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    Home » Pasta

    Easy Baked Mac And Cheese Without Flour, Roux, Eggs (No Boil)

    Modified: Nov 20, 2025 by Parvathy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. 22 Comments

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    Easy baked no boil mac and cheese without extra flour or without roux (and eggless), made from scratch (homemade mac and cheese, not from the box) is my go to recipe if I wish to make a big batch of easy mac and cheese or pasta dish for dinner. As you can see, the mac and cheese is baked until golden brown and its very delicious but too easy to prepare!

    easy baked mac and cheese without roux

    More no boil easy pasta bake recipes in this blog includes no boil spaghetti bake, baked spinach cellentani pasta etc which makes simple, delicious pasta dinners!

    More easy mac and cheese recipes include instant pot creamy mac and cheese, one pot mac and cheese without eggs, broccoli mac and cheese, instant pot pumpkin mac and cheese and more!

    Contents hide
    1 Homemade Mac And Cheese From Scratch No Boil Pasta Recipe
    2 ingredients used to make no boil baked mac and cheese
    3 How To Make Easy Baked Mac And Cheese Without Roux (Flour) And No Eggs?
    4 Steps By Step Instructions to make easy baked mac and cheese
    5 Easy Baked Mac And Cheese Without Flour, Roux, Eggs (No Boil)
    5.1 Ingredients
    5.2 Instructions
    5.3 Notes
    5.4 Nutrition
    6 Tips To Make The Best Baked Mac And Cheese
    7 Can you make mac and cheese without milk?
    8 Substitute for milk in mac and cheese

    Homemade Mac And Cheese From Scratch No Boil Pasta Recipe

    And the best part is that you do not have to boil the pasta or noodles first following this recipe since this is a very simple and easy baked mac and cheese recipe without boiling the pasta in water first on stove top. We just bake this mac and cheese in the oven which makes this mac and cheese recipe the most easy baked mac and cheese recipe ever! This mac and cheese recipe is especially very useful during special occasions, as I am sure this is delicious that everyone including my kids will love this and also its enough for everyone with lots of leftovers.

    baked mac and cheese without roux eggless recipe

    When I say no flour, I mean I didn't use any flour to make roux as called in many mac and cheese recipes. But this is made using the macaroni shells which is made of durum wheat flour so this is not gluten free. If you want an easy mac & cheese recipe on stove top, try this simple, easy and creamy one pot mac and cheese recipe. The best thing with this baked mac and cheese recipe is that the effort needed to make this baked mac and cheese is minimal, we just need to dump everything and bake it!

    In the above picture, you can see baked mac and cheese served with perfectly boiled corn on the cob in the background. This is an eggless baked mac and cheese, its obviously vegetarian dish but not vegan since we use real cheese, milk, butter etc. There is no need to add flour or make roux as this is a very simple recipe for baked mac and cheese, but it taste delicious with minimal efforts.

    baked mac and cheese no egg recipe

    I usually bake mac and cheese during family dinners for occasions when you can easily prepare this in a large baking tray within few minutes and then bake the whole stuff!

    ingredients used to make no boil baked mac and cheese

    16 oz dry elbow pasta shells (about 4 cups)

    2 cups water

    4 cups whole milk

    1 stick butter

    5 cups shredded cheese I use a mix of cheddar and Mexican blend

    salt adjust to taste

    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    2 teaspoons onion powder

    How To Make Easy Baked Mac And Cheese Without Roux (Flour) And No Eggs?

    Steps By Step Instructions to make easy baked mac and cheese

    Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

    Step 2 - Layer the dry pasta shells in a single layer in a large sized baking pan or tray (9*13 pan is good).

    Step 3 - Also add the ingredients water, milk, garlic powder, onion powder and enough salt, stir in evenly.

    Step 4 - Also place the stick of butter on top.

