Mac and Cheese For A Crowd
Creamy and delicious this easy recipe for Mac and Cheese For A Crowd can be made in a roaster or large crock pots. A combination of cheddar and Velveeta cheeses makes this side dish irresistible!
If you are planning a party also check out our popular Fruit Salad for a Crowd recipe, Rice for a Crowd, and list of Graduation Party Food Ideas.
Mac and Cheese for a Crowd Recipe
This big batch recipe of easy and creamy Mac and Cheese is perfect for crowds at graduation parties, family reunions, holidays, church carry-ins or weddings.
With inspiration from our Crock Pot Mac and Cheese and Velveeta Sells and Cheese recipe that are super popular on Pinterest, this roaster recipe for a crowd of 50 – 100 is equally delicious! People rave about how good this recipe is.
I like to make it with our Ham In A Roaster. I’ve seen teenage boys heap their plate with this homemade mac and cheese and then pile it high with bbq pork. The pasta also goes great with sliders or smoked meat!
No roux required, just cook the pasta, add ingredients and stir several times to get a fantastic warm side dish.
After hearing how many people love our Cheesy Potatoes for a Crowd, Macaroni Salad for a Crowd and Green Beans for a Crowd, I knew this classic needed shared.
Ingredients Needed:
- Elbow macaroni or small shells
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- Milk
- Evaporated milk
- Kosher salt
- Velveeta cheese
- Cheddar cheese
Make Ahead Mac & Cheese
The pasta can be cooked to al dente with the vegetable oil and butter stirred in. Store in a roaster liner or crock pot liner in the refrigerator for up to 2 days ahead of time.
For me the biggest challenge with making this ahead of time is finding the space in the fridge, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Allow additional cooking time for the pasta to warm up before the cheese can start to melt. Otherwise the directions can be resumed.
Be aware not to over cook the noodles or pile it too high as it can become smashed during the storage project. Also stir the butter and oil in very well to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Macaroni and Cheese for 50
It takes about 3 pounds of pasta with more cheese, milk and butter to feed 50 people
This recipe can be doubled to feed 100 people. Be sure to use a large roaster with plenty of room to stir for the bigger batch.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Small shells also work well in this recipe.
- The consistency of this bulk mac and cheese will continue to change over time and as heat is applied; if it seems to runny keep cooking on low until it firms up.
- I find it easier to make double batches in multiple 7 or 8 quart crock pots than a roaster as there seems to be more variation in temperature and heating in a roaster.
- Use plenty of non-stick spray, plan to soak the roaster and have SOS pads ready to scrub the roaster pan clean.
- This recipe also tastes great with Velveeta only, but the cheddar does add so much more cheesy flavor.
- Have a firm, strong, long handled spoon ready to stir and serve the macaroni.
- An extra cup or two milk or can of evaporated milk can be added mid way through cooking if the mixture is getting too thick too soon. Stir well when adding!
How to Make Macaroni and Cheese in a Roaster
Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water to al dente. Drain and pour into a generously greased roaster.
Add vegetable oil and cut sticks of butter into pats. Spread slices or pats of butter over top of the pasta and stir.
Add milk and cans of evaporated milk to the roaster and stir well.
Use a board scraper or large knife to cut process cheese into cubes. Sprinkle cubes over top of the macaroni in the roaster.
Stir up all that beautiful cheese!
Set roaster to 200°F. Cover and let cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir well.
Keep a small plate or dish nearby to rest your spoon on. Stirring often is the key to success in this recipe!
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top and stir well.
Total cook time will be 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stir every 30 to 45 minutes with special attention given to the corners, sides and bottom of the roaster.
When macaroni is close to being done or reaches your desired consistency turn roaster off if serving immediatley.
Turn to keep warm or the lowest setting possible and stir every 15 minutes if mac and cheese won’t be served for a while.
Leftovers And Reheating Instructions
When cooking for a crowd we always have some extra plastic containers to store leftovers since we never know how much will be eaten.
Storing in smaller containers with a few servings makes defrosting and reheating easier.
