How do I make baked mac-n-cheese without boiling the noodles? 

This recipe is a game changer! You seriously need to try this recipe. It is quick, a definite comfort food, and my family loves it. You don’t even have to boil the noodles. If you are wondering, “How do I make baked mac-n-cheese without boiling the noodles?” I’ve got you. 

Jump to Recipe

My sister introduced us to this recipe a few years ago. Now we have it at pitch-ins, holidays, and dinners. It is so creamy and takes very little effort to make. Once you have it in the oven, you can work on another part of the meal, or just sit back and relax. 

What does this taste like?

We all need some comfort food every now and again. This tastes like comfort. Its creamy buttery flavor is so delicious. You can add salt and pepper to it, but you don’t have to. 

Why you will love this recipe

Mac-n-cheese is a hit in a lot of homes. Not only does this taste delicious, it is fast and easy to make. This baked mac-n-cheese requires little work and that is one of the main reasons why I love it. You can put it together in about five minutes, pop it in the oven for an hour, and go on about whatever you were doing. 

Can I make this ahead of time?

I have not assembled it ahead of time, but I have made it hours in advance. Just cover it with foil when it comes out of the oven and then you can put it back into a prepped oven for about 20 minutes right before serving it. To prep your oven, let your oven preheat to 350 degrees, shut it off, and then put the covered mac-n-cheese in it. You don’t want it to dry out. 

Can you double the recipe?

You can double or even triple it. I made three double batch pans for a recent celebration for my son and bought the really large disposable pans to be able to put a double batch in each one. I wasn’t sure how it would bake up, but after making it, I realized that I could put a triple batch in that large of a pan. The sides were tall enough.  

Making do I make baked mac-n-cheese without boiling the noodles for a crowd

This recipe is great to make for a crowd. You can easily make it for a lot of people. It took me the same amount of time to bake a double batch as it did one regular batch. I made this for a recent party and made three double batches. It fed around 120 people and I had about one batch left over. 

Ingredients

16 oz. box of elbow macaroni noodles

12 oz. shredded colby cheese

12 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 cups milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream

½ stick melted butter

Tools You May Need

9 x 13 pan or a large casserole dish

How to Make baked mac-n-cheese in the oven without boiling the noodles

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Pour a 16 oz. box of elbow noodles into a 9 x 13 pan.

Dump in 12 ounces of shredded colby cheese.

Add in 12 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Pour in 3 cups of milk.

Pour in 2 cups of heavy whipping cream.

Drizzle ½ stick of melted butter over the top.

Take a spoon and carefully stir around all of the ingredients. Make sure that the noodles aren’t sticking out of the top or they will dry out. 

Put the pan in the oven and set the timer for one hour. 

Stir about ½ way through to keep the top from getting too brown. It tastes fine, but I prefer to stir it mid-way.

Leftovers

The leftovers heat up great for a couple of days. Scoop out a serving, put it on a microwave safe plate, and heat up it for about 40 seconds. You can store the leftovers in the fridge by putting foil over the original pan or putting them into a different storage container. 

Tips

Stir this dish about ½ way through to keep the top from getting too brown. It tastes fine, but I prefer to stir it mid-way. 

I have used different cheese in this and it always turns out.

Main dishes to go with it

Air Fryer chicken Legs