Trisha Yearwood’s Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese is gooey, cheesy heaven. Easy to make in a crock pot.
I’ve tried many different Macaroni and Cheese recipes and this one by Trisha Yearwood is definitely the cheesiest. It’s almost all butter and cheese. You’ll have to plan to run a marathon shortly after you eat it. A couple of eggs give it a little bit of a custard-like texture.
What I love about this mac and cheese besides the fact that it is gooey, cheesy heaven, is that it is cooked in a crockpot. You’re supposed to use cooked pasta, but I was worried it would get too mushy and I only cooked it for half of the recommended time on the box. When I was reading reviews online, I found that a number of people used uncooked pasta and found that it turned out well. So I may try that next time because it definitely would shorten and simplify the cooking time.
I’ve never been a country music fan, but I am completely enamored by Trisha Yearwood’s show on The Food Network. Too many celebrity chefs on the Food Network just seem so over the top (and annoying). I want a cooking show to be about the food, not the host. Plus I have a short attention span. I’d much rather take 30 seconds to read a recipe in a cookbook than watch someone take 10 minutes to tell me how to make it. And try to insert cutsey chit-chat wherever possible.
But Trisha Yearwood is a natural in front of the camera. She’s just her down to earth self. Her relaxed nature makes hosting a cooking show look easy which is not something many people can accomplish, even those who do it for a living. She reminds me a lot of Ina Garten.
Who do you most like to watch on the Food Network?
You can find this recipe for Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese in Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends
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Trisha Yearwood's Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cooked elbow macaroni, I only cooked it for half the time on the box
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup Challenge butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 (10-ounce) bricks sharp Cheddar cheese, about 5 cups, grated
- Dash of paprika
Instructions
- Spray a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and add macaroni, evaporated milk, whole milk, butter, salt, pepper, and eggs.
- Stir in all but 1/2 cup of the cheese.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese and paprika on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published Feb 3, 2014.
Try these other Mac and Cheese Recipes
Creamy Mac and Cheese– it doesn’t get any creamier than this
Baked Mac and Cheese– this is a custard-style mac and cheese that is baked in the oven and holds it form when sliced into squares.
Mac and Pimiento Cheese– a southern-style mac and cheese (as if mac and cheese wasn’t already southern enough)
Stove-top Mac and Cheese with Cheese Crisps
Slow Cooker Bacon Mac and Cheese
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Do i have to use eggs or can i omit
Several people have had trouble with graininess or curdling with this recipe.
Being a custard style “baked” macaroni and cheese, some curdling is expected. Hopefully the filling won’t break (I have yet to see how it reacts in my crockpot,) but it should set up in a quiche-like texture. This can be disconcerting if you are going for a cream sauce style dish but is perfectly delicious and SAFE to eat. Please don’t throw it away!
The other issue of graininess seems to occur mainly when people stir the dish. Don’t treat it as a stew or regular slow cooker meal. It is supposed to be more like an extra creamy, cheesy frittata full of pasta. Cut and serve it like you would a baked ziti.
I hope this works for my purposes. I plan to send the ingredients with my husband to combine for a work party tomorrow. He is plenty competent, but I have trouble letting a project go 🙂
I never would have thought to put eggs in a mac and cheese, but it makes perfect sense. Paprika is awesome!
Thank you for sharing this, I first found it in 2016. This is the most closely I have found resembling my grandmother’s recipe. I omit paprika, but add white truffle paste and white truffle oil lessening the butter just a bit, I choose to use Colby cheese sometimes I add a cup of shaved parmesan to mixture. Still top with shredded cheese. Grand’s was oven baked, it’s really nice to do this in slow cooker!
My go-to mac and cheese recipe! I use uncooked macaroni and it comes out perfectly aldente!
Love this! I have made it both in the crock pot and oven, I prefer the oven method.
Does anyone have tips for reheating this? I think the microwave tends to dry it out a bit…
Has anyone ever tried to cook it on high for half the time?
I have a question. I’ve made this before and everyone has always loved it, but I found the cooked pasta a bit mushy so I want to try the dry pasta option. Having said that, the recipe calls for 8oz cooked pasta. If I’m using dry, how much should I use? Thank you and thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Should you use 4 eggs if you’re gonna double the recipe? 2 cans of evaporated milk??
