Name: No-Boil Crock Pot Macaroni & Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 10 Servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 lb. macaroni noodles, uncooked; 2 12-oz cans evaporated milk; 1 cup milk; 12 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded; 8 oz. Velveeta, cubed; 1/4 cup butter, melted; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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An impossibly easy slow cooker recipe for ultra-creamy Mac & Cheese that uses uncooked macaroni noodles. No boiling or baking required and no sauce to cook – just toss it in and go!

Author: Mandy Rivers | Updated: 8/15/26

When it comes to mac & cheese, you could publish an entire cookbook or devote a whole website to recipes because there just are so many varieties and versions out there.

I narrow it down to four basic types (and from these basic four types, there are myriad variations and versions):

Baked Custard-Style with eggs (the way my part of the South makes it)
Baked with Bechamel (flour roux) sauce
Stove-Top Homemade (typically with a Bechamel-style sauce)
Stove-Top Instant (from a box… that’s probably blue)

An impossibly easy slow cooker recipe for ultra-creamy Mac & Cheese that uses uncooked macaroni noodles. No boiling or baking required and no sauce to cook – just toss it in and go!

IS THIS AN EVEN SWAP FOR SOUTHERN-STYLE?

No ma'am. Having grown up in South Carolina, my favorite is Southern custard-style macaroni and cheese because it’s what I know and it conjures up thoughts of home and memories of family dinners. I have two recipes for it here on the blog: Traditional Southern-Style Macaroni & Cheese and Southern-Style Crock Pot Macaroni & Cheese.

I use this crock pot recipe as a homemade, better version of the boxed stuff, when I have a bunch of kiddos to feed or when we're having one of the meals I remember eating the instant stuff with as a child.

YES, I LIKE THE BLUE BOX!

My second favorite type – and Lord, y’all are gonna have a fit with this one – is the stove-top instant stuff. It’s craaazzzzy. I knowww... I know! I like it because I don’t think of it as being in the same stratosphere as the baked, homemade stuff. I think of it as an entirely different food.

It’s the side dish that goes with hot dogs on a hectic Tuesday night. It’s the gooey guilty pleasure that helped me pack on 30 pounds in college. It’s the quick fix for lunch when the kids are cranky and hungry.

I like it for two reasons: 1) it’s easy and, 2) the sauce is really cheesy and smooth (not pasty and bland from a flour-based sauce).

WHY THESE INGREDIENTS?

This recipe combines both of my favorite methods. Using real cheddar cheese and my favorite spices gives it a taste that’s very similar to the baked custard-style (Southern-style) mac & cheese.

Creating a recipe that’s both made in the crock pot AND doesn’t require pre-cooking the noodles makes it easy peasy. Then using evaporated milk and Velveeta gives it the smooth and creamy, ultra-cheesy flavor like the boxed stuff.

Now, I will tell you, though the flavor is spot-on, the texture isn’t the same as the custard style so I can’t say this is a hands-down, all-time, nothing-better favorite but it’s so easy (and very delicious) so it’s still a winner for me!

FUN FACT:

Did you know that the famous blue box Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is called Kraft Dinner in Canada? When Husband (who most of you know by now is Canadian) kept calling it Kraft Dinner, I thought it was just a family thing. Then I noticed the packaging is totally different in the US and in Canada and it literally reads KRAFT DINNER on the box. Who knew??

Canadian vs. American Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

NOTES ABOUT COOKING NO-BOIL CROCK POT MAC & CHEESE:

All slow cookers cook differently (the temperatures vary considerably) so the 2-hour cooking time is approximate. If you know yours cooks slow and low, plan for up to 3 hours cook time.
If the noodles cook quicker than the sauce is absorbed, remove crock from heat, uncover, then let rest until the sauce thickens. Don’t overcook the pasta.
If the sauce gets too thick before the noodles are tender, stir in milk (1/2 cup at a time) to thin out the sauce then continue cooking until the pasta is tender. This might occur if your slow cooker cooks hot and fast.
If you hate Velveeta, substitute with American cheese.
I prefer mild cheddar because it’s a little creamier and I like the mild flavor but feel free to use whichever cheddar you prefer.
You absolutely MUST shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-clumping agents like cellulose (powdered wood pulp) which dries out your finished cooked dishes. It is also harder than cheese you shred yourself so it doesn’t melt as smooth and creamy.

Recipe for No-Boil Crock Pot Mac and Cheese