Crockpot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese + Video
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Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese is made in a slow cooker with THREE cheeses! This recipe makes the cheesiest comfort food meal ever! This creamy macaroni is an easy recipe that makes the best homemade mac!
I swear, this is the perfect comfort food. There are so many boxed versions out there, but I’m so over the flavor of those!
What I love about this homemade macaroni is that there are many different types of cheeses. You’ll love this new family favorite that shows how easy mac can be.
This recipe can be a side dish or the main star of the dinner table for your family gatherings. I think that this is a main course – why not?
Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese
If macaroni and cheese is one of your favorite meals, you’re in the right place, because it is one of our favorite comfort foods too!
One pot meals are always a winner in my book, and using a crock pot just takes that to the next level.
Every ooey, gooey bite of this homemade mac and cheese with cream cheese creates an explosion of flavor in your mouth!
When life is hectic, there’s nothing better than tossing a handful of ingredients into a pot.
Flip a switch and come back a few hours later to a hot, delicious meal, ready to eat.
This is our daughter’s favorite recipe, and she has been making it herself since she was 7 years old.
I guess this is the best testimonial you could have — crock pot mac and cheese with cream cheese is a kid-friendly favorite, and the recipe is easy enough for a picky 7 year old to make!
Macaroni and Cheese with Cream Cheese
Cream cheese and white cheddar are a bit tangy, while freshly grated Pepper Jack adds enough heat to make it interesting.
Plus, because it cooks right in the creamy sauce, corkscrew pasta soaks up all of that fantastic cheesy, saucy goodness!
The best thing about this macaroni and cheese with cream cheese recipe is the short prep time – it takes just 5 minutes!
Oh, and it cooks to creamy, heavenly goodness in only 2 hours!!
I’ve got another easy crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe made with Gruyere and mozzarella, plus a few extra spices for plenty of bold flavor.
Or, try another one — homemade mac and cheese with cream cheese, PLUS bacon and fresh chiles!
I think that dish tastes just like a jalapeño popper! Or try our smoked cream cheese that is always a hit!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cream cheese – Using cream cheese in mac and cheese helps add another layer of flavor to the cheese sauce.
Also, it acts as a thickener, helping the sauce stick to the ridges of the noodles.
You can also use my smoked cream cheese in this recipe to really amp up the flavor. - Other cheeses
This macaroni and cheese with cream cheese also has 2 other cheeses — medium sharp white cheddar and Pepper Jack.
When I make it for a potluck dish or when I know kids will be eating with us, I often swap the Pepper Jack out and use Colby Jack instead. - Pasta – We use cellentani, otherwise known as corkscrew pasta, for this creamy mac and cheese.
If you want a substitute, any type of small pasta with ridges on it works well. Good options are penne, ziti, rigatoni, or even elbow macaroni would be fine. - Cayenne pepper – There is only a pinch of cayenne in this dish, just enough spicy heat to wake up your taste buds.
If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, feel free to leave it out.
Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook to al dente.
The initial cooking time will vary based on the type of noodle you use. If possible, start checking the noodles at the 1 hour mark.
When the pasta is no longer crunchy and has a slight bite to it, you’re ready for the next step. - How to keep it creamy.
The three cheese sauce does thicken as it cools, which can sometimes make it a bit dry and difficult to scoop.
If you plan on keeping the crockpot mac n cheese in the slow cooker, use the “warm” setting, and stir in a little extra milk before everyone digs in.
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese FAQs
First, be sure that you’ve added all of the ingredients in the correct amounts. The cream cheese will melt as the other liquids heat up.
Also, it helps to stir the ingredients really well when you first add them to the crock pot. If you would like, you can even stir the macaroni and cheese once or twice during the cooking time.
It can be tricky to convert crockpot recipes to an electric pressure cooker.
We haven’t tried making this crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe in the IP, but you are more than welcome to experiment.
If you do, please let us know how it turns out!
For a recipe that definitely works, I recommend my Instant Pot Mac and Cheese. It is very rich and creamy, and it’s ready in under 15 minutes.
A lot depends on your flavor preference, but it helps to use cheeses that melt well.
Cheddar, pepper jack, and cream cheese are perfect in a creamy mac and cheese recipe, and the combination tastes scrumptious.
If you want a different flavor altogether, try cheeses like Gruyere, smoked gouda, or Fontina! All of them melt really well and add a more sophisticated flavor.
The recipe card below proves that this dish can be flexible. It’s not called the ultimate comfort food for nothing!
You can add garlic powder, black powder, mustard powder, dijon mustard, hot sauce, onion powder, or even chili powder for the best results.
This is one of my favorite dishes to make because of all the different cheeses and tender elbow pasta. It’s one of the first things that I make when I’m craving creamy pastas!
Prep Ahead Instructions
There’s not much to do in advance for this recipe, except maybe grate the cheeses.
However, we do sometimes make 3 cheese mac and cheese to portion out for lunches during the week.
KITCHEN HACK – Reheating Mac and Cheese
I have a hack that makes reheating even easier, especially if you’re taking lunch on the go!
Before transferring to storage containers, stir additional milk into the mac n cheese to thin out the sauce.
This way, it will be easier to scoop when it’s cold from the fridge, and you won’t need to add any additional liquid when you reheat it.
Storing and Reheating Cream Cheese Mac and Cheese
Once cool, you can refrigerate the leftovers for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.
Use the same trick of adding extra milk as noted above, or simply add the liquid before reheating.
Or, for individual portions, reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until creamy and warmed through.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Mac n Cheese Recipes
Crockpot Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese + Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound cellentani (corkscrew) pasta, uncooked, or other small pasta shape
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1 ounce pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese, I use sharp cheddar
- 1 cup freshly shredded pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Pour the uncooked pasta onto the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Scatter the butter and cream cheese pieces over the pasta.
- Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the top and pour the milk and cream into the slow cooker.Stir to combine everything and smooth the pasta into one even layer coated in sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 to 2 hours, until the pasta is chewy (not quite crunchy, but very al dente). Your cook time will vary if you use a different pasta or different size crockpot, so start with 1 hour and adjust from there.
- Stir once halfway through the cook time and be sure to smooth the pasta into one layer so it is well coated with the sauce.
- Once the pasta is ready, sprinkle on the cheddar and pepper Jack cheeses and stir to combine. Cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes. The cheeses will melt into the sauce to create the most luxurious creamy cheese sauce.
- Stir before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
- I love the flavor in this recipe, but when I am preparing it for a crowd I substitute Colby Jack cheese for the Pepper Jack. It gives it a great flavor, but it isn’t overly spicy for sensitive palates.
- The cheese sauce will thicken as it cools. If you plan to hold the mac and cheese in the slow cooker on warm, add extra milk as needed to keep the sauce nice and creamy.
- Also, if you are going to refrigerate it to eat later, add enough milk to the pasta to thin out the sauce before refrigerating. That way when you pull it out, it will scoop easily and the mac and cheese will warm up perfectly in the microwave or on the stove top. We do this every week and portion it out for easy lunches.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2017, updated and republished March 2024
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My favorite slow cooker recipe is definitely chili. Thanks for the chance to win – I need a new slow cooker in the worse way!!
Absolutely love Angel Chicken in the slow cooker. Also Love your website!
Slow Cooker Triple Cheesy Mac and Cheese has to be a favourite … how can you go wrong with amazing comfort food!
Love Angel Chicken in the slow cooker. Also love your website!
I make all kinds of soups in the slow cooker….I love soup.
My favorite is a slow cooker short rib recipe with an awesome sauce that I've had for years, but this one looks like it could be right up there since mac & cheese is one of my favorite food groups.
I love your recipes, I will be making this mac and cheese recipe. My husband really likes slow cooker lasagna. He wont eat it baked anymore lol. I use your site a lot. The recipes you have that I tried have all been so good, easy to make and hit a homerun in our household. Its ideas I would have never thought of. I get up look at your emails and I know this is what to make today. Suggestion it would be so cool if you could do a sunday through Saturday menu plan, and a grocery list so I could just print and shop and cook. 🙂 I follow you on facebook and also get the email. Keep up the good work.
Dave, you totally made my day. Thank you for sharing that with us. I will start thinking about the meal plan and grocery list.
Thank you again,
Donna
For the triple mac and cheese can I uae elbow macaroni instead and would I need to add extra cheese's and milk. thank you
I was wondering the same thing. What changes have to be made to use elbow macaroni if any?
I have so many but I love putting a roast in early so it will be ready for my family when we all get home from work/school. I will be trying this mac/cheese recipe very soon!!!!
I love to make beef and noodles and chili. everything taste good in the slow cooker.
Care to share your beef and noodles recipe?
My favorite go-to recipe is a roast with a can of mushroom soup and a package of dry onion soup mix. Always a hit at our house and so simple. B. Rines, [email protected]
I love to make carmelized onions in my slow cooker! So easy, as long as you have 24 hours to spare, lol.
My son's favorite is the triple mac & cheese. I love how your recipes are so rich and flavorful compared to others, but you make them so quick and easy to prepare. Your photographer is a genius! best food pics on the web. I can't help but want to make them just from the fab pics. I look forward to all the new recipes!!
That is my husband! He is a genius. I will pass on the comment to him. Thank you for stopping in. We hope to hear from you again.
Would this work with gluten free pasta?
Celiac Disease and can't have gluten.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp is one of my many favourites of your recipes…this triple mac and cheese may me another one!
I love slow-cooker barbecue ribs. I can make and freeze single portions to reheat later. Perfect for a senior living alone. ❤️
The Best Ever Simple Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwich.
Pork chops are the bomb
I love slow cooker cooking! My favorite recipe is Cooked Pulled Pork. 11 hours on High with one can/bottle of beer, one can of beef broth, and a pork butt. Drain, shred, and add Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. I need a new slow cooker – I've worn out two of mine in 36 years of cooking for my family!! PS: I <3 your website!!
I love to make BBQ slow roasted pork ribs especially in the summer in my old crockpot because it doesn't heat up the kitchen! Your mac and cheese recipe is a winner in my book!
I love making Mississippi mud roasts in the crock pot. They are so good!
Roast
Chili will always be my favorite thing to cook in the slow cooker — either vegetarian or with turkey!
Well, I love your recipes, so I thought I would post one of my own favs – Lazy Piggies (like Golumpki or stuffed cabbage without all the fuss) – Cut up a head of lettuce, make the meatballs as you would for stuffed cabbage and put them on top of the cabbage, two large cans of tomato soup, half a can of water and half a can of milk – stick of butter cut into pieces on top – cover and cook on low….
My favorite slow cooker recipe is tortilla soup. It's so easy and tasty!
I am a totally disabled rookie cook and love the fact that most slow-cooker / crock pot recipes are fairly easy to prepare and easy to freeze. One of my favorite recipes is a King Ranch Chicken Soup, spicy and a great taste. Plus it is good to freeze. I also collect and share your wonderful recipes.
My favorite slow cooker recipes are things that help me later. I take 10 pounds of hamburger and put in the slow cooker. I stir and break it up occasionally. When it is all browned, I take sections and break it up with a mixer. Then I package up 10 bags with the hamburger and freeze. I then have 10 meals ready, all I have to do it add vegetables or chili or whatever I want to make. I do the same with chicken breasts. Cook and shred and package. Minimal mess. Certainly less than frying and I have the time to do other things. Love your 3 cheese mac and cheese. the best.