I have been making this recipe for years. I always double the batch, because I’m usually taking this to the office for a luncheon or an office party. I undercook the noodles and I use a ton of cheese. More than the recipe calls for, and an assortment. Gouda, sharp/NY extra sharp cheddar, regular cheddar-mild/Kerrygold Skellig/some other random cheddar I see that sounds good, gross processed cheese (this is what makes it) Velveeta/Land O Lakes American, whatever, just cube up a big old hunk and toss it in. Sometimes I use half whole milk and half heavy cream if I really just feel like throwing people’s diets right in the trash lol but seriously, these are the things I have found that have helped give it more flavor and that intense ooey, gooey, cheesy mac and cheese that everyone loves. I never have any leftover when I take it somewhere. It’s always a huge hit. I once had someone tell me she hates mac and cheese and she had just eaten her 3rd bowl of mine. That’s a win!
When you double the recipe does the cooking time change?
I tried this for the first time today. It is absolutely amazing! I used the wickedly sharp cheese and it turned out great! I am taking it for dinner tonight with my day but I had the girls in my office try it too. They all agree is is delicious!!!! We will all be making this again.
Why evaporated milk? I have always thought of that as sort of yucky?/!
That is exactly the way I want it. Quiche like is Southern manna:) We don’t like it creamy, we like it casserole style. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it, but your description sold me:)
I wish I had seen the comments about not using extra sharp cheddar cheese but even using regular or just sharp cheddar cheese not sure I’d make this again. The texture was not creamy AT ALL!! It turned into a mixture that resembled cheese grits with macaroni. And the taste of it reminded me of an egg casserole rather than mac n cheese. I put everything in the crockpot and stirred it up, put it on low, and went to church. 2 1/2 hours later I came home to what looked like a casserole in my crockpot. It was as though the eggs had cooked into a quiche like texture and when I stirred it, that’s when I got this grit like looking texture. It wasn’t gritty when I tasted it, just looked that way. But not creamy at all. And even though I sprayed the sides with the cooking spray, the sides had burned. This was my first time to make it and for Easter dinner no less. Very disappointing!!! If I had made this once and it turned out like everyone else says, and this happened the second time I made it, then I would suspect something went wrong, but for a first time attempt, it was very disappointing. Someone further down this thread said that extra sharp cheddar cheese doesn’t do well in a crock pot. If that truly is the issue, I wish the recipe would have had a warning about that and we would have known to steer clear of using that kind of cheese.
The amount of cheese seemed a bit overboard so I used 16 oz sharp cheddar and about 12 oz pasta, still turned out delicious!
So this is the 2nd time I’ve made this but this time something went wrong. For some reason the cheese did not melt the way I had hoped and it came out very strange. The cheese ended up melting into little tiny pieces that make the texture awful. It did not turn into the cheesy sauce-like texture that I remembered from the first time I made it. I definitely did not leave out any ingredients but not sure if I messed something up when putting everything in the crockpot. Perhaps because I put everything else in first and then the cheese last? I went and watched Trisha on youtube and she puts the cheese in right after the macaroni. I did definitely stir everything together though before adding the topping cheese and closing the lid. I am going to try it again soon because I think something just went wrong. Lastly, I shredded my own cheese ahead of time while the pasta was cooking so it definitely warmed up a bit. Should I have put the cheese in the fridge to keep it cold? Any help is appreciated!
P.S. This is definitely not a recipe problem, I think just a self-inflicted wound.
Did you use a different kind or barnd of cheese?
Sometimes extra-sharp cheese does not do weel in a crock pot. Did you maybe use that instead of sharp?
Mine turned out the same way unfortunately . So disappointing. I followed the recipe except used 8oz of extra sharp cheese (and 12oz reg sharp). Could this small substitution make the recipe gritty?
Very good flavor Exactly three hours on low with uncooked elbows Then left pot on warm for about an hour. All regular milk worked fine, and also did not use the butter Five minutes prep!
