Slow Cooker Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
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The BEST mac and cheese EVER!!!! No boil. No stress. Everything gets thrown right in. Even the uncooked noodles!!!
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reasons to make slow cooker mac and cheese
- Great set-and-forget crockpot recipe for a few hours, perfect for running errands and picking up the kids
- One pot meal which means less dishes, less clean up
- Preserves oven space, a plus especially during the holidays
- Uncooked pasta cooks in the milk, making it even creamier and oh-so velvety
- An absolute crowd-pleaser, great for potlucks and big family gatherings
what is american cheese
American cheese is a type of cheese made from a blend of cheddar, colby, swiss or other similar cheeses with an emulsifying agent. With a smooth, medium-firm consistency, American cheese is creamy and mild, and most notably used in cheeseburgers, grilled cheese and mac and cheese for its meltability. Kraft Singles and Velveeta are not American cheese.
tips and tricks for success
- Use elbow macaroni. A popular pasta shape for mac and cheese, elbow macaroni is perfectly bite-sized and well-suited for capturing sauces and soaking up creamy, cheesy sauces.
- Freshly grated cheese goes a long way. Pre-packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can lead to gritty mac and cheese.
- Use a blend of cheeses. Using a variety of cheeses creates that favorited creamy consistency. Cheddar is always a classic choice and melts very well. Gruyere, mozzarella, monterey jack and gouda are also great options.
- Use evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is a key ingredient to ensure a smooth, creamy sauce without curdling.
- Avoid turning up the heat. Increasing the heat can lead to mushy mac and cheese.
- Do not overcook. Overcooking the mac and cheese can lead to curdling.
- Every slow cooker is a little different. Cooking time can vary from slow cooker to slow cooker. After 90 minutes, stir to check for doneness every 30 minutes. It is fully cooked when all of the liquid has been absorbed. Some slow cookers may require you to cook an additional 1-2 hours.
what to serve with mac and cheese
Tools For This Recipe
4-qt slow cooker
Slow Cooker Four Cheese Mac and Cheese: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! This recipe is so easy, even the uncooked pasta cooks in the milk, making it extra creamy.
American cheese is a type of cheese that is mild and creamy made from a blend of cheddar, colby or swiss.
Although purchasing pre-shredded cheese can save a few minutes in the kitchen, freshly grated is ideal here. The cornstarch in the pre-shredded variety can lead to unwanted textures (gritty mac and cheese).
This is not a recipe that will stand well with all-day cooking. It will unfortunately turn to mush with 7-8 hours! Depending on the brand of slow cooker, this should take around 2 hours to cook through.
Yes, this can be kept warm for about 30 minutes or so, but we recommend serving immediately as it will continue to cook on warm, which can lead to mushy mac and cheese.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, adding a splash of milk when reheating.
Slow Cooker Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium elbow macaroni
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 cups grated American cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Equipment
Instructions
- Place macaroni, 1 cup cheddar cheese, American cheese, cream cheese and Parmesan into a 4-qt slow cooker.
- Stir in milk, evaporated milk, Dijon, paprika and onion powder, making sure the macaroni is submerged as much as possible; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 90 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes, stirring every hour until tender and creamy.* Uncover and stir in remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese until melted, about 2-3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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So, I make basically make most if not all of Chungah’s recipes. And every single one of them has tasted delicious and as described. This is the first recipe of hers that I have made that I wasn’t in love with. And it could totally be personal preference, but I feel like it needs to be said that this dish tasted very Dijon mustardy. I followed the recipe exactly and only used 2 tsp as directed. But it was all I could taste. I am from the south though and that’s not a typical ingredient in the Mac and cheese I am used to so I was a little skeptical but I thought, it’s only 2 tsp. What difference can that really make? Apparently a lot. The recipe overall came out as pictured with timing and consistency. Just a word of caution for those who aren’t keen on their Mac and Cheese having such a distinct mustard flavor. That being said I may try again sometime and leave out that ingredient.
Leave out the mustard, no one in my family likes it so was an easy choice…turned out delicious! And I always top with some crispy bacon, but that’s personal preference, yummy!
I just leave out the mustard, no one in my family likes it so was an easy choice…turned out delicious! And I always top with some crispy bacon, but that’s personal preference, yummy!
Didn’t change a thing, turned out superb! I set my timer for 90 min, stirred with 40min, 20min and 10min to go. Stirred at 90min, popped on for another 5min since it was still a bit runny but the pasta was cooked. Then stirred again, added the cheddar. Left for 2 minutes before stirring for the final time and taking off the heat. Noodles al dente, not chewy at all. My slow cooker is bigger so I knew it would cook quickly. I kept a relatively close eye toward the end for this reason. Can’t wait for my family to try it later tonight!
I made this for a family get together and it was perfect. I got so many compliments. It was rich and creamy. The blend of the cheeses mixed well. I think what put it over the top was the Dijon. I will definitely be making this again.
