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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    No-Boil Mac and Cheese

    Published: Sep 27, 2012 · Modified: Dec 28, 2021 by Kelsey Smith

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    Jump to Recipe

    This no-boil mac and cheese recipe is extra-cheesy and super creamy, made with Velveeta, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded mozzarella.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Top down view of the finished dish, no-boil macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese is creamy and extra cheesy.

    You will especially love this recipe because of the easy cleanup. There is no need to boil the macaroni in its own pot or use a strainer or colander.

    This dish is gooey and super cheesy. The Velveeta/shredded cheese combination makes for an extra cheesy, super creamy dish.

    This is the ideal dish when you need a fix-it-and-forget-it dinner idea or when you are cooking multiple things in the kitchen at once. It is a vegetarian-friendly meal.

    Serve this as a main dish or alongside another classic family dinner recipe like meatloaf with Ritz crackers.

    This is a variation of The Country Cook's Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. Be sure to check out the original recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Directions
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Frequently asked questions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    This recipe calls for three kinds of cheese: Velveeta, cheddar, and mozzarella.

    No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients: milk, salt, ground mustard, garlic powder, hot sauce, elbow macaroni, Velveeta cheese cut into thin slices, salted butter cut into thin slices, shredded cheddar, and shredded mozzarella.
    No-boil macaroni and cheese ingredients
    • milk
    • salt
    • ground mustard
    • garlic powder
    • hot sauce
    • elbow macaroni
    • Velveeta cheese, thinly sliced
    • salted butter, thinly sliced
    • shredded cheddar
    • shredded mozzarella

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

    In the baking dish, mix the milk, salt, ground mustard, garlic powder, and hot sauce.

    Top down view of a baking dish. The milk is mixed with salt, ground mustard, garlic powder, and hot sauce in the dish.
    Mix the milk and seasonings so there are no clumps.

    Add the elbow macaroni (uncooked) and spread in an even layer.

    Uncooked macaroni being poured into the milk mixture in the baking dish.
    Spread the uncooked macaroni noodles out evenly.

    Layer with the Velveeta slices and half of the shredded cheddar and mozzarella. Top with butter slices, pushing them down into the milk.

    Top down view of baking dish. The uncooked macaroni and milk mixture is topped with Velveeta slices and half of the shredded cheddar and mozzarella. The butter slices have been pushed down slightly into the milk.
    Evenly disperse the cheeses and butter slices.

    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. At this point, the macaroni should be cooked and much of the liquid will be absorbed.

    Partially macaroni submerged into the milk mixture in a baking dish.
    This is what the macaroni and cheese with look like after its first baking cycle.

    Remove the foil and top with the remaining shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

    The remaining shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese are sprinkled on top of the partially baked macaroni and cheese dish.
    Add the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top of the mac and cheese.

    Bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

    Top-down view of a baking dish filled with baked creamy macaroni and cheese.
    Cool before serving

    Allow the mac and cheese to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

    A side view of a baking dish filled with macaroni and cheese. A large wooden serving spoon is holding a large scoop of mac and cheese as melted cheese falls off the spoon.

    Ingredient notes and substitutions

    Milk: This recipe uses whole milk for the fat content. It has not been tested with other kinds of milk, but if you have success with lower fat milk or a milk alternative, please let us know in the comments.

    Hot sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce like Cholula or Crystal Hot Sauce (or feel free to omit). This is a small amount of hot sauce and will not make your macaroni and cheese spicy. It's just enough to add a hint of flavor.

    Pasta: I recommend macaroni elbows because they are small and are easy to submerge in the liquid for even cooking. Small shells are a good substitute. Cellentani works in this recipe but may take a few extra minutes of baking. This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free pasta products.

    Velveeta: This is an important ingredient. I use Velveeta Original (or the store brand version. You can also use the Velveeta Slices product (12 slices is 8 ounces) for convenient prep.

    Shredded Cheese: Mix and match your favorite shredded cheeses. Mozzarella makes the cheese slightly stringy and cheddar (sharp and medium are preferred) add a great flavor and texture.

    Extra creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese in a small bowl next to a baking dish of mac and cheese.

    Equipment

    • 9x13 baking dish
    • Chef's knife
    • Aluminum foil

    Frequently asked questions

    Why make no-boil mac and cheese?

    So, why would you make a no-boil macaroni and cheese recipe when it takes an hour in the oven? It takes less time to make stovetop macaroni and cheese, doesn't it?

    This no-boil pasta dish is a low-effort recipe. Sometimes the overall cook time is less important than the amount of hands-on effort a recipe takes.
    It's difficult to be in and out of the kitchen while watching the kids, making this an excellent option for busy parents in particular. No-boil mac and cheese makes dinner that much easier when you don't have to precook the noodles.

    It takes fewer dishes. This recipe is much easier on the cleanup side of things than traditional stovetop or baked macaroni and cheese.
    No-boil means no macaroni pot, no strainer, and no saucepan.

    📖 Recipe

    Closely cropped top down view of a baking dish of extra creamy extra cheesy mac and cheese.
    Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Email Print

    No-Boil Mac and Cheese

    This no-bake mac and cheese recipe is extra-cheesy and super creamy, made with Velveeta, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded mozzarella.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Recipe by: Kelsey Smith
    Prep time: 10 minutes
    Cook time: 1 hour
    Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 8 people

    Equipment

    • 9x13 baking dish
    • Chef's knife
    • Aluminum foil

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 cups whole milk
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
    • 2 cups elbow macaroni
    • 8 oz Velveeta Original Cheese thinly sliced
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar divided
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella divided
    • 4 tablespoon salted butter thinly sliced

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
    • In the baking dish, mix the milk, salt, ground mustard, garlic powder, and hot sauce.
    • Add the elbow macaroni (uncooked) and spread in an even layer.
    • Layer with the Velveeta slices and half of the shredded cheddar and mozzarella. Top with butter slices, pushing them down into the milk.
    • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. At this point, the macaroni should be cooked and most of the liquid will be absorbed.
    • Remove the foil and top with the remaining shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

    Notes

    Adapted from The Country Cook. Note that sometimes after baking the milk can have a curdled appearance but this is normal.
    To make in advance: This recipe can be mixed the night before and then baked the following day. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 419kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 21gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 1034mgPotassium: 370mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 888IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 483mgIron: 1mg
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Rate it to let me know how it was!
    No-Boil Mac and Cheese

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    About Kelsey Smith

    I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working on college textbooks, you might find me here, sharing recipes, social media tutorials, and more.

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    1. Sully says

      September 28, 2012 at 6:39 pm

      Now I'm torn between waiting an hour for no boil mac and cheese or boiling the pasta but waiting a lot less to eat it!

      Reply
      • Kelsey Reddick says

        September 28, 2012 at 6:41 pm

        Less clean up with no boil!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing easy comfort food recipes.

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