No boil mac and cheese is completely cooked in the oven. You don’t have to boil the noodles first. Just load everything in the pan and let it bake to cheesy no boil macaroni and cheese perfection!
Make cheesy mac and cheese without boiling the noodles first. There’s no cheese sauce to make either.
Just dump the ingredients in the pan and let the oven do the work. This is the easiest baked macaroni and cheese recipe you’ll find and it’s delicious too!
It’s a perfect filling side dish for almost any meal. It is also a great meatless entrée if you would like.
Why no boil macaroni?
Have you ever had one of those days where you can’t handle one more thing? You know the kind where things feel overwhelming or the schedule is so full that you can’t fathom adding one more thing to the day.
I love to cook. Everything from the simplest stir and serve recipes to more labor intensive (and dirty dish!) filled recipes.
But sometimes even I can’t handle one extra step in the kitchen. Those are the days where boiling and draining pasta seems like too much.
Tell me you’ve been there too! Days like that one pot recipes come in handy because it all cooks together.
No boil pasta recipes are kind of like that, but with the oven. You don’t have to wait for the water to boil or for the macaroni noodles to cook before you move to the next step.
Plus the starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce, which means you don’t have to mess with making a bechamel sauce. The meal and the cook are working together in unison to make a delicious and easy dinner.
So when Nicole from Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom mentioned her favorite macaroni and cheese recipe was baked but no-boil during an intense macaroni and cheese conversation on Facebook, I had to check it out. I had a feeling we were going to like it.
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Honestly, it doesn’t get any easier than this either. That is always helpful, whether you are having one of “those days” or not.
Just throw it together and bake it. It does take a little time in the oven, but that gives you time to make the rest of the meal.
Or fold some laundry.
Or relax for a bit?!
The results are cheesy and delicious. We have made it countless times over the years and now my mom makes it for family dinner several times a year. We hope you like it just as much as we do!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, we have doubled this recipe several times when we are feeding a larger crowd. Just double the ingredients and bake it in a 9×13 dish.
What kind of cheese can I use for mac and cheese?
We usually use sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe because the flavor and texture are great for macaroni and cheese. However, you can combine cheeses or substitute another kind of cheese as long as it is a good melting cheese. Use American cheese or half mozzarella and half sharp cheddar for a milder super cheesy mac. Try using gruyere if you are looking for something different. Or use some pepper jack if you want to add a little zip.
Can I add a crunchy topping?
Yes! Add bread crumbs or cracker crumbs at the end when you add the extra cheese.
No Boil Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 350°F and spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the 3½ cups whole milk, 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 1 1/2 cups of cheese in the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove foil and stir. Top with remaining cup of cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve.
Notes
Video
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I have vegetarians I was hoping to make this for on the eve. Any good substitutes for the Worcestershire? I’m planning a test run soon. And I don’t cook ever… lol.
You could use a little bit of soy sauce or tamari instead. Otherwise you could omit it if you want, it just adds a little depth of flavor.
Love this recipie. I added mustard powder. Yummy!
I am so glad you like it!
This recipe is unfortunately, a thumbs down. The flavor
s good, (especially after the extra additions of onion and garlic powders, black pepper, and Cayenne.) But. It curdled, which makes a nasty texture. Felt like eating low quality cottage cheese or something. I’m considered a very good cook, and there’s no way I’d ever serve this to anyone but poor hubby, who agrees that the texture was gross. I don’t think this works without a mid cook stir with thickener or something? Wish it did, it’s a LOT easier than regular homemade Deluxe Mac n Cheese. But this no boil one is NOT gonna be my “go to.”
I am sorry you didn’t like it. It is a little bit different of a texture than if you boil the noodles and make a cheese sauce. We find that the time savings is worth it.
@Darcie Curley,
This is definitely a “custard style” mac and cheese which is much different that the usual stove top versions. I think it’s a regional thing.
@Darcie Curley, that’s because he used cheddar cheese you got to understand the difference between the cheeses and which cheese does what you want it to do if you don’t like what cheddar does when it’s melted then use American Velveeta take American with some gouda that melts pretty well but the stringy cheeses and the crumbly cheeses seven times out of 10 they’re not going to give you that creamy texture like you’re looking for cheddar is very specific and it does just what it says it does in his picture
My pasta was no were near done in 50 minutes.
That’s really strange. With foil on and the oven hot it should cook just fine. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and quite a few other no bake pasta variations. Sometimes it looks like they aren’t going to get there, but they always do. 50 minutes should be plenty of time. I hope you were able to make it work in the end.
Can you use almond milk Orr like whipping cream to dub for milk
Whipping cream should work great. I haven’t tried almond milk, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
I’m sorry Ms Carlee. I’m the first one to do no bake pasta dishes- spaghetti- zit, etc. Canned milk is what I had, also I halved the recipe. I tossed in smoked brisket. Added a pat or 2 of butter. Covered, baked, the sauce separated. Now, hubby doesn’t know what to look for, I do though and it wasn’t all that pretty. We ate it and it tasted good. I’ll leave my photo.
Hrm… it's not bad, but I found the cheese really did not distribute evenly. I did make some modifications, though… I halved the recipe (and should have quartered it, because it was way more than I could eat alone!), skipped the Worcestershire sauce (I'm a vegetarian, so no fish) and mixed some jalapenos in for spice. Not sure if the jalapenos made a difference in cheese distribution but I doubt the rest did.
I also added the reserved cheese at 45 minutes in, cooked for 10 minutes, then added a breading mix of pablo breadcrumbs, chili powder and shaker parmesan cheese. Cooked five more minutes, then broiled til brown. Added a delightful additional crunch.
I love your modifications!
add cubed ham for a full meal deal, maybe some broccoli ( microwave steamers with cheeze really works great when on sale ) to add as the last step….. and then the best part… a throw away pan, iffin u want zero clean up 🙂
What a great idea
Great. Macaroni crack. This is easy enough to make every dang week. In the meantime, discovered its quite flexible and can be made in smaller baking dishes for individuals if you wish. Just layer the bottom with macaroni, cheese, etc, then add enough milk to cover. Works pretty well.
I am so glad you like it and thanks for the tip on making smaller batches too! That will come in handy!
Thank you =) I hope you enjoy it!