I also loved trying different ways to prepare it. Slow cooker mac and cheese has become my favorite way to prepare this delicious side dish.
If you haven’t tried making crockpot mac and cheese before, you’re in for a treat. It’s essentially a dump meal that requires just a few minutes of prep and the slow cooker does the rest.
It’s great as a holiday side dish or dinner on a busy weeknight, and this recipe is 100% picky kid approved too! It’s also easy to double, and the pasta consistency is perfect (not mushy).
The rich, decadent sauce is the star of this extra cheesy crockpot mac and cheese recipe. Once you taste it, you’ll understand why we love this slow cooker mac and cheese so much!
This is the perfect dish for potlucks, and is also a great way to save oven space if you’re cooking for the holidays. It goes great with Thanksgiving dinner. We love serving it with our turkey and air fryer breadsticks.
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Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese Ingredients
To make this slow cooker side dish, you’ll need a few simple ingredients (and remember that you can scroll to the end of the post for the recipe card with the full measurements and steps in a printer-friendly form, too):
- Melted butter
- Dry macaroni
- Evaporated milk
- Whole milk
- Heavy cream
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
How to Make Extra Cheesy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
This slow cooker macaroni and cheese takes only 5 minutes to prepare! Your slow cooker does the rest of the work.
Pour the melted butter into the slow cooker and add the macaroni, stirring well to completely coat the pasta.
Add the evaporated milk, whole milk, heavy cream and sour cream along with the spices.
Stir well to combine before adding all of the cheese. Stir again.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
If you have leftovers, allow the mac and cheese to cool down to room temperature first before transferring to an airtight container or individual food storage containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Tips for the Best Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Cook time might vary as slow cookers can vary. If you’re concerned your crockpot mac and cheese might cook faster, check on it after an hour and half, and just turn your slow cooker to warm if it’s done.
As this is a dairy-based dish, be sure to refrigerate the leftover mac and cheese within two hours of cooking.
If you’d like to speed up the prep process, you can mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl except for the dry pasta and butter, and store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to start the slow cooker, just dump it in after you have mixed the pasta and butter together, and mix well.
To reheat crockpot mac and cheese on the stovetop, heat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. This method allows for better temperature control and even heating, and less of a risk of the cheese separating as it reheats.
You can also reheat slow cooker mac and cheese in the microwave. Just transfer the desired amount of mac and cheese to a microwave-safe dish. Heat in the microwave on medium power, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Start with 1-2 minutes, and continue in 30-second intervals as needed.
More Crockpot Recipes and Holiday Side Dishes
How to Cook a Turkey in a Crockpot
Easy Crockpot Sausage & Tortellini Soup
Air Fryer Whole Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Extra Cheesy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Extra Cheesy Crockpot Mac and Cheese is about to become your new favorite way to whip up everyone’s favorite comfort food. This creamy mac and cheese is the perfect side dish or meal, especially for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 cups dry macaroni
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Pour the melted butter into the slow cooker and add the macaroni, stirring well to completely coat the pasta.
- Add the evaporated milk, whole milk, heavy cream and sour cream along with the spices. Stir well to combine before adding all of the cheese. Stir again.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- If you have leftovers, allow the mac and cheese to cool down to room temperature first before transferring to an airtight container or individual food storage containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Cook time might vary as slow cookers can vary. If you’re concerned your crockpot mac and cheese might cook faster, check on it after an hour and half, and just turn your slow cooker to warm if it’s done.
- As this is a dairy-based dish, be sure to refrigerate the leftover mac and cheese within two hours of cooking.
- If you’d like to speed up the prep process, you can mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl except for the dry pasta and butter, and store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to start the slow cooker, just dump it in after you have mixed the pasta and butter together, and mix well.
- To reheat crockpot mac and cheese on the stovetop, heat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. This method allows for better temperature control and even heating, and less of a risk of the cheese separating as it reheats.
- You can also reheat slow cooker mac and cheese in the microwave. Just transfer the desired amount of mac and cheese to a microwave-safe dish. Heat in the microwave on medium power, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Start with 1-2 minutes, and continue in 30-second intervals as needed.