We do add milk and stir often while reheating in the oven if the macaroni and cheese needs a bit more moisture. Our family eats leftovers and enjoys them just fine, but this recipe does have the highest quality the first time it is prepared.
More Easy Big Batch Recipes:
Big Batch of Homemade Brownies is a great recipe to feed a lot of people and use up extra eggs.
Our Breakfast Casserole can also feed a lot of people and is fairly easy to prep for.
Our Alfredo Spaghetti is another great option to feed a big group at a party.
Banana Pudding For A Crowd has a dreamy vanilla pudding based filling that makes it so popular!
Mac and Cheese For A Crowd
Ingredients
- 3 pounds elbow macaroni uncooked
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 sticks butter
- 4 1/2 cups milk
- 72 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 72 ounces Velveeta cheese
- 2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook macaroni in an extra large stock pot of boiling water. Cook to al dente and drain.3 pounds elbow macaroni
- Generously coat a roaster pan with non-stick cooking spray and add pasta.
- Add vegetable oil and slices of butter to the pasta and stir well.1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3 sticks butter
- Add milk, evaporated milk and salt. Stir well and turn roaster to 200°F.4 1/2 cups milk, 72 ounces evaporated milk, 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- Cut Velveeta cheese into cubes and stir into milk and pasta mixture.72 ounces Velveeta cheese
- Cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour; stir well.
- Stir in shredded cheddar cheese.2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese
- Continue to cook covered and stir every 20 – 30 minutes.
- Continue cooking until firm, about 2 hours total. Turn to keep warm to serve and continue to stir well.
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I made this recipe for 100 people in the oven. Here is my feedback for those interested:
The ingredients and ratios were perfect for what I needed. I purchased disposable chaffing dishes that were catering size. But you need enough to DOUBLE them as they are flimsy, and these ingredients become heavy!
I split all ingredients, so serving or 50 in one chaffing dish and 50 in the other. I cooked the pasta the night before and added the oil and butter per recipe…this was very helpful! In the morning I warmed it up so the butter melted and each macaroni was not clumped. Then I baked mine at 350 for 45 mins, then added the shredded cheese and baked for one hour until my desired consistency.
Please make sure to double up on the chaffing dishes. I did not begin by doing this, and transferring a large and heavy dish FULL OF MILK into the oven was very messy. Taking it out to stir was basically impossible until we doubled up. Because until the milk is fully absorbed, the dish is full to the edges with milk and it spills very easily.
Excellent recipe everyone loved it .should I add evaporated milk or regular milk if it gets to thick.
Thank you! I have used regular milk to keep from thickening while sitting for long times or when reheating. I have not tested evaporated milk.
I see the nutrition facts, but is that for a 1/2 cup serving or 1 cup serving? Turned out great! Thanks!
Hey There! The consistency and size of the pasta changes throughout the cooking process as it absorbs more liquid….so the amount of mac and cheese will slowly increase for a certain time period. I use a large serving spoon and estimate 1/2 cup servings…but as you know there’s a lot of variability in the size of the spoon, how full the spoon is, etc.
Hope this recipe helps
Hello,
Making for my son’s graduation party Graduation Party. Quick question…Salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks!
Hey There! I’ve used both, I’m not sure that it makes a big difference. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 ~Jennifer
It was delicious but I only did half and it did get a little to thick so should I add more milk or carnation milk.
I have to make mac and cheese for an upcoming wedding. I just tried 7 different mac and cheese recipes I found. I made Paula Deen’s, Joanna Gaines and a bunch of other recipes with different cooking methods and types of cheeses. Out of all 7, this received a unanimous “This is the one.” I would suggest if you don’t have a go-to mac and cheese, give this one a try!
Thank you so much! This is one of the best comments I’ve ever gotten 🙂 I hope you have a great wedding!! ~Jennifer
Could u make this without boiling noodles first?
I make this for my son’s football team and I have to double the recipe! They beg me to make it again! Definitely a crowd pleaser!
72 oz of evaporated milk? Is that correct?
Correct! Hope you enjoy 🙂
I didn’t have a roaster pan so cooked it in the oven. I am a senior citizen, and prep time took me an hour. I preheated the oven to 300 degrees. I used a large aluminum pan, and it was filled to the top. When I finished prepping, I turned the oven down to 200 degrees. Because the pan was so full, it took me 6 minutes to stir the first time and around 4 minutes the other times. At the end of the 3 hours in the oven, the mixture was not watery but super creamy. I used the 50 servings and served it to all high school students. It was a hit!
How many crockpots are needed for the above recipe?
Hey There – Here’s the recipe we recommend for the crock pot – there’s lots of notes on making ahead, doubling, etc. Hope it helps! https://plowingthroughlife.com/crock-pot-mac-and-cheese-farmhouse-style/
Ohhh emmmm geeee, this was so delicious! I made this for 55 band students and they devoured it! I made it again for a church party and people raved just the same. So many asked for the recipe. I won’t make Mac & Cheese any other way again. Thank you for sharing!
Would this work if the recipe was put into an aluminum pan, and then insert the aluminum pan into the roaster for cooking? Anybody tried this?
Hi Kathy – Yes this would work, but the amount that would fit in the oven and having enough space to stir could be challenging. I think it’s safe to make half of a batch in the oven, but I don’t have specifics without further testing. If you give it a try please let us know. Thanks! ~Jennifer
This recipe sounds awesome. Thinking of making it for my son’s graduation party. How many does it serve?
Hey There! We’re going to make it for my son’s grad party this year too! We estimate 50 servings – there’s a button in the recipe card to allow you to double or cut the recipe in half. There’s also lots of notes that can affect serving size in the article, like size of spoon, amount of food offered, etc. I hope you have a great graduation celebration!! ~Jennifer
Made this for a wedding for 200 guest. I made two roasters full. Not a bit was left. I received many compliments on how good it was.
I also need to make this for 200 people. When you say the roasters were full how many servings did you put into each roaster? And did the cook time change with the amount of Mac in the roaster?
Hi Jennifer,
I have Munster, parm and mozzarella on hand. Any thoughts on using these cheeses in place of the velveeta and cheddar? Thank you in advance
Hi Stacy – I haven’t tested this combination of cheeses, but I know there are a lot of combos that work well. If you’ve had it in the past and like it then I would say go for it. If you want a tried and true recipe that lots of people love then I would stick to the recipe card here. Hope you enjoy! ~Jennifer
Does 3 pounds of pasta really yield 50 servings? And have you ever cooked in catering pans in the oven? We don’t have a large roaster and we’re serving at a grad party. Thank you!!
Hey There! I haven’t tested the oven, but plan to for my son’s party later this month as we will need multiple batches of this! Serving size varies based on lot of variables, size of spoon, self serve vs. being served, how much other food it offered, time of day, weather, etc. Check this article out to plan how many batches: https://plowingthroughlife.com/graduation-party-food-ideas/ I hope you have a great celebration! ~Jennifer
I plan on cooking this 50 recipe for men’s church group. How many 7qt crock pots will i need to use? Does te 50 person receipe fit in one 7qt crock pot?
Hey There – this is a 20 or 22 quart roaster in the pictures. I have made double batches of this very similar mac and cheese https://plowingthroughlife.com/crock-pot-mac-and-cheese-farmhouse-style/ – that uses 1 pound of raw pasta and it fills up a 7 or 8 quart crock pot. So I would use 3 – 7 quart crock pots to make one batch of this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Hello! Do you think this could be made with just butter and milk, excluding the vegetable oil and evaporated milk? Thanks!
Hey There! The veg oil helps keeps the noodles from sticking and can be easily omitted. I haven’t tested substituting the evaporated milk, I do think that is a key flavor in the mac and cheese. Of course there are lots of different options and flavor preferences, so if you give it a try please let me know how it goes. Hope you enjoy! ~Jennifer
We doubled this and made for 100! It was such hit and very easy! Just what we needed to help feed a bunch of kids.