Does anybody know how much sodium is in this recipe?
Made this on the stove. Cooked the macaroni as usual, al dente. Mixed the cheeses (substituted HAVARTI for the American cheese) with cream and milk until it was the perfect consistency and added the noodles. Yummy!
this tasted very good but was almost too cheesy – I stirred a lot and my pasta would stick together. any ideas why?
when you overmix/stir pasta the gluten starts coming out and makes the water a milky color and the noodles REALLY sticky
Not so much a review but a question. Do you think I could add bacon and bread crumbs to add some texture?
And why submit a review if all you’re going to do is complain? It is a waste of time reading them so don’t submit bad reviews!
Bad reviews are also helpful.
im making this mac and cheese right now and it tastes delicious but its very very thick and not smooth even after adding milk. i don’t know if i over cooked it or if the cheese hasn’t melted all the way but it tatses good so it should work with dinner
Delicious! I made it in a 6 qt crock pout and substited the American cheese for a mix and sliced havarti pieces. Just make sure to keep stirring it so the noodles cook and layer evenly. I had to add about 1/2 a cup of extra milk to make it creamier! Great recipe thank you!
So, I made this recipe. After starting the crock pot up I decided to read the reviews…. I know, most people do this before making the recipe, obviously I don’t. After reading them, I was a little worried I was gonna end up with a crock pot full of mush. I didn’t change a thing, except for doubling everything, as I doubled the recipe. I let it go in the crock pot for 2 and a half hours, mixing it a few times during that time. The only concern I had while making it was being worried the cream cheese wouldn’t melt as it was taking a while for it to melt down. But it did melt down and it turned out wonderful! Even my picky son came back for seconds…. and then thirds.
Would this work with Almond Milk?
We’re absolutely not a dairy free family but some of the best Mac and cheese I’ve made were with homemade almond milk.
I was in a total panic looking for this recipe to make again this Christmas — that’s how good it is! So easy to make. An unusual combination of cheeses — Cheddar, American, Cream Cheese and Parmesan — makes the best mac & cheese I’ve ever had. And this dish was a huge hit on the Christmas buffet table with young and old and in between. I posted it on my facebook page so my friends will try it. I’m so glad I finally found it again and I’m saving it on and offline in multiple places so I never lose it again!
We’re so glad you found it!
I’M INTRIGUED THAT SO MANY PEOPLE FOUND THAT THIS MAC & CHEESE “OVERCOOKED” IN THE SUGGESTED TIME. I HAD THE OPPOSITE OUTCOME. FIGURED ON THE 2 1/2 HOUR TIMEFRAME …………. NEVER GOT IT TO THE TABLE AS THE NOODLES WERE STILL WAY TOO CHEWY. INSTEAD OF 2 1/2 …. IT COOKED FOR 4 1/2 !!!
THEN IT WAS GREAT !!! USED A 4 QUART CROCKPOT … STIRRED AT AN HOUR & AGAIN EVERY HALF HOUR TO KEEP CHECKING. EVEN PUT IT ON HIGH FOR A HALF HOUR TO SPEED THINGS UP.
QUESTION ……. RECIPE SAYS “KEEPS WELL”. WHERE & HOW ? IN THE POT FOR SERVING ? LEFTOVERS IN THE FRIDGE ? FROZEN ? AFTER THE INITIAL COMMENT THERE WAS NO EXPLAINATION.
Haven’t tried YET. Sounds great!
I saw your note how you made in this in a new 4 quart Crock-Pot. I recently bought a new 4 quart Crock-Pot and was wondering how long you cooked yours?
Also, if the noodles are done earlier than later within the estimated time frame, can I put it in the keep warm setting? Or should I turn it off all together and just keep the lid on?
Hi Jessica! This was cooked as directed in the recipe using a brand new 4-qt Crock-Pot. I do not recommend keeping this on the warm setting as it will continue to cook a little bit and may change the consistency of the mac and cheese. Hope that helps!
I was wondering if I can replace the macaroni pasta for fusilli pasta.
Yes, of course!
Cooked macaroni or uncooked
Uncooked.
WHY YOU ALLOW A RECIPE TO RUIN YOUR DAY… IS BEYOND ME.
WHY YOU TYPE IN ALL UPPER CASE IS…..BEYOND ME
I made this for the 1st time today as a potluck dish, but made a few alterations depending on what I had on hand. Rotini pasta worked great, plus instead of grated American I used colby-jack, fat free cream cheese, and plain mustard. Since I miscalculated the time of cooking versus our luncheon, I had it on low for 90min, then high for 30min. Stirred, then topped with remaining cheese. One of our co-workers is a bit of a mac & cheese fanatic and he gave a big, happy thumbs-up.
Hi not sure you’ll know this but would this work if I used the chickpea pasta ? I only ask honestly becuase I’m not one to put any pasta in the slow cooker