    Step 5 - Place the baking tray in the oven, set the timer for one hour to bake the mac and cheese. In about few minutes (about 15 to 20 minutes), the butter will melt and so carefully open the oven and stir in the melted butter with the rest of the ingredients in the pan. The contents will be really hot at this time and also there is a chance of spilling hot liquid from the pan if you move it too much, so be careful while doing so. To avoid this step, you may add melted butter early in the process and mix in.

    Step 6 - Once the butter is stirred in, close the oven and bake for the rest of the time until the top begins to lightly brown and the inside is cooked.

    Step 7 - Check the contents in between (after about 50 minutes of time), since the oven temperatures can vary and in some cases the dish may get cooked early.

    Step 8 - Once the pasta is baked (we baked it for about an hour) and the top starts to lightly brown, carefully open the oven and add 4 cups of shredded cheese also to the pan and mix in with the cooked pasta. The pasta shells may seem stuck together as they are baked, but you can use a spoon to mix the cheese within the baked pasta carefully. Make sure to mix the cheese evenly with the pasta.

    Step 9 - Layer the remaining one cup of shredded cheese to the top of the pasta evenly. If you wish, you may add slightly more amount of cheese on top.

    Step 10 - To get the most delicious cheesy baked mac and cheese which is lightly golden brown in color, increase the oven temperature to 400 degree Fahrenheit and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the cheese on top is also completely melted and lightly browned on top!

    This last step of increasing the oven temperature to do the final baking is very important, as it helps to bake the perfect mac and cheese that is delicious and golden brown when baked. Enjoy the baked mac and cheese while it is still slightly hot or warm for the best results. If serving later, you may reheat it in the oven as you usually do.

    baked mac and cheese without roux

    Easy Baked Mac And Cheese Without Flour, Roux, Eggs (No Boil)

    This eggless, no boil easy baked mac and cheese without extra flour, roux, without eggs is so simple to make and its very delicious too.
    Following this method you can easily learn how to make simple and easy mac and cheese without boiling the pasta or noodles in water first, as we just do the baking to prepare the delicious mac and cheese.
    4.77 from 26 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: baked mac and cheese
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 6 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 11 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 426kcal
    Author: Parvathy

    Ingredients

    • 16 oz dry elbow pasta shells (about 4 cups)
    • 2 cups water
    • 4 cups whole milk
    • 1 stick butter
    • 5 cups shredded cheese I use a mix of cheddar and Mexican blend
    • salt adjust to taste
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
    • Layer the dry pasta shells in a single layer in a large sized baking pan or tray (9*13 pan is good).
    • Also add the ingredients water, milk, garlic powder, onion powder and enough salt, stir in evenly.
    • Also place the stick of butter on top.
    • Place the baking tray in the oven, set the timer for one hour to bake the mac and cheese.
    • In about few minutes (about 15 to 20 minutes), the butter will melt and so carefully open the oven and stir in the melted butter with the rest of the ingredients in the pan.
      The contents will be really hot at this time and also there is a chance of spilling hot liquid from the pan if you move it too much, so be careful while doing so.
      To avoid this step, you may add melted butter early in the process and mix in.
    • Once the butter is stirred in, close the oven and bake for the rest of the time until the top begins to lightly brown and the inside is cooked.
    • Check the contents in between (after about 50 minutes of time), since the oven temperatures can vary and in some cases the dish may get cooked early.
    • Once the pasta is baked (we baked it for about an hour) and the top starts to lightly brown, carefully open the oven and add 4 cups of shredded cheese also to the baking pan and mix in with the cooked pasta.
      The pasta shells may seem to stuck together as they are baked, but you can use a spoon to mix the cheese within the baked pasta carefully. Make sure to mix the cheese evenly with the pasta.
    • Layer the remaining one cup of shredded cheese to the top of the pasta evenly. If you wish, you may add slightly more amount of cheese on top.
    • To get the most delicious cheesy baked mac and cheese which is lightly golden brown in color, increase the oven temperature to 400 degree Fahrenheit and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the cheese on top is also completely melted and lightly browned on top!
      This last step of increasing the oven temperature to do the final baking is very important, as it helps to bake the perfect mac and cheese that is delicious and golden brown when baked.
    • Enjoy the baked mac and cheese while it is still slightly hot or warm for the best results. If serving later, you may reheat it in the oven as you usually do.

