One Dish Oven Baked Mac and Cheese (No-Boil)

The pot of mac & cheese out of the oven and with a blue striped towel

4.92 from 12 votes

One Dish Oven Baked Mac and Cheese (No-Boil)

An easy one-dish baked mac and cheese made with uncooked elbow macaroni, milk, vegetable broth, butter, and cheddar cheese. No need to boil the pasta or make a separate cheese sauce.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword baked, baked mac and cheese, mac & cheese, one dish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 673kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

2 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 ½ cups whole milk
4 tablespoons dried minced onion
4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ stick, cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Add the vegetable broth, uncooked elbow macaroni, milk, dried minced onion, butter, and flour to a large oven-safe casserole dish. Stir well to combine. Cover the casserole dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 350° F for 50 minutes, carefully stirring twice during baking, scraping up any pasta that may have stuck to the dish.
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven. Sprinkle in the shredded cheddar cheese, and stir until completely melted and the sauce is creamy. Let the mac and cheese rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Use whole milk for the creamiest result, though 2% or skim milk can also be used.

Freshly shredded cheddar melts especially well.

Don't add the cheese at the beginning. It is stirred in after the pasta has finished baking.

Make sure the casserole dish is tightly covered during baking so the pasta has enough moisture to cook.

Stir carefully when removing the dish from the oven because the contents will be very hot.

Let leftover mac and cheese cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave until hot, stirring once or twice. If the mac and cheese seems dry, stir in a small splash of milk before reheating.

For larger portions, reheat gently in a covered oven-safe dish at 325°F until warmed through. Add a little milk if needed to loosen the sauce.

This can be frozen, although the texture may be slightly less creamy after freezing and thawing. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently with a splash of milk.

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