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No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is so creamy and packed with flavor. It’s an pasta recipe made in the Crock Pot that is an easy everyday dinner idea or perfect for entertaining.

Make sure to try my Stove Top Mac and Cheese Recipe too for a quick and easy alternative!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I use my Slow Cooker on a pretty regular basis, and have a bunch of slow cooker recipes here on my website. On weeknights, especially in the fall when my family seems to be going in different directions all the time, the Crock-Pot slow cooker is a life saver. 

And everyone in my family LOVES Macaroni and Cheese, so the ability to make it in the Crock Pot ahead WITHOUT having to boil the noodles is an amazing option. 

Not only is this No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe completely creamy and cheesy, it doesn’t take all day either, which is perfect for entertaining, kids sleep-overs or game day parties.

No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Is An Easy Dinner Idea!

This easy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe is a little different from your average slow cooker meal. This one only takes a few hours, which makes it perfect for entertaining, game day, or whipping up in the afternoon when you forgot to plan your dinner ahead of time! 

I have tried macaroni and cheese recipes in the Crock-Pot slow cooker before, but they always require you to boil the pasta ahead. I feel like if you are going to do this step, it’s just as easy to bake the mac and cheese…why involve the slow cooker? So, my idea was to develop a recipe that you could throw all your ingredients in the Crock-Pot slow cooker, turn it on and walk away…at least for an hour or so! 

I’ll tell you, it was a super success. Like I am so freaking excited to tell you how to make crock pot mac and cheese!! Let’s go!

A spoonful of macaroni cheese out of a slow cooker

Ingredients:

  • Whole Milk and Evaporated Milk. You’re going to use a combination of both of these types of milk in this recipe. The evaporated milk adds creaminess and thickness to the cheese sauce, while the milk has a higher percentage of water which is needed to cook the pasta. You could also use heavy cream in place of the evaporated milk if you wish. 
  • Seasonings. I use salt, black pepper, and paprika in this recipe to keep flavors simple and traditional. However, you can get creative with the seasonings you use.
  • Pasta. Since this is macaroni and cheese, I use small elbow macaroni. I prefer Barilla brand pasta in this recipe, as I find it stays firmer and doesn’t get mushy during the cooking process. 
  • Butter. Would it even be mac and cheese without the butter? I prefer using salted butter, but you can use unsalted as well. 
  • Velveeta. I know so many don’t prefer to use Velveeta in their cooking, and while it isn’t an ingredient I use regularly, the creaminess that it adds to mac and cheese can’t be matched. 
  • Other Cheeses: I use a combo or sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack. The sharp cheddar imparts flavor and the Monterey Jack adds creaminess.

How To Prep Crock Pot Mac and Cheese:

All you do is pour a pound of elbow macaroni in your Crock-Pot slow cooker and top it with cubed butter. 

Cubes of butter on top of uncooked pasta in a Crock Pot

Prep Your Cheese: Next grated some cheese. I like to use sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, but please feel free to adapt this and play around with cheeses you like best. 

Sprinkle this cheese on top of the uncooked pasta. 

Make the liquid: Whisk together some milk, evaporated milk, salt, pepper and paprika. Pour this on top of the cheese and stir it up.

That’s it! Just put the lid on your slow cooker, turn it on low heat and set it for 2 hours. make sure to stir it after 1 hour so the pasta doesn’t stick together. And even taste test the pasta to check the doneness. Same rules apply as if you were making pasta on your stovetop.

Macaroni and Cheese cooked in a Crock Pot

Troubleshooting:

This is a very easy and straightforward recipe, but I have taken in some of the issues that readers have had over the years and I’m going to try and solve them here for you:

Mushy Pasta: I can’t stress enough that a high quality pasta is key. Like I said above I always use Barilla brand pasta for this recipe and have never had an issue. Also slow cooker temperatures can vary if you only have “high” and “low” settings, so I suggest checking it before it’s done to monitor the texture. The only way the pasta will end up mushy is if it is overcooked. 

Lacking Flavor: This is an easy fix. If you find your mac and cheese isn’t as flavorful as you would like add in some seasoning. Also making sure to use a good quality sharp cheddar will solve this!

Pasta clumped together: This will happen when you cook pasta and don’t stir it, so make sure to follow the instructions carefully and make sure to stir it after one hour!

More Tips on Making This No Boil Mac and Cheese Recipe:

Easy No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is a very easy recipe, but there are a few tips to getting it right.

  1. Use a Crockpot liner for easy clean up. 
  2. Make sure to grate your own cheese, and don’t use pre-grated. The mac and cheese will be much creamier this way!
  3. If you decide to use a different shaped pasta, the cook times can vary, so make sure to check it after an hour and see how things are going! I used Elbow Macaroni (Barilla brand). Other brands or shapes could take up to 3 hours to cook, so just be aware of this variation.
  4. Once the pasta is cooked, make sure to turn the slow cooker to warm, or even turn it off and keep the lid on until ready to serve. 
Creamy Mac and Cheese in a slow cooker

Do You Have To Use Velveeta Cheese? 

Velveeta is an ingredient in this recipe that people love or hate. We don’t eat Velveeta very often at all, which is why I don’t mind using it in this recipe. The creaminess it adds to the mac and cheese just can’t be duplicated. 

BUT I will say that I have had many people make this recipe and tell me that they have used cream cheese in place of the Velveeta with great results. I, personally, have never done this, but I like to give options in case you aren’t down with Velveeta. Another alternative would be American cheese slices.