When I cook my 8oz of pasta and put it in the crockpot it barely comes 1/4 of the way up my crockpot. Is it going to expand when cook it with the other ingredients? Right now it doesn’t look like I’ll get 8 servings out of this!
I make this every time for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I use everything it says on here to use except for challenge butter as my stores doesn’t carry. Other than that I use what the recipe calls for! I cook the noodles very little because the hotness will finish the job in the crockpot! Delicious and my Mac always get cleaned out first…everytime! Thanks for the recipe! Oops I also add dash of sugar as I don’t prefer sharp but my family does!
I made this at my daughter’s in Vegas a couple of months ago and I doubled it. I can’t remember if I doubled the salt and pepper or not. Do you know what I should do. It was wonderful and my daughter and grandchildren loved it! Best mac and cheese I have ever eaten. Getting ready to make it for a pot luck and want to double it. Thanks!
When you doubled it did it still fit in one crockpot? Or did you use two?
I know this wasn’t my comment originally, but in case anyone else follows up wanting to know the answer… I doubled this recipe for a party a couple weeks ago, and while the 4 qt crock-pot was definitely full, it was not too full. The hardest part was mixing everything together.
This seems like a lot of trouble for a mac and cheese recipe. And a long wait! But I am going to try it. Would lacto free milk work? Has anyone tried it with lacto free products? I have been trying to use those products in regular recipes and they don’t always work as well.
Do not put water in with this Mac and Cheese….it will be watery, tasteless and nasty. Look online for recipes using the noodles uncooked – they are very similar, taste better and are easier.
You do not need to add water. Please do not add water. Yes, it will ruin the recipe. The pasta will cook in the milk and cheese. No need for water.
I make lasagna and baked ziti in the crockpot using just the ingredients called for and raw pasta and it is great. Allow room for pasta to expand as it cooks. It turns out great every time.
I have made this Mac and cheese twice and my boys love it. It was so easy to me.
I’m trying it with lactose free milk, will let you know how it turns out.
I use Fairlife 2% latose free and it is awesome mac & cheese
Do you happen to know how much water to add to the crock pot if I were to use uncooked pasta? Thanks!
do not add water! the pasta will cook in the milk and cheese. no need for water
I am so confused. Only 1 ounce of macaroni noodles? How will this make enough for 8. What am I missing here.
Where do you see 1 ounce of macaroni? It says 8 ounces in the recipe ingredeints.
I have made this in the crock pot and oven, both were out of this world delicious!!! I prefer the oven baked one because I am old school cook like my mom and grandmothers before me. Such a delicious recipe! Thank you Trisha!!
Do you think I could use regular cheddar cheese instead of sharp?
Yes, you can use regular cheddar. It will just have a more mellow taste.
I make this all the time and it is our favorite recipe! Quick question though, we will be gone all day and I wanted it to be done when we got home. What are your thoughts about keeping the crockpot on Keep Warm for about 6 hrs? Hoping it won’t be too done, but thinking about giving it a try…
I’ve never tried leaving it on warm for 6 hours, but I would think it would get overdone. I know my crock pot stays pretty hot on warm.
Did it. It got over cooked. I do not recommend it.
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i feel the same way about the cooking shows they talk on and on while they are cooking and takes forever to get the recipe.i am going to try this recipe. i am 75 and not too old to learn. i am using my crock pot more lately since there are so many sites now with new recipes.i love watching trisha yearwood do her recipes they arnt complicated like some of the other cooks make.also i dont like some of the cooks on tv who make all those crazy recipes with weird ingredients.most people like simple food they can create at home. or they use ingredients hard to find and expensive when you do find it.
Do I need to mix the eggs around first
Yes, you should lightly beat the eggs.
I made this recipe for a party with 50+ guests. I made 5xs the recipe and it turned out amazing. I cooked it in a large roaster. Everyone loved it and several asked for the recipe. I have now been asked to make it every year.
So glad it was a big hit and that’s nice to know it can be made for 50 people and still work! 🙂
Did you have to increase the cooking time when you cooked for a large group, I’m planning to try for a group of 36.
