We have lost the real pleasure of enjoying a cheesy, delicious macaroni and cheese. Instead, we use powders and microwaves to make it a quick solution to hunger. But a good crockpot macaroni and cheese recipe can bring us back to what the recipe was meant to be. 

There are a few recipes that are so simple they can be put in a box. Macaroni and cheese is one of them. You haven’t enjoyed mac and cheese until you have made a crockpot macaroni and cheese recipe that is perfect for weekly meal prep or scaled up as a party recipe.

How many cheeses are in those mac and cheese boxes at the store? Keep in mind that “original” is not a cheese. That is why it is better to make your own mac and cheese recipes from scratch.

You get to choose which cheeses you add. At the very least, you know exactly what cheese is on your plate. There is nothing wrong with using boxed mac and cheese every now and then.

But crockpots make cooking easy as well. That is what these crockpots were designed for. They are meant to make cooking easier without sacrificing flavor or quality.

It may take longer, but you don’t have to stand over the pot and watch it boil for 7-8 minutes. Instead, you can toss the ingredients in the crockpot, set it, and come back to it when it’s ready.

The best part is this recipe is one of those pasta recipes that allows you to toss the uncooked pasta into the crockpot as well. The results are perfectly cooked pasta, gooey cheese, and blasts of flavor in each bite. 

The goal is to achieve that creaminess that everyone loves, from Macaroni and cheese. But there is no better way to get that creaminess than with real cheese, not powdered. More on that later; first, we need to get the right ingredients together.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

There are some obvious ingredients that are easy to find, like elbow pasta and cheese. But this recipe calls for three different cheeses. You will need extra sharp cheddar, American cheese, and gruyere cheese.

The types of cheeses are important for the recipe as well. Don’t worry too much about the extra sharp cheddar. The flavor will calm down a bit as it cooks and spreads evenly.

The American cheese needs to be in block form so you can cube it and use it. Lastly, gruyere cheese can be either plain or smoked. We suggest smoking for even more flavor. 

These cheeses will melt down perfectly without burning in a crockpot. That is why the cheese is so important. It helps get that creaminess we mentioned earlier. Not to mention, real cheese is far superior to any powder you might find in a box.

That powder did it for us when we were kids, but it’s time for something a little more sophisticated.

How to Make Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray.

Rinse uncooked pasta in cold water and drain.

Add uncooked pasta along with the remaining ingredients and spices to the crockpot and stir to combine.

Place the cubed butter on top spreading it around.

Cover and cook on low for one hour. Remove the lid and stir to make sure the cheese cubes are melted and pasta Is cooked.

If not done, continue to cook and check every 15 minutes or so until macaroni & cheese is thick and creamy.

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Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken | Travel to Hawaii without having to leave your dinner table at home with this Hawaiian chicken recipe.

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