Crock Pot Mac and Cheese with Uncooked Pasta has excellent taste, creamy texture, and tender pasta in one of the easiest recipes you can make for dinner tonight—no boiling for you.
🧀Ingredients
Elbow macaroni
Milk
Butter
Cheese
Pantry ingredients—dry mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper
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Featured Comment from John:
"5 stars—Great recipe, fantastic flavor. I doubled it and followed your advice and really kept an eye on the dish at the end."
This Mac and Cheese has a wonderfully creamy, cheesy taste and tender pasta that the whole family will love, even picky kids. Free up the oven and stovetop space using your crock pot during holiday cooking, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
No need to boil—add the dry pasta uncooked. You cook the pasta in spicy milk in the crock pot until nearly done, drain any fluid, add cheese, and let it melt to creamy goodness.
There is no can of soup, it has easy clean up, and you can use any size crock pot, even as small as 2 quarts.
👨‍🍳How to make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese with Uncooked Pasta
This recipe will fit in a 2-quart or larger crock pot.
Add 2 cups milk, 1 cup standard macaroni, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon each of pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and 1 tablespoon of butter to the crock pot.
Cook on low until the pasta reaches al dente. Stir well one hour into the cooking and check the texture, then recheck every 30 minutes or more frequently until done—about 2 hours for most crock pots and pasta. But crock pots and pasta vary, and your time may vary. DO NOT COOK BY TIME.
Drain any free fluid when the pasta is al dente, and mix in 1 cup of shredded cheese—sharp cheddar is recommended.
Continue on low until cooked the pasta is tender—about 5-15 minutes.
This is the crock pot after the meal. My wife scooped it into bowls within 30 seconds of her first bite. I think she liked it.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
✔️Tips to make it right every time
♨️The Crock Pot
- This fits well in most crock pots 2 quarts or above. Even a double recipe will fit in a 3.5 qt crock pot. You can use bigger as long as the milk completely covers the pasta in the first part of the recipe.
- Large crock pots with small amounts of ingredients may cook faster, so be careful.
- This should usually be done on low. This is NOT a recipe you should cook on high, cut the time in half, and ignore. The endpoint is the pasta becoming al dente, not an amount of time.
🍝The Pasta
- My instructions are to use standard dry pasta.
- If you want whole wheat or gluten-free pasta, you MUST pay attention to the pasta's endpoint, which is just al dente. More than that will make mush. The time of cooking WILL be different.
- If using non-standard pasta, you should usually be OK if you check the pasta more frequently, stop at al dente, and discard the excess fluid.
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🍝The Cheese
- Many kinds of cheese should not be cooked for long periods. But by adding the cheese near the end, it will deliver its creamy goodness.
- American-made pre-shredded cheese that we all buy does not like long or high heat. It is waxier than block cheese, and it just won't take it and will separate some.
- I'm stuck on sharp cheddar cheese. Almost any cheese, like Velveeta, American, Colby jack, gouda, and gruyere, can work.
- I'm sure a better cheese like a block of Cabot would do better, but are you going for a $10 cheese for this?
- Feel free to vary the cheese type.
Serving
Kids love mac and cheese, so combine it with Oven Baked Chicken Legs, Grilled Chicken Legs, Baked Chicken Tenders, Grilled Chicken Tenders, or Burgers on the Grill.
Mac and Cheese Recipes
Check out some other mac and cheese recipes. Start with my Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese, One-Pot Mac and Cheese, Baked Mac and Cheese, and Roadhouse Mac and Cheese.
Storage of leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or freeze for 2-3 months.
❓FAQs—Trouble Shooting
There are hundreds of different pasta, some requiring more or less fluid. The amount of fluid is for standard elbow macaroni and is usually correct for most standard pasta.
Once your pasta is al dente, you are done with the free liquid. So, you MUST drain any excess fluid. Don't worry about getting every drop of the liquid out. Just use a cup and remove the liquid you can easily remove before adding the cheese.
Your pasta is mushy from cooking too fast, or you cooked too long. You need to look for al dente and stop cooking.
If using non-standard pasta, you should usually be OK if you check the pasta more frequently, stop at al dente, and discard the excess fluid.
Some cheap cheese will separate quickly. Get better cheese, and do not cook it too long.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
đź“–The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese with Uncooked Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cup Elbow Macaroni
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ÂĽ teaspoon black pepper
- ÂĽ teaspoon garlic powder
- ÂĽ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup cheese of your choice - I used sharp cheddar
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add 2 cups milk, 1 cup standard macaroni, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon each of pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and 1 tablespoon of butter to the crock pot. You can use a crock pot as small as 2 quarts, but be sure the pasta is covered with milk. Larger crock pots cook smaller recipes faster.
- Cook on low until the pasta reaches al dente. Stir well one hour into the cooking and check the texture, then recheck every 30 minutes or more frequently until done—about 2 hours for most crock pots and pasta. But crock pots and pasta vary and your time may vary. DO NOT COOK BY TIME.
- Drain any free fluid when the pasta is al dente, and mix in 1 cup of shredded cheese—sharp cheddar is recommended.
