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.)
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Originally published: January 2012
Photos updated and republished: October 2019
No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese
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.
hi, i'm wondering if it would be possible to make this ahead of time, like for a pot-luck where we won't be eating immediately. do you think i could cook for the first 60 min or whatever, and then refrigerate it, and then do the last 15 minutes right before eating?
mac and cheese. you say to use velveeta (a must). however, even though i know what it is in the states, i am living in the uk and they don't have that here. would you know of a possible substitute? thank you.
Thank you so much for this recipe:) made it yesterday for lunch and the fam gobbled it up! Definitely the best Mac and cheese I've ever made.and so easy to put together since the noodles go in right from the box.i also love that I can get 2 batches out of one box of elbows and one thing of velveeta.i used Cajun seasoning in lieu of reg salt and a tsp of yellow mustard since I didn't have any dry it turned out deeeeelicious! Absolutely my go to Mac and cheese from now on. Thanks again!:)
I am just so tickled that y'all are having success with this recipe – yay!
So to answer questions – I would not cook this particular recipe in a crock pot unless you have an older crock pot model (older than 12 years). The newer crock pots (because of FDA regulations) just get far too hot for this particular recipe since there is milk in it.
As for tripling the recipe – I"m so sorry I missed your comment. I'm sure you've already made this by now. I hope it turned out good for you!! 🙂
Could this be done in a crock pot on low all day while at work????
I am the world's pickiest eater. For my wedding, I told the caterer that his options were limited to "Chicken, cheese, and ranch..GO!" That being said, macaroni & cheese is my favorite food and I am insanely critical of EVERY recipe.
Since I was little, my mom and I have been on a mission to find the perfect homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. We have tried TONS and have always just, begrudgingly, returned to the little blue box after each failed attempt. But then, I found THIS little gem on Pinterest. I will never buy that little blue box again…nor will I ever cook a different macaroni & cheese recipe. This is absolutely PERFECT! The 23-year-long search for the perfect macaroni & cheese recipe has ended!!! (AND, added bonus, I got to show up some much more experienced &…cocky…cooks for a church covered-dish dinner a couple of months ago…this macaroni was the only dish scraped clean!!!) Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing!! Paula Deen's got nothin' on you, sister! 😉
((hugs)) Ashley! Thank you so very much for that!!
I want to do this for our xmas dinner for 29 people. Probably triple the recipe…Do you think it will be ok to cook this in a foil pan and will the cooking time be the same ?
Made this tonight…added bacon eliminated salt. Delish!
I've liked boxed mac and cheese all my life and haven't been able to find a "real" recipe that suits me. Howsomever,this sounds like it might be THE ONE. I shall go forth to cook and then return to report my findings. Actually, I'll have to go forth to the store first. 😀
Thanks!
I have made this several times and it is a hit( i havent used the dry mustard though )!! However, my boyfriend suggested maybe adding rotel to this fine dish.. what do you think? I am making this tonight for his birthday and am scared to try the rotel, will it mess up the consistency? any advice would be greatly appreciated
Yum! We even added buttered panko bread crumbs to the top. I LOVE that you don't have to boil the noodles first or make a roux.
this looks good mmmmmmm…
This recipe is the best!!!!! Thx love it!
I just made this for my family…BRAVO!!! Delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Sounds wonderful! How many servings is this for? I want to make for Thanksgiving but don't know how many it will feed.
Can this be frozen? I was thinking make as stated but only put 1/2 in an 8×8 dish and freeze the rest for later? Then thaw and top with cheese after cooking? Or can you easily cut recipe in half?
Thanks in advance.
The best! Throwing away my other Mac and cheese recipe.
Made this for dinner one night and it was a big hit. I do have a question….could you make this in a crockpot?
Made this for dinner tonight. The whole family loved it, even the 2 picky teenagers……Can't wait to try some of your other recipes.
I made this for my boyfriend and he said it was by far the best Mac and Cheese he's ever had. (I agree!) He said he didnt want to swallow it because it made him sad it was disapearing off his plate! This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thanks so much for sharing.
Never had I made Mac and cheese and have been searching several times for the one I thought would be delicious. Your receipe caught my eye. I followed your receipe to a tee. My Mac and cheese was absolutely perfect. The family loved it. My search is over. This receipe is a keeper. And I will be making this very often! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much! I generally do my cooking without a recipe, but ever since I found this site I feel compelled to try so many of yours! I love to cook, but I haven't been this excited about cooking in years!!!! My family says thanks so much they are thrilled 🙂
Anonymous – it is two measured cups not a 16oz. box.
Help! Does 2 cups uncooked macaroni mean a 16 ounce box or just what fits in a two cup measure cup? I am so excited to try this and do not want to mess it up! Thank you for all of the wonderful ideas they are awesome!
Made this a couple of days ago. Even the leftovers didn't last long! I added a splash of Worcestershire Sauce (my mom always put that in her mac'n'cheese) and I really liked that addition. Next time I may try some exra sharp cheddar, because we really like that cheesy taste. Thanks so much for such an easy and tasty recipe!
I just made this in two different versions: regular and gluten free! It is delicious and my granddaughter loves the gluten free version. I left out the salt, since I don't salt anything. Thanks for the delicious and simple recipe.