You don’t even need to boil the pasta for this 5-ingredient, dump-and-bake, easy mac and cheese! Serve the comfort food classic as a side dish for holidays and potlucks, or as an entrée on a busy weeknight. It’s delicious alongside fried chicken, pot roast, roast chicken, and meatloaf!
Easy Baked Mac and Cheese
Yep, you read that right — this is an easy mac and cheese recipe that doesn’t even require you to boil the noodles before it goes into the oven! Now, this is not a creamy baked mac and cheese that starts with a béchamel cheese sauce made from a flour and butter roux. If that’s what you’re looking for, you need to try this popular recipe.
Instead, this is a more traditional Southern baked macaroni and cheese recipe, with a firm texture that’s made from a simple combination of noodles, butter, cheese, and milk. These types of mac and cheese don’t use creamy sauces, but instead often contain eggs to help the dish “set up.” The eggs aren’t necessary here, though. Everything cooks together in one dish, so the macaroni absorbs the milk, and you’re left with an incredibly cheesy, indulgent, flavorful mac and cheese bake — with very little effort!
The Origin of this Overnight Mac and Cheese Recipe
I can’t take credit for this cheesy perfection, since my hairdresser gave me the recipe almost 15 years ago! She has three boys of her own, and she was so excited to tell me about this “method” for preparing mac and cheese because her family has always loved it. She shares the recipe with customers and friends regularly, and often hears stories about folks making it again, and again, and again.
Since originally posting this recipe on my site back in 2016, I’ve heard from a number of you who have made it a staple in your home as well. In fact, blog readers have served the dish at weddings, funerals, and Thanksgiving feasts. What an honor!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need to make a pan of easy mac and cheese. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Uncooked elbow macaroni: do not cook the pasta before adding it to the pan. I have not tested this recipe with other noodle shapes, which might change the cooking time. Stick with elbows for a classic mac and cheese!
- Sharp cheddar cheese: grate the cheese by hand, rather than using a package of pre-shredded cheese. The packaged shredded cheese includes stabilizers and anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting as smoothly as a hand-grated block of cheddar. Feel free to experiment with combinations of other good melting cheeses, such as Velveeta, mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Colby, Gruyere, and Colby-Jack.
- Butter: just enough to add some richness to the dish.
- Kosher salt: to flavor the pasta as it cooks.
- Milk: I prefer whole milk, but you can use low-fat milk as well.
The Best Cheese to Use
The cheese that you use for mac and cheese is really a matter of personal preference. I love classic sharp cheddar here, which is a flavorful cheese that also melts nicely. You can mix it up and use a combination of any good melting cheeses, such as Velveeta (American), Colby or Colby-Jack, Gruyere, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack, gouda, smoked gouda, Swiss, or mozzarella. A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top is also a nice addition. The options are endless, so pick your favorites!
How to Make Easy Mac and Cheese
The only hard part about this recipe is remembering to prep it ahead so that the noodles have time to soak in the milk overnight (or for at least 8-12 hours)!
- Spread half of the uncooked macaroni in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle with half of the cheese, dot with half of the butter, and sprinkle with half of the salt.
- Repeat the layers using the remaining noodles, cheese, butter, and salt.
- Pour milk evenly over the top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for about 24 hours.
- Bake, covered, in a 350°F oven for a total of about 45 minutes, removing the foil during the final 10 minutes to allow the top to brown.
What to Serve with Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese
Serve this mac and cheese as a lunch or dinner entrée and your family will be thrilled! Just add a house salad, tomato salad, or Caesar salad, roasted broccoli, Southern-style green beans, or collard greens on the side. We also love a basket of flaky biscuits, blueberry muffins, apple bread, cornbread, or corn sticks on the table to round out the meal.