- Continue on low until cooked the pasta is tender—about 5-15 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is not a dump-it-in-and-go shopping recipe.
- I suggest a standard dry pasta. If you use whole wheat, gluten-free, or other standard pasta, you must be aware of the endpoint being the pasta cooked to al dente and not longer.
- You may have some free liquid when the pasta reaches the al dente stage. You need to remove the extra fluid. Do not try to cook the extra fluid off. Get most of it spooned out, you don't need to get every drop,.
- Use the cheese of your choice. I always like some sharp cheddar here. Add the cheese at the end of cooking so you don't adversely affect the texture of the cheese.
- This will fit in a 2 qt. crock pot as written. A double batch will fit in a 3.5 qt or bigger.
- You can use bigger crock pots, but the pasta needs to be covered by the fluid, and remember that small recipes in large crock pots will cook faster.
- The bigger batch you have, the more extra liquid you will have. That is fine since we are cooking to the pasta al dente point. Just drain the extra fluid.
- I have closed the comment so this recipe. There were so many comments, and I felt everything was covered. I have modified the recipe some with that input over the years.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally published January 13, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Dan Mikesell says
I just had to vent a little about the processed stuff... I hope it works for you.
Bonnie says
It's in the crock pot right now :) Thanks so much for all your testing...my concerns about other recipes were exactly the same as yours--I can't wait to try it!
CatheMarie says
Okay fellow cooks, when DrDan says do not cook by time alone, he knows what he's talking about. My smallest crock pot is the average size with removable crock. My noodles were probably close to done at the one hour mark. I was busy not paying attention, read the instructions again went to check . . . Yep, sort of gluey. Okay, real gluey. Flavor is great. This is the type of Mac & Cheese I always wanted, but never knew how to make. Take care & you will have delicious gooey Mac & Cheese!
Dan Mikesell says
Thanks for the note. I try to read all the comments before I do a recipe so hopefully they will pay attention to your experience.
Dan Mikesell says
Thanks for the note. I'm glad it works in 1.5 qt.
Michelle Davis says
I made this recipe the other night in my 1.5 quart crock pot and it turned out PERFECTLY! I am so happy to have to have found your site - thanks so much for the great recipe and step by step instructions. I just finished writing it out to add to my recipe box
Sue McMillen says
Both my husband & I liked it! Wished I saved a bit of the drained milk to add back after adding cheese. Will definetly make this again!
Mindi says
I tried this tonight and the overall dish was just ok. I apparently didn't drain off enough liquid, because it was still quite watery after adding the cheese and it had a watered down taste. But it was still edible and my son and I ate it. I used Anthony's Hidden Veggie Macaroni noodles and they were well done after 90 minutes. I also made a double batch in a 4-qt slow cooker. I would suggest to anyone who wants to try this recipe is to make the regular recipe (and don't double) the first time you try it. I would also make it as a side dish and not the main entree the first time in case it doesn't work out. I might try a single recipe again, maybe with a more traditional macaroni noodle.
ELizabeth says
Strange. I can understand some people liking this dish but not me. Cooked on low until al dente and then drained off the left over fluid. Stirred in cheese and let it melt. The texture was weird. I like the store bought Mac & Cheese better.
Dr Dan says
Thanks for the comment. Did the pasta over cook or was it al denta at the point you added the cheese? I'm more concerned about the texture of the pasta than all the milk going in the pasta. That is why I have added the instruction to eliminate any free fluid at that point.
Maureen Fiorellini says
This worked for me, I just added 30 minutes cooking time before adding the cheese because the milk was not completely absorbed. I think every crock pot is different and you just have to experiment until you get the right setting for yours. I love that this was a "mini" recipe, calling for only one cup of pasta. My family loved this. Normally I have one pot to boil the pasta, one for the cheese sauce and then one to serve. Thanks for posting this recipe.
tried it once says
I tripled the recipe, had the same problem as most people, too much milk. which is weird because the ratio should uphold. Probably will not try this again, as I wasted a lot of milk and cheese :(
Dr Dan says
I did a double batch today at my daughters house. Different pasta and cooker. It also had almost a cup of free liquid when the pasta was done. I drained off about half but should have drained most of it before adding the cheese. Do Not continue to cook to try to get the liquid to absorb, you will have an over cooked mess. I'm adjusting the post to drain this excess liquid that I believe is due to variations in pasta and cookers.
cmj says
Mine was milky so I left in on low for another hour. Once the milk had absorbed the noodles were practically unrecognizable. I probably won't try this again. I think I'm gonna stick to cooking pasta dishes the normal way and keep my crock pot for other things.
Meagan says
Mine also turned out super milky and I had to drain it before adding the cheese. Going to attempt baking it for a while to see if that fixes it.
Dr Dan says
WaltersJ - Quadrupling is brave. What type of pasta did you use? It may be related to too much liquid left at the point of adding the cheese. Maybe the pasta didn't absorb it well... There is only a little free fluid left at that point usually.
tmelrose - I would cook it the same. But remember that you cook to a dente then add the cheese.
tmelrose says
How long would this take to cook if doubling the recipe?
Angela says
Same time. I just made this and it was yummy!