    Notes

    This amount of mac and cheese gives enough for a large family or a small gathering or party, so you can make this for special occasions or any day as you like.
    I made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was delicious, even my picky kids loved it! In fact, I usually make this mac and cheese for most of the Thanksgiving dinners, sometimes with a little variety as well (like adding some veggies).
    The addition of onion powder and garlic powder easily add flavor to the mac and cheese, but you can adjust the spices to your liking if you wish and add other flavorings if you want to.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 675IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 412mg | Iron: 1mg

    Tips To Make The Best Baked Mac And Cheese

    To make the best and easy baked mac and cheese without roux or extra flour, make sure to use the best quality macaroni pasta shells (elbow pasta shells).

    I recommend using the regular kind of pasta shells for this (not gluten free or whole wheat or any other kind) for the best results. I am not sure if gluten free pasta or any other kind of pasta like whole wheat pasta or chickpea pasta will work for this recipe since I haven't tried them myself. Sof if you are not on a specific diet, stick with regular macaroni pasta shells for this baked mac and cheese recipe.

    The kind of cheese that you use for this baked mac and cheese recipe is very important as it decides the flavor and cheesy texture of the baked mac and cheese. Make sure to use the recommended amount of cheese for the recipe, or it may not turn out good.

    The cheese in the dish helps the pasta to thicken so if you use less cheese, it may end up with a lot of liquid mess. To avoid this, make sure to use the recommended amount of cheese! Also, it is very important to use good quality cheese.

    If you can, it is always best to shred the cheese yourself at home. If you use packaged shredded cheese, make sure you are familiar with the cheese that you are using and its good for baking. Because some of the shredded cheese comes with extra ingredients and may make the pasta dry when it cooks. So use the cheese that you normally use for pasta dishes so you know its of good quality!

    I recommend a mix of Mexican blend and cheddar cheese, which is what I prefer, but you may try other shredded cheese which you prefer also but make sure to use good quality cheese that you normally use in pasta.

    Can you make mac and cheese without milk?

    If you want to make mac and cheese without milk, you will need to replace the milk with any substitutes for milk. You may even make the mac and cheese in water instead of milk, if you want to reduce the total amount of calories. However, keep in mind that if you make mac and cheese without milk by using substitutes for milk in the recipe, it could affect the flavor the dish depending on what substitute you used. If you use water instead of milk, the mac and cheese will be less creamy in texture.

    Substitute for milk in mac and cheese

    Substitutes for milk in mac and cheese include plant based milk options like almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk etc or other dairy options like sour cream, yogurt, heavy cream, cream cheese etc! However, you may also make delicious mac and cheese using plain water or you can use leftover water from cooking pasta.

    You may also use broths like vegetable broth (or any broth of your choice) to make mac and cheese. If you decide to substitute milk with water or any other substitutes, you may also additional ingredients like canned pumpkin to make pumpkin mac and cheese, pureed butternut squash, minced onions etc for more flavor.

    If you want to make the mac and cheese vegan, you may also replace butter with any vegan butter and also replace the cheese with vegan option, though the flavor of the mac and cheese could vary based on the substitutes you use.

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    Comments

    1. Christine says

      August 19, 2020 at 11:31 am

      I LOVE this recipe! It's so simple, delicious, and easy to customize.

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        August 19, 2020 at 12:57 pm

        Hi Christine, Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂 I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    2. Amie says

      November 24, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      Do you cover with foil while baking?

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        November 24, 2020 at 1:11 pm

        Hi Amie, I did not cover the pan with foil. Thank you.

        Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      January 13, 2021 at 10:15 pm

      Excellent. Finally found a great easy recipe. Sprinkled a little panko with melted butter on top for the last 10 min. Loved by all.

