Holiday Crockpot Mac and Cheese: Easy and Crowd-Pleasing
Introduction
The biggest food day of the year is about to land on our doorsteps, bringing families and friends together to celebrate every beloved, mouthwatering dish we hold dear. And yes, Holiday Crockpot Mac and Cheese will be right there on that table, stealing hearts one creamy scoop at a time. Down here in the South, it’s the day when all our family kitchen legends show off their best, and now and then, a brand-new holiday cooking star is born. So grab your spoon, settle in, and let’s make a version that might earn a spot on your table year after year.
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Mac and Cheese Comes to America
Before we all started scooping creamy mac and cheese onto our holiday plates, this beloved dish had quite a journey getting here. It’s an American story that begins with James Hemings, an incredibly talented chef who cooked in the kitchen of President Thomas Jefferson. Hemings, an enslaved Black man and the half-brother of Jefferson’s wife, traveled with Jefferson to Paris, where he trained under master French chefs. There, he learned to prepare a luxurious version of macaroni and cheese made with silky béchamel and rich Gruyère.
When he returned to Monticello, Hemings brought that recipe home, giving mac and cheese its very first foothold in America. And while Jefferson often gets the spotlight, it was Hemings’ remarkable skill that truly introduced this dish to the New World.
From those beginnings, mac and cheese slowly made its way from elegant tables to everyday kitchens. Black families, especially throughout the American South, became its devoted caretakers, passing it down through generations and adapting it with love, flavor, and family tradition.
Historical reference adapted from Food Republic
Comfort Food Supreme: Holiday Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Have you ever wondered why mac and cheese always lands in the top five most-loved comfort foods? Even in its simplest form, that creamy, cheesy goodness is soothing, satisfying, and downright comforting from the very first bite to the very last.
Mac and cheese come in all kinds of glorious forms. There’s the extra decadent holiday version, baked in the oven until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling with rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor. And then there’s the stovetop classic — a quick swirl of noodles with butter, milk, and cheese, simple, speedy, and oh my stars always delicious.
No matter how it’s made, mac and cheese has a way of bringing pure joy to the table, and that’s precisely why we keep coming back for more.
And if you’re building a true Southern comfort spread, don’t miss my classic Southern Hashbrown Casserole—and be sure to check out my Surviving Holiday Cooking tips and tricks to keep the whole feast stress-free.
Holiday Mac and Cheese Super Hero: The Crockpot
But as much as we adore a beautiful baked mac and cheese, it does come with one big holiday hiccup — it just doesn’t travel well. It may come out of the oven looking picture-perfect, but by the time it reaches Grandma’s house or the church fellowship hall, those noodles have soaked up every last drop of that creamy goodness. The flavor is still there, but the moisture is not. Gone. And nobody wants dry mac and cheese on the biggest food day of the year.
That’s where my holiday hero steps in the Crockpot. It cooks low and slow, stays creamy for hours, travels like a dream, and shows up at the table just as warm, rich, and velvety as when you make it. Now that’s the kind of mac and cheese that makes everyone smile.
This Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese is the holiday side dish you’ll make year after year. It’s rich, creamy, and velvety-smooth, with that classic Southern comfort we all grew up loving, only easier. No babysitting the stove. No worrying about dry noodles. Just simple ingredients, a slow cooker, and a little patience that pays off most deliciously. It travels beautifully, stays warm for hours, and fits right in on any holiday table, from family dinners to potlucks and church gatherings. One spoonful, and everyone will swear you’ve been stirring over the stove all day, but your secret’s safe with me.
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No-Fail Holiday Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe
This Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe is your new holiday lifesaver. It’s creamy, cozy, and unbelievably smooth. Delivering the kind of comfort food that brings everyone straight to the table. Made low and slow, it stays velvety for hours and travels beautifully, making it perfect for family gatherings, church dinners, and the busy holidays: no oven, no fuss, no dry noodles, just pure, old-fashioned mac and cheese goodness.
Holiday Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 grater
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz.)
- ½ lb sharp white cheddar (8 oz.)
- 3 oz cream cheese (cubed)
- 4 tbsp butter (cubed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk (whisk eggs together)
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
Prep
- Spray the sides and bottom of your crockpot. Boil your macaroni noodles in a large pot of well-salted water. Only cook them for about 6-7 minutes, remove from the stove, and drain in a colander. Pour cold water over noodles to stop the cooking and rinse off starch, then set aside to drain.
- Shred both cheeses using a grater. While it may be more convenient to buy pre-shredded cheeses, keep in mind that they often have a wax coating that can interfere with melting. For an exceptional mac and cheese, it's best to shred your own cheese to achieve that smooth, creamy consistency we love. Cube 3 ounces of cream cheese and 4 tablespoons of butter, keeping them the same size for even melting. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together one whole egg and one egg yolk until thoroughly combined.
Assembly
- Pour all the elbow macaroni into the Crockpot. Add 1 ½ cups of whole milk and one 12-ounce can of evaporated milk. Scatter the cubes of butter and cream cheese over the noodles. Set aside about 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese for topping, and mix the remaining cheese into the noodle mixture, stirring until well combined.
Cook Mac and Cheese
- Set the crockpot to low and cook for 2 hours. At the 1-hour mark, check the ingredients and stir them. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the remaining 1½ cups of cheese as the top layer for the mac and cheese. If you prefer a crunchy topping, toast crushed crackers mixed with butter in the oven first, then sprinkle them over the reserved cheese during the final 15 minutes of cooking for added crispiness. If you have other topping ideas, like adding bacon bits, this would be the time to add them.
Tips
- Here are two important tips for cooking pasta:1. Properly salt your pasta water. Add enough salt until the water tastes like a salty broth—right on the verge of being too salty.2. Do not fully cook the elbow macaroni. Undercook the noodles so they don’t become mushy. I cook mine for about 7 minutes. Remember, they will finish cooking in the Crockpot. Immediately drain and rinse. If you don't, the noodles will continue to cook somewhat, and the starch from the noodles will thicken the mac and cheese.I really enjoy smoky mac and cheese with a crunchy topping. Switch to 8 ounces of Gruyère instead of sharp white cheddar, and definitely add toasted, buttery crushed crackers or breadcrumbs and chopped bacon.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to scroll up and tap those stars! I’d love to know how it turned out for you.
Notes
Nutrition
Conclusion
Why stress over a dry, less-than-perfect holiday mac and cheese when you can serve one that turns out dreamy every single time? This recipe truly changes the game. It’s an easy, no-fail way to bring one of the most beloved holiday sides to the table—warm, creamy, and crowd-ready from the moment you walk out the door. It travels beautifully, frees up precious oven space, and comes together with almost no effort. Honestly, it’s a win-win dish that delivers perfect results without the drama. So why wait? This is the mac and cheese solution you’ve been looking for.
Good food has a way of slowing us down, bringing us together, and making the simplest moments feel extraordinary.
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