Easy Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese (2024)

This crockpot mac and cheese with cream cheese is the easiest mac and cheese you'll ever make. Perfect for potlucks and holidays, it's completely made in the slow cooker and has the best gooey, cheesy texture!

This homemade mac and cheese will be a classic recipe that everyone in the family will love. Make it your own by adding in vegetables, like broccoli or spinach, or some shredded leftover roast chicken.

Serve this slow cooker mac and cheese with bang bang brussels sprouts or a butter lettuce salad for an easy meal.

Jump to:

• Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese
• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Instructions
• Recipe Tips
• How to Keep Crockpot Mac and Cheese Creamy
• Pairing Suggestions
• Storage and Reheating
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Cream Cheese Recipes
• Crockpot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese

Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods when I'm not feeling well, but so many recipes use aged cheeses or evaporated milk, which can have carrageenan. And the easy boxed mixes often contain food dyes to make them so bright and orange.

With this easy slow cooker mac and cheese, we're using simple, basic ingredients. Through my journey with a migraine diet, I've found good quality American cheese and cream cheese can make the best creamy sauce.

For this recipe, I wanted something you could just dump into the crockpot and have it ready for a meal if you don't feel like cooking.

You'll love this crockpot mac and cheese recipe because:

• Easy - No parboiling noodles, which I feel defeats the purpose of a crockpot recipe being easy. The whole recipe takes only 5 minutes to prep.
• Simple - Basic ingredients and nothing canned with carrageenan or food dyes.
• Creamy - A super gooey texture with the combination of cream cheese and American cheese.

Ingredients

Below are just some of the ingredients for this cream cheese mac and cheese, with a full recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Elbow macaroni - This can be substituted with other types of pasta, but I tested it with the classic elbow macaroni. Because this recipe doesn't parboil the pasta, some of the recipe testing yielded a soft pasta. I found Barilla held up the best in testing. If you're looking for a perfectly cooked al dente pasta, this isn't the recipe for you (and probably no slow cooker recipe is!). If you want super easy and extra gooey mac and cheese, you'll love it.
• Cream cheese - Use a good quality, block-style cream cheese. Philadelphia brand is my go-to. Choose one without carrageenan, which will give you the creamiest sauce.
• American cheese - Good quality American cheese is from brands like Boars Head or Andrew and Everett and its REAL cheese. American cheese melts the best and will give you that classic texture. For a larger block that's good for grating, you can ask the deli to cut you one instead of slicing it.
• Salted butter - I like to use Kerrygold here. If watching your sodium intake, unsalted is fine.

Substitutions

American cheese - often times many of my international readers struggle with finding good quality American cheese, which is a combination of Colby and very young cheddar cheese. You can substitute this with mozzarella for a less silky sauce.

Low sodium - Use unsalted butter and mozzarella instead of American, depending on what the brands you can find are (I find American to be higher in sodium).

As for gluten free and dairy free, I don't recommend these edits for this particularly recipe.

Gluten free pasta tends to get a little more mushy, and slow cooking can enhance that. If you don't mind this texture, you can try to substitute it!

I have not found any good dairy free cheese substitutes, but would recommend this Boursin pasta with dairy free Boursin for a better option.

Instructions

Step 1: Add pasta and spices to the slow cooker

Add macaroni pasta, water, milk, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, black pepper, and butter. Use a spoon to stir and make sure the pasta is submerged in the liquid as much as possible.

Step 2: Cover and cook

Cover with the lid and cook on high for 25 minutes. Use a spoon to stir, then cook for another 20 minutes - 45 minutes total.

Step 3: Add the cream cheese

Remove the lid, add the cream cheese and shredded cheese, and gently stir to incorporate the cheese. Do not overstir or the pasta could get mushy!

Step 4: Cover and cook

Cover with the lid and cook on high for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and pasta is fully cooked. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy immediately or keep warm in the slow cooker for up to 3 hours, adding hot water if needed to thin the cheese sauce.

Recipe Tips

• Barilla pasta held up well in recipe testing. It retained a great texture that wasn't too soft or gummy.
• The longer the cooking time, the softer the pasta can get.
• Boiling the pasta before it's al dente (about 5 minutes) before adding it to the crockpot seems to help it retain a good texture, but we feel this defeats the purpose of an easy crockpot mac and cheese.
• Cooking time - slow cookers can vary in cooking temperatures. The first time you make this, check it around the 30 minute mark and see how it is.

How to Keep Crockpot Mac and Cheese Creamy

In recipe testing, the mac and cheese stayed creamy for up to 3 hours before serving.

The slow cooker was kept on warm, and a splash of water was mixed in every hour or so to keep the sauce soft and creamy. You could also add milk, if desired.

Pairing Suggestions

I love a good crockpot mac and cheese with cream cheese on it's own or with simply steamed broccoli, but here are some suggestions to pair it with.

For a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving, this would make a great potluck dish and would free up oven and stove space. Pair it with stuffing balls, cast iron roast chicken, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce without orange.

If you're looking for a cozy meal at home, pair this with a simple butter lettuce salad or pear arugula salad. This apple fennel salad would also help to cut some of the richness of the sauce with sweetness and acidity.

Storage and Reheating

This slow cooker mac and cheese can easily be stored and reheated.

Make ahead - If you intend to make it ahead, you can keep it in the crockpot. Keep on warm if intending to serve within 3 hours, and just stir occasionally, adding water to thin as needed.

Refrigerator - Keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Freezer - Freeze for up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.

Reheating from fresh - Add a splash of milk and stir into the mac and cheese. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring often, and adding milk as needed. You could also do this on the stovetop as well, stirring often.

Reheating from frozen - Defrost overnight in the fridge and use the instructions above to reheat. Or place the frozen mac and cheese in a baking dish and cover with tin foil. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, then stir. Add more milk if it seems dry. If warmed through, uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions