No-Boil Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
No Boil Homemade Macaroni and Cheese! The easiest, creamiest homemade macaroni and cheese ever. No boiling the noodles first and it is made all in one pan!
AN EASY HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE
Is there anything more comforting than mac and cheese? I have been making this recipe for years now and it is one of our favorites. You get perfectly cooked noodles and gooey, melted cheese and it all cooks in one baking dish!
TIPS FOR MAKING MACARONI AND CHEESE:
A whole 16 ounce block of Velveeta is being pictured here. You’re only going to use half of that block (8 ounce) Also, I have had readers tell me that they have used half milk and half chicken broth for the liquid and it turns out great! Did you know you can make your own Homemade Velveeta!
YOU DO NOT BOIL THE NOODLES BEFOREHAND
The key to this recipe for No Boil Homemade Macaroni and Cheese? You aren’t going to boil the macaroni beforehand. Did you copy that? Do not boil the macaroni beforehand. This is going to not only save you time, but you aren’t gonna have to also wash up a pot, strainer and bowls too!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- milk (2 % or higher)
- salt
- mustard powder
- salted butter
- elbow macaroni
- Velveeta
- shredded cheddar cheese
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE NO-BOIL MACARONI AND CHEESE:
Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the bottom of your baking dish (or in a separate bowl), mix together milk with salt, dry mustard powder. Pour in uncooked macaroni (spread it out evenly).
Then add slices of Velveeta and one cup shredded cheese into baking dish making sure to distribute it evenly. Top evenly with slices of butter (pushing them a bit under the milk).
Cover with aluminium foil. Bake for about 50-60 minutes (until macaroni is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed). Oven times vary so check it around the 40 minute mark. Take it out of the oven, remove foil, and top with another cup (or so) of shredded cheddar cheese.
Put it back in the oven (uncovered) for another 10-15 minutes (until cheese is melted.)
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Sausage Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Taco Mac and Cheese
- Easy Cheesy Macaroni Skillet
- Butter Swim Biscuits
- KFC Mac and Cheese
- Crock Pot Ham Mac and Cheese
- Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup
Originally published: January 2012
Updated photos and republished: October 2019
No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese (+Video)
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk (2% or higher)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 2 cups macaroni, uncooked
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch thickness (1/2 block)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided use)
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, sliced into 1/2-inch thickness
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bottom of your baking dish, mix together 4 cups milk with 1 teaspoon table salt and 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder.
- Pour in 2 cups macaroni, uncooked and spread it out evenly.
- Then add 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch thickness and HALF of the 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese into baking dish making sure to distribute it evenly.
- Top with 4 Tablespoons salted butter, sliced into 1/2-inch thickness (pushing them down a bit under the milk.)
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 50-60 minutes (until macaroni is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed). Oven times vary so check it around the 40 minute mark.
- Take it out of the oven, remove foil, and top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese (Note: you can add more cheese if you prefer.)
- Put it back in the oven (uncovered) for another 10-15 minutes (until cheese is melted.)
Video
Notes
- I have not tried this with milk alternatives so I can’t tell you how that would turn out. I do not recommend low fat or skim milk as it is too watery and may not turn out properly.
- Use as little or as much cheese as your enjoy.
- Other pasta shapes can be used as long as they are about the same size as elbow noodles.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Made this tonight – so good! This is seriously life-altering.
I left off the mustard powder.
Didn't need the salt or the mustard powder to make this taste delightful!!
I just made this dish and banana pudding poke cake for a family gathering today …they were both a hit! No Mac n cheese leftover …so yummy and perfect ..I have been searching for a good recipe ..this is it! thanks
Just tried this recipe, and I was very happy with the results! It was absolutely delicious and my family loved it!!
Since my husband is so very fond of hot & spicy foods,I'm planning on adding a can of Rotel when I make this (just for an added kick).Thank you for the time you devote to sharing these great recipes.Keep up the good work.
This was absolutely delicious! Mine did boil over while baking. Discovered that it benefited from being stirred at that point… wonder if I had stirred sooner, it might not have boiled over. Used a 13 x 9 glass, pyrex casserole dish.
Can't wait to try this! It looks so good and sooo much easier than the recipe I currently use . Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am so thrilled to hear that your Bible study group enjoyed this! Yay!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you! Empty plates are always a good sign! 🙂
Oh with twin 5 year old growing boys this is definately one for my weekly menu! They love Mac and cheese but I have been trying to find a good non box recipe. I will be making this tomorrow!
I am also going to try a couple variations after that as I was thinking about adding tuna frozen peas and topping with lays potato chip crumbs.
And one with just adding the potato chip crumbs the creamy and crunchy together is amazing.
Made this for Bible study group last night…people CLEANED the pan, scraping every last bit of macaroni up, and this happened EARLY in the dinner. There were 15 people there and many of them came up to me, personally expressing their thanks and how much they enjoyed it. Next time, I'm making 2 pans! Thanks for making me feel like a cooking rockstar!
Finally tried this recipe this weekend. It was AWESOME! I love that you don't have to boil the pasta first. Came out perfectly.
We loved the taste and I will be making this again soon. I did add a dash of nutmeg and paprika to the mix but not sure if it made a difference as flavors were not pronounced.
Yay! So happy to hear that Dot!! I always appreciate when folks take time out of their day to leave a comment on here. Thank you so very much and I'm thrilled to hear you liked this recipe!
Wow! I finally made the best mac/cheese! Thank you for your recipe!!
Will be trying this recipe soon. Was going to ask about what to use other than Velveeta as can't get it in UK but I saw Lin suggested whipping cream so will be trying that but she didn't say how much she used
You are brilliant!! No boil recipe makes life so much easier…my family loves baked mac n cheese…thanks!!
Thank you SO much for coming back to let me know how it turned out for you. The ground dry mustard is not absolutely necessary for this dish. It just adds a hint of background flavor to the recipe. But if you love it without it – feel free to keep making it without! 🙂
I honestly can't count the numerous times I have made this ever since you posted the recipe…it's a huge hit with everyone who has tried it! I love how easy it is.
I even made it for dinner today and that's when I realized that I never noticed the 1 tsp of dry mustard powder in the ingredients list…oops! What exactly does the dry mustard powder do flavor wise? Is it something big I'm missing?
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you post. I love your blog!
Oh My Gosh! This was the easiest, most amazing food I think I have ever tasted! Soooo Good! I have a Honey Bun Cake in the oven for dessert too! So excited to try it! Thank you for the wonderful recipes Brandie….looking forward to trying more of them! :0)
Looks easy and delicious!! I have a question though, your recipe calls for 8 oz. Velveeta cheese but it looks like you used the whole 16 oz. box of Velveeta cheese… how much should I use? 8 or 16 oz?
Thanks for your help!!!
Hi Carrie! The box of Velveeta is for illustration purposes, just like the whole jug of milk and macaroni. You will need 8 oz. of Velveeta, or if they carry it in your store, you can use the Velveeta shreds. Hope that helps!
I made this for dinner yesterday after reading your post (thanks to Pinterest!) and it was absolutely delicious!!! Thanks for the wonderful and simple recipe!!
Hi M.B. – I really appreciate ya taking the time to come back and let me know how it turned out for you. I am so, so happy you liked it. I am thankful Pinterest brought you here!
You are too good to us, Brandie. I love that you don't have to cook the macaroni first. Anything to make life easier. (pinned)
Oh honey! Cant tell you how amazing this sounds today. Taking hubby home from hospital today…hez still on soft food diet and Ill be making this as soon as we get settled in at home. Sooo happy I saw this while sitting in his hospital room.:)
Marsha, y'all have not left my thoughts or my prayers!! So happy to hear he is coming home!!
Mmm! Always looking for a good mac n cheese recipe. Thanks!
Thank you!!! I did it put it back in for 20 more minutes after the initial 60 minutes (I was checking it after 40 minutes & panicked when I didn't see the liquid absorbing) it did end up cooking properly & was very good. What I really liked about it was that it had just the right amount of salt & cheese. Thanks again for sharing & comforting me! 🙂
Im currently in the process of making this right now, but I've checked it after 40 minutes & the liquid has not absorbed. I followed the directions to the tee, so Im not sure where I went wrong 🙁 Im afraid this is going to be a bust for us & will probably go back to making mac n cheese my way. Thanks for sharing though!!!