Change It Up:

This is a classic mac and cheese recipe, so you can absolutely get creative with it!

Add Spices: A few that pair well are nutmeg, dry mustard, garlic powder, steak seasoning, and taco seasoning. Even a little hot sauce or cayenne pepper for heat would be great!

Add protein: Make this a full meal and add in some shredded chickencarnitas, or steak! My husband even adds hot dogs into his macaroni and cheese.

Swap out the cheeses: Try using Pepper Jack instead of Monterey Jack, or even a Gruyere or Gouda

Add Alfredo Sauce or Pesto! Make it creamier with Alfredo, or add in a few tablespoons of pesto to give it a really amped up Italian flavor!

How To Store Crockpot Mac and Cheese:

If you have leftovers, simply store the mac and cheese in the refrigertaor in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave!

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No Boil Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.2 from 54 reviews
  • Author: Cookies & Cups
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: serves 6
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Dinner

Description

This Creamy Easy No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe is great for entertaining!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 (12- ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika)
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 4 ounces Velveeta, cubed
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl whisk together milk, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and paprika.
  2. Pour the uncooked macaroni into your 5 quart Slow Cooker. Top with butter and all cheeses.
  3. Pour the milk mixture on top and stir to combine.
  4. Do your best to press all the macaroni into the milk mixture. It won’t be completely covered, this is ok.
  5. Cover your Slow Cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring once after one hour.
  6. The mac and cheese will be done when all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked.

Notes

Note – Cook time can vary from 1 1/2 – 3 hours based on type of pasta and slow cooker. Keep an eye on the pasta at about 1 1/2 hours and continue cooking accordingly.

Also note, I recommend only using freshly grated cheese. The pre-grated is coated so it won’t stick in the package, which will affect the creaminess.

I used Barilla brand pasta*

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 716
  • Sugar: 13.1 g
  • Sodium: 1131.6 mg
  • Fat: 33.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 73.2 g
  • Protein: 34.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 91.1 mg

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333 comments on “No Boil Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese”

  1. This was a fabulous recipe! I brought it to a pot luck at work for Thanksgiving (retail) and it was a HUGE HIT!!

  2. I made this mac and cheese last weekend and OH MY GOSH IT WAS DELICIOUS. I have tried other recipes before and this was by far the easiest and tastiest. Thank you so much!!

  3. Making it as I comment I doubled it! Fingers crossed it comes out purfect, it’s for a luncheon tomorrow. ?

    1. Curious how yours came out. I am looking for a good crock pot mac and cheese recipe for my son’s birthday party next month. I am worried about making it for the first time for the party and not sure i’ll get a chance before then.

      1. Some say double cook on high three hours you’re says double cook low three hours. I am making this tomorrow should I cook on high or low three hours doubling it?

  4. I am making this today, but I noticed that I have a lot of milk mixture compared to yours. I followed the measurements. Should I be worried that it will come out to runny or soggy?

    1. Same here, it looked right but t texture of the past was pasty, chalky. I even used Barilla just like the recipe.

    2. Same here, just made it for my kids and it was a congealed mess that didn’t even taste like pasta 🙁

    3. I almost didn’t make this recipe because of the bad reviews. I made the recipe, step-by-step, omitting nothing, adding nothing, and it turned out great! The whole family loved it! Doubled the recipe in my 6-qt cooker. Not sure what went wrong for anyone who didn’t love the results.

      1. The only thing I can think is that people have overcooked it, which is why it gets clumpy. I have never had that issue and am SO glad you had great results!

        1. Different crock-pots may heat at different temperatures. I tried a small quantity of pasta in my 20-oz crock-pot (food warmer) and after an hour it was one solid clump. Today I left it just 20 minutes or so and the pasta was only slightly overdone. There’s nothing wrong with the recipe, each person just has to work with the time based on the way their individual crock-pots heat.

      2. Laura, I was also wanting to double the recipe. Curious how long you cooked it and at what heat-high or low?

      3. I’ve made this with doubling the receipe but no paprika and used shredded cheese in packet plus velveta and work like it. Making it tomorrow. Just going to give 2.5 to three hours on low. But check it after two.

  5. I know it says only two or three hours, but if I put it in the crock pot in the morning and left it, would it still be ok or would it turn into a soggy mess?

  6. I’m going with Velveeta (technically it’s an off brand) but have another recipe similar to this that uses cream cheese (neufchatel). I haven’t tried that one myself, but it might work those who can’t get Velveeta. I’m using Halloween pasta shapes, I hope it turns out!

      1. I made this yesterday with Gluten-free pasta, and it turned out pretty good. My only complaint was it did turn out a hair on the dry side. (I used 16oz of Ronzoni pasta 1 full box, and measured out 4 oz from a second box to equal 16 oz of pasta). Everything else I kept the same. There wasn’t much of a ‘sauce’ to it. Next time I make it, I’m going to try increasing the milk to 3 cups vs. 2.5 cups to allow for the difference in pasta makeup. Just wanted to let others know if they were curious about the GF pasta issue. 🙂

    1. There isn’t anything out there that can mimic the creaminess of Velveeta for this recipe, but I have had some readers use cream cheese and they said it worked!

  7. I can’t get velveeta in my country – can you elaborate a bit more one your comment that its a non-negotiable please?

    1. Hello, I made this once with velvita and it was delish but I didn’t have any velvita on hand wanted to make this again, I used 1/2 more cheddar cheese and 1/2 package of cream cheese. Came out pretty similar. not quite as good but a VERY close second place.

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