Thanks
So easy to make and turned out perfectly! My mom said it’s the best actor and cheese she’s ever had. It’s now loose, watery Mac and cheese, it’s custardy, cheesy and decadent!! Smells amazing. I ran out of cheddar so I topped it with velveeta and it worked perfectly. Successful dish and a crowd pleaser for sure.
I made the Mac n chz tonite for dinner the flavor was great but the chz was in little gritty clumps and not creamy. I don’t know what I did wrong? I didn’t use extra sharp cheddar, I saw in a previous post that that can cause this problem. Anybody else have this problem and found a way to fix it??? I would love to make it again with more success
Sorry the texture wasn’t creamy! Cheese tends to separate pretty easily under high heat. I’ve only made this recipe in my old crock pot which probably is not as hot as the newer ones. My guess, although I could be totally wrong, is that heat variations between crock pots has something to do with it.
I had the same problem with it getting gritty. I used sharp cheddar and doubled the recipe and my crock pot is well used. I’m wondering if it cooks to long? At one point it is nice and cream when I stirred it and at the end of cooking time it was gritty. The first time I had turned it down to down to keep warm for a dinner party but the second time turned it off at the full cooking time. Both batched were gritty. It sounded so good and looking forward to serving it.
I made this for the first time. The flavor was good but the texture was not creamy. The cheese was in clumps and not melted.
From the crock pot to the trashcan.. It was horrendous. It was way too thick and all clumped together. I also got asked if there was potatoes in it..gritty texture and lacking flavor. Safe to say I will not be making this again.
Sorry you didn’t like it. You didn’t happen to use extra-sharp cheddar instead of sharp cheddar did you? Extra-sharp has a tendency to get gritty when cooked in a crock pot.
Has anyone ever tried this without eggs? I’m thinking about making it for Thanksgiving, but I have family members who are allergic.
I haven’t tried it without eggs. Hopefully some one else will chime in.
I think I might as well give it a try.
How did it go?
I have made crock pot Mac & cheese for a while now. I had a recioe that called for using grated cheese and cheese soup. The problem with the cheese soup made it too runny. I actually had to pour it off the top of the dish and cook a little longer. I am going to try Trish’s recipe for Thanksgiving. I own three crock pots. I put Mac & cheese, stews, chili in a round one. Then I have a 5 qt & seven qt oval for roasts, turkey, baking hens, bbq ribs or chopped barbecue. I have a gas stove so the crock pots help out in the summertime to keep the house from warming up so much using the gas. Will let you know how everyone enjoys Trish’s recioe.
I’d be in crock pot heaven with 3 crock pots! They really do come in handy, especially around the holidays. Hope everyone enjoys this recipe!
Has anyone doubled this recipe before? I would like to make this for about 20 people for Thanksgiving.
Thanks!
I’ve never doubled it Liz, but I would think that as long as it fits fine in your crock pot, it should work. Good luck cooking for 20 people 🙂
I love finding new mac & cheese recipes and new crockpot ones! Love this!
Did it with uncooked pasta and it was fine. I’d cut back the salt & cheese..a lil’..and I Love cheese 😀 otherwise…Keeper!
OK, so I tried this a little skeptical as I’ve been looking for a Mac and Cheese recipe for years. This one came out just like my mother used to make years ago. I just have to say, Oh My Goodness. Best Food Network recipe ever. Thanks Trish
It really is a fabulous mac and cheese recipe isn’t it?
This is how I always make my mac n cheese as well, just to let you guys know, I always omit the butter. There isn’t any reason to add more fat with all the grease the cheese gives off. Always a winner, everyone LOVES it.
Thanks for the tip for lessoning the fat 🙂
How much is 8 oz. of macaroni noodles in cups? Thanks.
I always just buy either an 8 ounce box and use the whole thing or a 16-ounce box and use half, but I looked it up online and apparently 8 ounces of elbow pasta is about 2 cups (uncooked).
thank you
How much is * oz. of macaroni noodles in cups? Thanks.
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Can you use Velvetta cheese instead of sharp
Haha, I mean I guess all mac and cheese is pretty bad for you…you prob could cut back a bit on the butter in this but it wouldn’t taste nearly as good 😉 I’m going to mark this down for when I finally get my crockpot out of storage. Awesome that you can have mac n cheese waiting for you after a little prep. It’s too bad there isn’t a version that can cook all day while you’re at work…although I suppose the noodles would turn to mush. maybe I could figure out a way with uncooked mac….