If you’re serving the mac and cheese as a side dish, here are some entrées that go well with the casserole:
- Meatloaf
- Fried Chicken Cutlets and Country Gravy
- Dutch Oven Pork Roast or 5-Ingredient Pork Sirloin Roast
- Baked Baby Back Ribs
- Ham Steak with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Grilled New York Strip Steak
- Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
- Fried Pork Chops
- Crispy Fried Chicken, Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders, or Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Roast Chicken or Baked Chicken Thighs
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast or Mississippi Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast or Oven Roasted Turkey
- Pineapple Glazed Ham or Crock Pot Ham with Cola Glaze
- Glazed Ham Steaks
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork, Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork, or Cider-Braised Pulled Pork
- Mississippi Roasted Pork Shoulder
- Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
- Grilled BBQ Chicken or Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Dutch Oven BBQ Beef
- Oven Baked Pork Tenderloin or Mustard and Brown Sugar Baked Pork Tenderloin
- Crispy Southern Fried Catfish
Storage
Store leftover baked macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing the leftover mac and cheese. The texture of the pasta will be mushy when thawed.
How to Reheat
Cover the dish loosely with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven just until warmed through. You can remove the foil cover during the final few minutes to allow the top to get nice and crispy again. To reheat individual servings, just cover loosely and microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute (or until warm).
Recipe Variations
- Use a combination of just about any flavorful melting cheeses that you prefer. For instance, try Velveeta (American), Colby or Colby-Jack, Gruyere, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack, gouda, smoked gouda, Swiss, or mozzarella. The options are endless, so pick your favorites!
- Add toasted breadcrumbs (like these) to the top of the dish after you remove the cover during the final 10 minutes.
- Whisk a little bit of garlic powder or hot sauce into the milk mixture for even more flavor.
- Bulk up the meal with vegetables like frozen peas or broccoli. If using a firm vegetable like broccoli, it’s best to parboil or steam the broccoli before adding it to the dish.
- Add meat such as crispy bacon, leftover ham, or shredded, cooked chicken.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish.
Tips for the Best Easy Mac and Cheese Recipe
- This is a firm-style mac and cheese, with a drier texture since the cooked pasta soaks up the milk as it bakes. If you prefer a creamy mac and cheese that starts with a roux and cheese sauce, try this creamy baked mac and cheese recipe or these creamy stovetop shells and cheese.
- Refrigerate the casserole for about 24 hours before baking, allowing the noodles to soften as they soak in the milk. At a minimum, let the noodles soak for at least 8-12 hours.
- Start with blocks of cheese that you grate yourself at home, rather than using bags of pre-shredded cheese from the store. The pre-shredded cheese includes stabilizers and other ingredients to prevent the cheese from clumping, which inhibits its ability to melt smoothly in the dish.
- If you prefer a crispier, darker brown top on your mac and cheese, place the dish under the broiler during the final minute or two of baking. Just keep a close eye on it so that the cheese (or bread crumbs) on top don’t burn.
- Garnish the dish with chives, parsley, green onions, or a dash of paprika just before serving.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Shells and Cheese
- Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, divided
- 16 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, diced into very small cubes, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 cups whole milk
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or chives; sprinkling of paprika
Instructions
- Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Spread half of the pasta in the bottom of the dish.
- Sprinkle with half of the cheese, dot with half of the butter, and sprinkle with half of the salt.
- Repeat the layers using the remaining macaroni, remaining cheese, remaining butter, and remaining salt.
- Pour milk evenly over top.
- Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate overnight (about 12 hours, or up to 24 hours).
- Bake, covered with foil, at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the foil during the final 10 minutes to allow top to brown. For a really crispy top, place the dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end.
Notes
- This is a firm-style mac and cheese, with a drier texture since the noodles soak up the milk as they bake. If you prefer a creamy mac and cheese that starts with a roux and cheese sauce, try this creamy baked mac and cheese recipe or these creamy stovetop shells and cheese.
- Refrigerate the casserole for about 24 hours before baking, allowing the noodles to soften as they soak in the milk. At a minimum, let the noodles soak for at least 8-12 hours.
- Start with blocks of cheese that you grate yourself at home, rather than using bags of pre-shredded cheese from the store. The pre-shredded cheese includes stabilizers and other ingredients to prevent the cheese from clumping, which inhibits its ability to melt smoothly in the dish.
- If you prefer a crispier, darker brown top on your mac and cheese, place the dish under the broiler during the final minute or two of baking.
