No Boil Mac and Cheese (One Dish Baked Macaroni & Cheese)

If macaroni and cheese is a favorite in your house, no boil mac and cheese is a great recipe to have in your back pocket. It’s very easy to make and is always a hit.

No boil baked mac and cheese is made with basic ingredients and a single pan. You combine it all and let the dry macaroni cook in the oven!

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card or read on for full instructions and tips.

NO BOIL MAC AND CHEESE

Macaroni and cheese is one of the best comfort foods. I love that it can be a great side dish while also working as a main dish. There’s also a ton of different ways to make mac and cheese.

If you’re looking for more macaroni and cheese recipes, try one of these:

If you need an easy recipe, this mac and cheese casserole is one of the easiest ones. You can pretty much toss everything in the oven in a single dish and let it cook until you’re ready to serve!

DO YOU HAVE TO COOK MACARONI BEFORE BAKING?

You do NOT have to cook elbow macaroni noodles before baking. You can cook them in the oven and make easy, baked mac and cheese casserole!

Continue reading for step-by-step directions.

HOW TO MAKE MAC AND CHEESE WITHOUT BOILING WATER

This recipe makes 6 servings. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and about 60 minutes of cooking time.

To make this no boil mac and cheese recipe, you will need a few basic ingredients:

• Elbow macaroni
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Whole milk
• Salt & pepper

Full measurements for the ingredients are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For this recipe, you will use sharp cheddar cheese. You can use any cheese that you prefer. If you want a milder flavor, go with a medium or mild cheddar. Fontina is also a great melting cheese.

I recommend shredding your own cheese for this recipe, but you can use bagged shredded cheese to save time if needed.

HOW DO YOU MAKE MACARONI AND CHEESE WITHOUT BOILING THE NOODLES FIRST?

Start by preheating oven to 350°F.

Then grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Layer the uncooked elbow macaroni noodles in the bottom of the baking dish.

Cover the pasta with whole milk, salt, pepper, and half the shredded cheese.

Stir to mix the ingredients together in the dish.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and stir the pasta to keep it from sticking.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and return to the oven to cook an additional 25 minutes.

The macaroni and cheese is ready when the cheese on top is melted and the pasta is tender.

CAN YOU COOK UNCOOKED MACARONI IN THE OVEN?

Absolutely. Just make sure you include enough liquid in your recipe so that the pasta can cook while it bakes. That is the key to getting a creamy no boil mac and cheese dish.