I recently discovered that the thermostat in my oven was off kilter and my recipes were not coming out right. I always wondered why so many different recipes were all wrong. Well, it wasn't the recipes at all., it was the thermostat in my oven. I called a repairman and after checking it, he told me I could either spend $3-400 to replace the thermostat in a 13 year old oven or I could just allow another 20 minutes for heating up the oven before placing the recipe in to cook. Once the oven is heated to the right temperature, it cooked everything just fine. It was my thermostat all along so give it a try to see if that helps…good luck!
Oh good!! I know everyone's oven has hot spots, etc. so that's why I include that "oven times vary" bit, I would hate for anyone to have dried out or burnt mac and cheese..lol. So glad it turned out good for you. I always appreciate feedback on recipes! Thank you for coming back to let me know!! :o)
Melly, I do give an initial suggested cooking time 50 minutes to an hour. Also, you will cook it an additional 10-15 minutes after you put the additional cheese on top so try not to panic after 40 minutes if all the milk is not absorbed. Oven times do vary. Give it enough time and it will absorb. Also, when you take it out and it starts to cool, it will continue to absorb a bit of liquid. I've made this lots of time so I promise I would not share a recipe that didn't work out for me. 🙂
Love me some mac n cheese!! Have you ever had it fried? It's even more amazing!!
YUM! That looks sooo good! I'm gonna have try this soon! I made the boxed mac-n-cheese last night, but this will be a good addition! 🙂
Lin, that is a great tip if anyone has a hard time finding Veleveeta (or something similar). Barbara, muenster sounds great with this!
My sister-in-law always adds Muenster cheese to her mac & cheese and it is delicious. I bought some Muenster, but don't have any Velveeta, so I'll wait till I get some and then try this recipe. Thanks!
I've been making mac'n'cheese with Velveeta for umpteen years & loved every bite (it's good dipped in ketchup too)…however…I recently discovered a recipe for it without the Velveeta that is the same creaminess & according to our daughter that's done the research, is healthier. You use whipping cream & any type of cheese you like (I've used medium cheddar)along with the milk & butter & it was equally as yummy. I'd tried to shortcut the Velveeta before & it wasn't good, yet with the whipping cream, no one noticed that the Velveeta was missing.
This is exactly how I make it! It is the best! Love your pictures. Come visit. We have a terrific chili on the menu this week.
A few years ago I went to lunch at the restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. My sister lives nearby so we always go at least once while I'm there.
I called my husband in Australia that day and he said, "what did you have???"
"macaroni and cheese," I said.
"what??? You went to the CIA and had mac and cheese??"
"yep and it was divine!"
"you're nuts"
I was right. There's something wonderful about well made mac and cheese. (it's not an Aussie thing I'll admit)
Love the simplicity and hominess of this dish.
My son could seriously live off of mac n cheese. Even at 14 he orders it when we go out to fancier places. He would love this and so would I!
The best recipe !!!! Love it! Thank you for sharing mmmm yum!
With all that gooey cheese, this has to be a winner! Thanks for sharing more deliciousness with us, Brandie!
Wait – no boiling the noodles first? Lady you just want to make ruining my diet that much easier! 😉
No boiling it makes your life so much easier!
Delicious looking mac and cheese! Comfort food at its best here! Buzzed!
Mmmm, looks delicious! I didn't grow up on man and cheese in Germany, but I have very much learned to appreciate this dish 😉
Funny my Great Grandma use to make this and she was German 🙂 It’s sooooo good. But totally different from regular mac and cheese.
The Number One Ultimate Best All-time comfort food! And you really don,t have to cook the noodles first? Sold! I read in Cook's Illustrated Ithink that you needed Velveeta to make a really good and creamy Mac 'n cheese.
I can't wait to spring this on my peeps when we have another cold evening – it's been 80 degrees here in the afternoon – blerg. But I have a lot of cheese in the freezer I can use up. Thanks for the no-boil recipe!
We can thank Thomas jefferson!, lol… supposedly he brought the mac & cheese idea to America from his travels : ) That's a great idea to increase the liquid so you don't have to cook the pasta. I have to try this! Thank you!
Try cooking your macaronni in chicken broth (but leave off the salt). Adds a rich flavor. That's the way my Mom always cooked her macaronni.
Lindacrochets
That would be a different recipe. This is for lots of cheese and no cooking the macaroni ahead of time.
Thank you for making an all time favorite easier and tastier!
mary x
I think I'm in love!! This is one of my favorite foods, I gotta try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!