- Use a combination of just about any flavorful melting cheeses that you prefer. For instance, try Velveeta (American), Colby or Colby-Jack, Gruyere, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack, gouda, smoked gouda, Swiss or mozzarella. The options are endless, so pick your favorites!
- Add toasted breadcrumbs (like these) to the top of the dish after you remove the cover during the final 10 minutes.
- Bulk up the meal with vegetables like frozen peas or broccoli. If using a firm vegetable like broccoli, it’s best to parboil or steam the broccoli before adding it to the dish.
- Add meat such as crispy bacon, leftover ham, or shredded, cooked chicken.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in February, 2016. The photos were updated in January, 2022.
I love this! My all-time favorite food is mac n cheese!
Thanks, Paula! You just can’t go wrong with the combo of pasta and cheese — especially when it’s this easy!! 🙂
Hi, Jean! I’ve never tried it with canned milk. Is the canned milk the same texture as regular refrigerated milk? If so, it would probably work fine! Just don’t use something with the consistency of condensed milk or evaporated milk.
2 cups of dry macaroni is about 1/2 lb. 🙂
I was given this recipe more than 40 years ago, to be used with Coopers Extra Sharp cheese. However, that cheese is unavailable where I am now (SE Asia) and every time I make it, I have a residue of milk in the bottom of the casserole dish! Good cheese here is not always readily available, only bland stuff. Tried increasing the oven temp, but that does not help . A friend brought over some Cracker Barrel sharp cheddar in a block which I shredded. but still same problem. Any good suggestions? Thanks
Hi, Charles! I honestly have no idea why the milk would be left at the bottom of the pan. Is the pasta fully cooked? If so, the pasta should absorb all of the liquid. It shouldn’t necessarily have to do with the quality of the cheese, although a good cheese is what will make the overall dish taste best! I’m sorry that I’m not much help as far as the milk situation is concerned. Maybe give it a good stir before baking in case it has all settled too much overnight? Again, sorry I can’t speak to this particular problem. 🙂
My family requests this every time we get together now. At first I had the same problem that Charles had but I started stirring it and baking about 10 minutes longer. So I figured my oven was off a little. It also thickens up after setting just a few minutes. My family loves it and I appreciate how easy it is since I’m getting up in years now. thanks so much.
I’m so happy to hear that, Lee. Thanks for sharing your tips, too!
You make the best dump and bake recipes, Blair! I can see why your kids like this better than the boxed kind. And I’m so impressed at how easy this is to make, too! My husband loves mac ‘n cheese, so I will have to surprise him with this one night. Pinned!
Thanks, Gayle! Dump-and-bake recipes suit my life right now! 🙂
yes an even easier way to make mac n’ cheese! Im all for this 🙂
Thanks, Rachel! It doesn’t GET any easier!
Oh yes!!! Loving this method. Anything to make life easier. Plus who doesn’t love mac and cheese. My ultimate guilty pleasure!!!!
THE BEST method — DUMP IT! 🙂 Hah! Thanks, Chrissa!
This is in my frig now. I can’t wait to try it.
Awesome, Jeanette!! Enjoy!! 🙂
How cool! I can build it before bed and then have it ready to pop in the oven after work! I can’t wait to try it!
PS love the note about block vs shredded. So so true…
Exactly, Erin! SOooo convenient! 🙂
Mac and cheese should be a no-brained to make, but I always somehow mess it up. I am making your recipe which is in the fridge right now. I have high hopes this will be great!
Excellent! I hope that it’s a winner in your house, Heannie!
Wow this is easier than the old fashion way. Going to try it ????
Yes!!! This is definitely WAY easier, Mary! 🙂
I love your simple recipe for mac and cheese, but it was to much for a single person. Do you happen to have a recipe that serve only two people.
Hi, Tonya! Yes, you can definitely prepare this dish to serve a smaller or larger crowd. The recipe is written to serve 8, so if you want a version that serves 4, you can just cut the ingredients in half. To serve 2, you would want to quarter the ingredients. For instance, you would use 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup uncooked macaroni, 1/2 T of butter, 4 oz cheese, and a pinch of salt. Bake it for the same amount of time, but use a smaller dish or individual ramekins. Hope that helps!
