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The BEST Crockpot Mac & Cheese


Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 15 people
Become the hero of gatherings with this set and forget cheesy crockpot mac and cheese. With minimal prep this will quickly become your go to recipe. My favorite part is I can whip it up really quick right before a party then plug it in when I arrive and let it continue to cook!

Equipment

  • 6 qt Crock Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 32 oz Elbow Pasta
  • 1 pint Heavy Cream or 2 cups
  • 1.5 cup Milk Fat content of your choice
  • 1.5 sticks Unsalted Butter Divided 1 stick + 1/2 stick
  • 16 oz Velveeta Sliced into cubes
  • 1.5 tsp Mustard Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 8 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese I like using a blend

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package. (Tip: If your making this further in advance, like 4-6 hours, cook pasta the bare minimum to prevent over cooking and soggy pasta. The pasta will continue to cook in the crockpot). I cook mine for 10 minutes.
  • Once pasta finishes, drain and pour in crockpot. Add 1/2 stick of butter to pasta and toss until coated. Cover with lid.

Cheese Sauce

  • In a medium saucepan, combine, 1 stick of butter, heavy cream and milk. Heat over medium-low heat until butter is fully melted.
  • Add the Velveeta (sliced into cubes), mustard powder, nutmeg and black pepper. Stir frequently until cheese is fully melted. If you don't continually stir, cheese could stick and burn on the bottom.
    Sauce will be very liquid but don't worry, it reduces in the crockpot.

Combine

  • Pour your fully melted cheese sauce over the pasta in your crockpot and stir until fully combined.
  • Top with 8 oz of cheddar cheese and lightly stir in.
  • Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.

Notes

Not a fan of Velveeta? You can easily replace it with 8-10 oz block of Queso Fresco and the rest any of type of cheese. I have literally used every type of cheese my grocery store sells for this recipe and everything turns out great!
Just be careful with pre shredded cheeses because a lot of varieties have a high amount of flour in them (to prevent sticking in the bag) and that will make your sauce more dry. 

Did You Make This Recipe?

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