A gluten-free crock pot mac and cheese recipe that’s creamy and delicious. This simple no-boil pasta is super creamy made with evaporated milk, chicken broth, and loads of cheese. It cooks in just 1 1/2 hours and is a great lunch option for kids.
This version of homemade Mac n cheese can be thrown together in under 10 minutes and left to cook in the slow cooker.
Crockpot Mac n cheese is noodles smothered in a creamy cheese sauce that is cooked in a slow cooker. It is one of the easiest ways to make homemade Mac and cheese. The final product is a flavor-packed Mac n cheese that can be served for any meal. It is also a great recipe to bring to any last-minute gathering, potluck, or luncheon. You might also enjoy our no-boil lasagna recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten-free elbow pasta
- 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, grated (don’t use pre-shredded cheese)
- 8 ounce block, Colby jack cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- nonstick cooking spray
How To Make
- Prepare the slow cooker. Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Blend the ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add dry pasta, evaporated milk, chicken broth, cheddar cheese, Colby jack cheese, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir well and pour into the slow cooker.
- Cook. Cook on low for 1 1/2- 2 hours or until pasta is cooked and cheese melted. Gently stir. Over stirring will cause the pasta to become mushy.
Related: How To Freeze Mac and Cheese (& reheat it too!)
Tips & Tricks
- Prep the crockpot. Spray your crockpot or add a slow cooker liner prior to adding the ingredients. This will prevent the Mac n cheese from sticking.
- Grate the cheese. Do not purchase pre-shredded cheese for homemade Mac and cheese. It often does not melt well. Grating a block of sharp cheddar cheese and a block of Colby cheese is key to a creamy Mac and cheese recipe.
- Use evaporated milk. This is the ingredient we can thank for the creaminess of the Mac n cheese. We recommend not swapping for regular milk – using milk can make your recipe soupy.
- Cook on low. Cooking on low will prevent the noodles from being mushy and the cheesy from becoming clumpy.
- Keep it flavorful. This recipe uses dry mustard, salt and black pepper for seasoning. Garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, nutmeg or chili powder are other seasoning that pair well with Mac and cheese.
FAQ:
Mac n cheese can become mushy if the noodles are overcooked or over stirred. Cook crockpot Mac n cheese on low to prevent the noodles from overcooking. Stir only when needed to prevent over stirring.
Sure can! Putting uncooked pasta in the slow cooker is the ideal way to cook pasta for a tasty Mac n cheese recipe. Cooking pasta prior to adding to the crockpot could result in overcooked pasta.
This recipe makes enough for 8 servings. The recipe can be doubled or tripled if serving Mac n cheese to a crowd. Before adjusting the recipe, check to see if your crockpot is large enough. No need to adjust the cooking time if you decide to double or triple the recipe – it will remain the same.
Other Mac and Cheese Recipes:
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Gluten-Free Crockpot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow pasta ✅or gluten-free pasta
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk ✅
- 2 cups chicken broth ✅
- 8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, grated don't use pre-shredded cheese
- 8 ounce block, Colby jack cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard ✅
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker. Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Blend the ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add dry pasta, evaporated milk, chicken broth, cheddar cheese, Colby jack cheese, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir well and pour into the slow cooker.8 ounces elbow pasta, 12 ounce can evaporated milk, 2 cups chicken broth, 8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, grated, 8 ounce block, Colby jack cheese, grated, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- ⭐️ Cook. Cook on low for 1 – 1.5 hours or until pasta is cooked and cheese melted. Gently stir. Over stirring will cause the pasta to become mushy.
Notes
Nutrition
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Benny says
It was really creamy but the edges got a bit crisp. That was my favorite part!