This no-boil mac and cheese recipe is extra-cheesy and super creamy, made with Velveeta, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded mozzarella.
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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.
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Ingredients
This recipe calls for three kinds of cheese: Velveeta, cheddar, and mozzarella.
- 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.
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 much 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.
Allow the mac and cheese to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
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.
Equipment
Frequently asked questions
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
No-Boil Mac and Cheese
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
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition was estimated using WP Recipe Maker.
Sully says
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!
Kelsey Reddick says
Less clean up with no boil!