Do you think I could prepare the night before, as per ithe recipe and put in my casserole dish for my slow cooker then insert in morning and slow cook?
That’s a great idea, Shepherd! I think it would probably work, but I have no idea how long it would cook in the Crock Pot. Pasta that size doesn’t usually take too long, so I would guess only a couple of hours. Let me know if you give it a try!
Do you think this could be made with gluten free pasta?
Hi, Kehler! I have never cooked with gluten free pasta, so I have no idea how it compares to regular pasta in a dish like this.
That said, I have had other readers use gluten free pasta in similar recipes with good luck. So while I can’t guarantee that it will work from personal experience, I do know that others have found success. 🙂
Did you have success with gluten free pasta?
I made this using the “JOY” brand GF pasta and it was wonderful! Even those who don’t have to be GF loved it!
Awesome! So glad to know that it works for our gluten-free friends, too! 🙂
Hello! If I wanted to make this for a larger number of people (10 or so) and do 1.5 the recipe, do I increase the time it bakes?
Hi, Holly! The pasta will need the same amount of time to cook, no matter how large your quantity. So I’d start with the exact same baking instructions, check it, and add a few minutes if necessary. It shouldn’t be much different, though. Enjoy!
Hi! I haven’t had that problem with it being too liquidy. It’s going to be different than a Kraft Deluxe creamy mac and cheese where you make a white bechamel sauce first (since this doesn’t include a bechamel sauce at all), but your final product should be fairly dry — the pasta absorbs the liquid.
I’m not sure what went wrong with your recipe?
Does it have to be 24 hours? Will about 16 hours do the job?
Hi, Zoobia! No, it definitely does not need to be that long. 16 hours will do the job (even 8 or so hours would be good)! 🙂
This recipe sounds like it could work for us. We make a free meal for 150 people once a month. Most of them are kids so I thought mac and cheese sounded good until looking for recipes, so complicated. We make food in large roasters. How much would it take to make enough for 150 people?
Hi, Diane! I would think that you could make about 6 roasters (each holding a double recipe) to serve 150 kids. You might need as many as 7 or 8 roasters if you’re feeding adults or serving larger portions. Again, put a double recipe in each roaster. That means if you’re making 6 roasters, it’s actually 12 recipes of the mac and cheese. So multiply all of the ingredients by 12. I hope that makes sense! 🙂
Do you think this would work with unsweetened almond milk? Trying to make a diary free version.
Yes, I think it would work fine!
Hi, Christine! I’m so glad that the kids like it! I haven’t tried freezing the dish, so I honestly don’t know if it would work or not. I’m guessing that it would be fine, but again — I haven’t tested it myself. 🙂
Could I ysespaghettii stead of elbows?
Yes, I think that would probably work. You’ll need to break the spaghetti up into pieces, and since spaghetti usually has a slightly longer cooking time than elbows, you may need to add a bit of time in the oven. Just check it and see! 🙂
Made this delicious recipe for my family during the holidays. INSTANT HIT! Thank you.
Going to take it to a Super Bowl Party and want to know if you think it will work in a heavy-duty cardboard disposable pan.
Hi, Phyliss! I’m so glad that you all enjoyed it! I’m not familiar with the cardboard pans, so I can’t really weigh in. Is the pan sturdy enough to withstand the liquid overnight without disintegrating? That would be my only concern. Otherwise, it should work fine. If you have access to one, you could definitely use a disposable foil pan.
Yes! I would like to make it for a family get together tomorrow. However I bought the already shredded cheese. Will that make a huge difference?
Hi, Dale! I much prefer the hand grated cheese because it melts smoother and creamier. The pre-shredded cheese will work fine, but the texture of the finished dish just won’t be quite as good. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Blair!
I enjoy your posts and have had success with your other recipes!
I made this and I wanted to double check that I only use 2
Tablespoons of butter total? It turned out really good and so easy, however it was not enough salt for my family and I ???? anyways thanks for the recipe-michelle
Hi, Michelle! Thanks for your note! Yes, that’s correct — 2 tablespoons of butter. Of course, you should always feel free to season/salt to taste, based on what your family loves! 🙂