If you give it a try with uncooked pasta, let me know how it turns out 🙂
This looks awesome Christin. Mac and cheese is such a comforting meal especially during the cold winter months and what an incredible idea to make it in the slow cooker – I love it! Pinning and can’t wait to give it a try, thanks for sharing Christin and hope you have a great weekend 🙂
Hope you enjoy it Kelly! Have a wonderful weekend!
This seems so easy, I love it!
I am wanting to have that right away!!
I never EVER get tired of mac and cheese. This looks perfect especially coming from the crock pot. Pinning!
We don’t get Food Network here sigh 🙁 I wish we do, though. Spanish cooks are so so boring!
Now. This mac & cheese. Oh wow. I’m spechless, it looks so cheesy and delicious! What a perfect meal 😀
There are lots of videos and recipes at their website. You might enjoy that since you don’t get the network.
I’ve never made mac n’ cheese in the slow cooker before or with eggs — very interesting ideas and it loos so creamy!
It’s definitely creamy Amy! And so yummy 🙂
Nothing like mac and cheese to make me feel better with this miserable weather that we are having on the East Coast! Thanks for the recipe.
Hope some better weather comes your way soon! We’ve had nothing but rain all week.
Looks easy Christin…just place everything in the crockpot and you have a nice mac and cheese…yum!
Thanks for sharing the recipe…have a great week 😀
Thanks Juliana! Hope you have a great week too 🙂
Mac and cheese is my favorite comfort meal!
Looks delicious, I watch Trisha’s show and record it sometimes depending on what she is making. I like to make my mac and cheese starting with a roux. I’ve tried a few of her recipes and they were good, 🙂
A roux-based mac and cheese sounds wonderful. So many ways to make such a simple dish 🙂
I also enjoy her show! She comes across as a very nice, down-to-earth, laid back person. I also like to watch the Pioneer Woman; it’s nice to see a different way of life. I’m a big cooking show person in general! This mac & cheese is serious. I’m intrigued by the crock pot idea. Who knew you could do all these things?!
Trisha Yearwood has great recipes!! I’ve tried a couple of them. I love this – it looks awesome!
I’ve watched Trisha’s show and enjoyed it. I know what you mean — most of those hosts are over the top! I still watch barefoot contessa as I love how mellow she is after a long day. Haha. My favorite show is Chopped, and I watch it religiously. This Mac and cheese looks incredibly cheesy and delicious!
I’ve never made mac n cheese in a slow cooker – thanks for sharing this one!
One of my favorite shows on the food network is “Cut throat Kitchen” – have you watched that one?
I agree with you 100%! Trisha is so relaxed and comfortable on camera. The others are so fake because the network tells them to act a certain way. I can’t help but think Food Network is so off and behind the food trends. I can’t believe they don’t have a vegetarian show yet. And they FINALLY got around to a farm-to-table show, about 6 years after the trend. Anyway, sorry to rant about food network. We just became a no-TV household, and I thought I would miss my beloved food network. It turns out, I’d rather read their books than watch the shows!
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe, but was worried about the mushiness. Thanks for the review!
PS Trisha’s outtakes totally crack me up. I can’t be the only one who finds her hilarious!
This is so interesting! I’ve never seen a crockpot recipe for pasta like this! It definitely looks super decadent : ) I liked Trisha’s show too – she is very chill almost in front of the camera which I really like. Buttt when we moved we got rid of cable (and now just use netflix, etc). I totally miss all my cooking shows!!
Totally agree. Trisha is totally at ease in from of the camera, you really feel like you’re in her own kitchen. I also started to like that new show by Amy Thielen, she had some great recipes, but it hasn’t been on in months, I think it may have been cancelled? Anyways, I’ve been wanting to try this mac and cheese since she first had it on the show, it looks seriously insane!
wow! slow cooker mac and cheese?! never heard of this! looks fantastic!
This mac and cheese looks so lovely 🙂 I have to admit I only know one way to prepare it 😀