This Crock Pot Cheesy Beefy Mac Casserole recipe takes a recipe the kids will love and kick it up a notch for the adults to love too!
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How to Make Cheesy Beef Mac Casserole in a Crock Pot
Aunt Lou here.
My family devoured the Crock Pot Taco Mac Casserole I made a little while back. The kids still bring it up and tell me I have to make it again. So, it got me to thinking, what about when you aren’t in the mood for tacos (if that is possible…not sure 😉 ). However, I didn’t want to just take the taco seasoning out without adding some other kind a flavor. That’s where my “secret” ingredient comes in. Just a little bit gives this recipe a great pop of flavor!
Readers Love This Recipe!
“This is my husband’s favorite meal. He’d eat it couple times a week if I made it. I’ve tried other beef Mac and cheese recipes but this one is by far the best. The evaporated milk makes it so creamy. I season my ground meat when browning and cook noodles al dente. Always turns out great!! Thanks so much for recipe.”
– Sue
“I made this tonight for my family of 6 food critics. It was AMAZING. So, I read about the mushy noodle problem and took my off the stove right before al dente. I didn’t have garlic cloves so I just added about a tablespoon of garlic powder. I put all purpose seasoning salt, pepper, and onion powder on mine while it cooked and I would absolutely recommend using the 1/2 cup of melted butter. Anyways, it was an absolute hit at my house and my teen is already asking if he can get in to the leftovers in the fridge!”
-Taylor
“Soooooo good! My husband hasn’t stopped talking about it. He LOVES Mac and cheese so this was a nice spin on my original recipe.”
-Sandra
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Crock Pot Cheesy Beefy Mac Casserole Notes:
- We used our Casserole Crock Pot to make this dish but you can use any 6 quart slow cooker.
- You can find more casserole crock pot recipes in our Uses Casserole Crock Recipes.
- Looking for more recipes? Our Recipe Finder can help you find exactly what you need.
- Check out all our favorite recommendations for cookbooks, slow cookers and low carb essentials in our Amazon Influencer Shop.
- As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline. Recipes should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
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Crock Pot Cheesy Beefy Mac Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni cooked al dente and drained
- 2.5 lbs ground beef cooked and drained
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 16 oz block Velveeta cubed
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Mix together all of your ingredients in a large bowl
- Pour into a lightly greased casserole crock or 6-quart crock pot
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally
Video
Notes
- We used our Casserole Crock Pot to make this dish but you can use any 6 quart slow cooker.
- You can find more casserole crock pot recipes in our Uses Casserole Crock Recipes.
- Looking for more recipes? Our Recipe Finder can help you find exactly what you need.
- Check out all our favorite recommendations for cookbooks, slow cookers and low carb essentials in our Amazon Influencer Shop.
- As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline. Recipes should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
Nutrition
Serve This Recipe With:
If You Enjoyed This Recipe, You Might Like These:
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Aunt Lou,
Can I cook it on high for 2 hours instead ?
I haven’t tried cooking this one on high, but think it should work. As always, watch it closely the first time you make it, so you can adjust the cooking time as needed. Enjoy!
Did not like it. No favor . Add more seasoning .
Hi Amberlyn!
I’m sorry you did not like this recipe. We realize that every recipe isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I hope you find one that you love in our over 1,000 recipes!
Aunt Lou
We are not a velveeta fan. What could take it’s place?
Hi Cindy!
I haven’t tried this recipe with any other kind of cheese. You could try using the kinda of cheese your family usually likes in mac ‘n cheese. It might change the texture though depending on what kind of cheese you use. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
~Aunt Lou
Use cheddar or sharp cheddar and white American cheese+a little asiago
White American makes all the difference
I usually use about 1lb of sharp cheddar and 3/4 lb white american+1/4 asiago
This is my husband’s favorite meal. He’d eat it couple times a week if I made it. I’ve tried other beef Mac and cheese recipes but this one is by far the best. The evaporated milk makes it so creamy. I season my ground meat when browning and cook noodles al dente. Always turns out great!! Thanks so much for recipe.
I’m so glad to hear it Sue! I agree! The creaminess of this recipe just puts it over the top. Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a great comment! It just makes our day to hear that our readers love a recipe!
~Aunt Lou
I made this tonight for my family of 6 food critics. It was AMAZING. So, I read about the mushy noodle problem and took my off the stove right before al dente. I didn’t have garlic cloves so I just added about a tablespoon of garlic powder. I put all purpose seasoning salt, pepper, and onion powder on mine while it cooked and I would absolutely recommend using the 1/2 cup of melted butter. Anyways, it was an absolute hit at my house and my teen is already asking if he can get in to the leftovers in the fridge!
I’m so glad to hear it was such a success at your house Taylor! When you find a recipe that your entire family of “food critics” (lol love that!) enjoys, that is a great day! I’m so happy for you!
~Aunt Lou
Could you add the pasta in uncooked to avoid the noodles getting mushy?
Hi Sharon!
We didn’t have a problem with mushy noodles. Just make sure you don’t cook your noodles past al dente. I worry that adding them in completely uncooked will leave you with at least some hard noodles at the end.
Aunt Lou
It is missing something. The flavor is rather bland. Maybe some nutmeg or different kind of cheese. My family asked me to never make it again. Also, this recipe will feed about 10 people, so adjust for smaller family.
I’m so sorry you don’t like this recipe Stacey! However, we realize that every recipe won’t be everyone’s cup of tea! I hope you can find other recipes in our over 1000 recipes that you truly enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Made this, came out very good. I think next time I will add more garlic and add some onions to it.
I’m so glad you like it L. Nolan. I like your ideas to make it your own! If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Aunt Lou
I feel like an idiot. I mixed the beef raw with everything else. Should I cook it on high now?
Oh no Lanka! I’m so sorry I couldn’t get back with you immediately. We don’t recommend using uncooked ground beef in the crock pot. If that ever happens again, I would make it in a large skillet on the stove.
Aunt Lou
I wonder if this would turn out the same if put in a roaster pan in the oven?
Hi Shelley!
I haven’t tried it in the oven, but I did do it on the stovetop. You can find the recipe here: https://www.recipesthatcrock.com/cheesy-beefy-mac-skillet/ Enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Sorry I’m not good with converting recipes but how would i convert this to my 4 quart slow cooker
We actually have a feature on our site that takes all the guesswork out Chris! On each recipe card, there is a blue number at the top that is the number of servings. If you click it and slide the bar that appears to the number of servings you would like, it will adjust the ingredient amounts accordingly! So to make it fit in a 4-quart, I would take the 8 servings down to 4 or 6. Hope this helps!
Aunt Lou
Do I have to cook the pasta before putting into the crockpot? Some people say it turns out mushy.
Hi Meghan!
I have made this multiple times and haven’t had that problem. However, if you are worried about it, you can cook the noodles for less time before putting them in your crock pot. Let me know how it goes!
Aunt Lou
Was excited to try this recipe but the noodles turned out beyond mushy, I cooked al dente prior to adding to the crockpot and cooked on low for 3 hours while i was at work. The sauce also looked sort of chalky, I followed the recipe to a T. Don’t think I’ll be trying it again as I had to throw the whole thing out. So bummed!
I’m so sorry to hear that Amy! It sounds like your crock pot cooks a lot hotter than mine. I’m not sure why the sauce would have looked chalky. We know every recipe won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I hope you find other recipes that you enjoy in our over 1500 recipes!
~Aunt Lou
I love this recipe- suggestion to make it one step better (if that is possible), pour a little Italian dressing over your portion. The seasonings it adds to the dish is fabulous.
Happy eating!
Sounds yummy to me Sue!
I sauteed 1 cup of chopped onion and 1 cup of chopped celery in olive oil along with a jar of mild salsa. Turned out great
Great idea Scott! Sounds delicious!
I made this and it was good but it made my noodles mushy! 🙁
I’m so sorry to hear that Kirsten. Next time, cook your noodles for a little less time. Mine were al dente before going into the crock pot and came out great. I hope this helps and that it turns out better next time!
~Aunt Lou
2 cups of pasta?
Yep! This is a very hearty and delicious comfort food recipe! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Aunt Lou
Hey! I want to try this, but don’t have a crock pot. If I wanted to bake it, how long do you think it would take?
Hi Alysa!
I haven’t tried this in the oven. If I did, I would cook it on 350 and watch it closely starting around 10-15 minutes. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Aunt Lou
I just threw everything in the crock pot. 🤦🏼♀️ Let’s hope for the best 🤞🏼
Yay Celeste! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we do!
Aunt Lou
Soooooo good! My husband hasn’t stopped talking about it. He LOVES Mac and cheese so this was a nice spin on my original recipe.
We love hearing comments like this Sandra! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoy it!
Aunt Lou
Hi! I made this for lunch today. I did all of the prep last night then placed everything in the refrigerator after it cooled. I had everything assembled by 8am this morning and let it cook for 4 hours on low. To make the cleanup a little easier, I used a crock pot liner. In hind-sight, my wife suggested spraying the liner the next time that I make this which will be soon!
I kicked it up a notch for an adult meal by using one pound of ground beef and one pound of sweet Italian sausage. I also used 4 cloves of Garlic instead of 2.
My adult family LOVED it!
Thanks for the recipes!
I did a little search as I was curious…10 quart crockpot!
Pretty big! Your recipes look delicious.
Karyn
Hi Karyn!
Thank you for your kind words! We love delicious food around here! I hope you find some that become favorites at your home!
~Aunt Lou
I want to make this with real pepper jack cheese. It really looks great!
Hi Roz!
Great idea! If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
~Aunt Lou
Ohhh! I love this idea!
Roz, that sounds good!!
Could this be made on the stove instead of the crock pot? Like all ingredients on the stovetop for about 30 mins?
Hi McKenzie!
I haven’t tried making this on the stove, so I can’t say for sure. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!
~Aunt Lou
I just tried it on the stove after finding out 1 pound of ground beef smelled sour so I only had 1 to work with. Had to halve the ingredients due to this, but I live alone so that didn’t matter for me. I eyeballed the amounts of cheese to use until it got to a taste I liked. It was really good, worked great on the stove. Took a little under an hour from start to finish.
Thanks for sharing Deanna! This will be helpful to those that want to make this recipe on the stove!
Aunt Lou
Can these be frozen if any is left over as there is only 2 of us.
Hi Dot!
We haven’t tried freezing it so we can’t really say. My concern would be that the pasta might turn mushy on you. You could try cutting the recipe in half instead, just use a smaller slow cooker or put an oven safe bowl inside a large slow cooker to reduce the cooking area. Hope that helps!
I would not freeze, the noodle don’t freeze well, and be mushy.
Can you use shredded cheddar cheese in place of Velveeta?
Hi Melissa-
You can try it with cheddar but it will likely have a bit of a different consistency. We haven’t tried it, so we can’t say for sure. If you do, let us know how it goes!