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        January 13, 2021 at 10:25 pm

        I am so glad to hear this! It's a great idea to add panko on top. Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂

        Reply
    4. LB says

      January 17, 2021 at 11:06 pm

      THIS IS THE BEST MAC & CHEESE recipe~ thank you so much for sharing!!! I added a bit of shredded Parmesan & some breadcrumbs along with the cheddar on top. We used extra sharp Tillamook cheese as well~ just like my grandma used to. Delicious says the entire family of mac ‘n cheese connoisseurs😊🧀

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        January 18, 2021 at 1:54 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback!! Much appreciated! I am so glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed the mac and cheese. Thanks again 🙂

        Reply
    5. Anonymous says

      February 12, 2021 at 4:07 pm

      Do you add salted or unsalted butter?

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        February 12, 2021 at 4:11 pm

        I used unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, you will need to adjust the amount of salt that you add accordingly. If the butter has salt, you will need to add only less amount of salt than ususal. Thank you.

        Reply
    6. Jay says

      October 25, 2021 at 3:57 pm

      Hi there. Please clarify your macaroni amount calling for 4 cups. My measuring cup says 2 cups = 16 ounces. Thank you so much! Was thinking perhaps that’s the finished/cooked amount?? My pasta is in bulk, so I just wanna get it right, lol!

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        October 25, 2021 at 6:03 pm

        Hi Jay, 16 oz dry macaroni is 4 cups. When the measuring cup says 2 cups equals 16 ounces that usually says the measurement of liquids. For dry pasta like macaroni, 16 oz is equivalent to 4 cups. You can use a 16 oz macaroni which is the same as 1 lbs or 1 pound box of packaged macaroni. If your pasta is in bulk, you can measure 4 cups of dry macaroni to use in this recipe. Hope this helps & thank you so much for trying this recipe 🙂

        Reply
    7. KD says

      November 28, 2021 at 10:44 pm

      What is the equivalent of a one pound brick of butter to a stick? I plan on making this in the next couple of days using a mix of cheddar and either smoked gouda or gruyere.

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        November 28, 2021 at 11:07 pm

        One pound butter is equivalent to 2 cups of butter whereas one stick of butter is just half cup of butter. We only need half cup butter in this recipe. Hope this helps. Thank you.

        Reply
    8. Efrem says

      February 06, 2022 at 1:13 pm

      Hi

      On Line #9 , it states to carefully open the pan which makes me think the pan is covered. ???
      Looking forward to making this. Also from 5 cups cheese, how much were cheddar and how much were Mexican blend? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        February 06, 2022 at 4:20 pm

        Hi, I am sorry for the confusion. That was a mistake which I have corrected now. The pan is not to be covered and I meant to say "open the oven" which I have updated in the post now. Thank you so much for pointing it out. With regards to the type of cheese, I usually use a mix of cheddar and Mexican blend and sometimes I use more cheddar while sometimes I use more Mexican blend. They both work for me so if I have only one of that, I just use it. It is just a personal preference, so you can use whichever is your favorite cheese for mac and cheese. Hope this helps. Thank you!

        Reply
    9. kp says

      November 23, 2022 at 8:21 pm

      I'm so happy I found this on Thanksgiving eve! It was easy, easy ingredients, and tastes delicious!

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        November 23, 2022 at 9:04 pm

        I am so glad to hear this! Yes, this is so easy to make and my go to recipe for baked mac and cheese for Thanksgiving as well! Thank you so much for leaving your feedback, much appreciated 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!!

        Reply
    10. LMK says

      November 27, 2022 at 10:42 pm

      This is just like Mom used to make, but easier! I added extra garlic, onion, and some pepper. Superb!

      Reply
      • Recipe Garden says

        November 27, 2022 at 11:22 pm

        Thank you so much for your kind comment! I am so happy to hear this is just like what you mom used to make! Adding more garlic, onion and peppers sounds great. Thanks again for the feedback 🙂

        Reply
    11. Terry says

      July 25, 2025 at 3:28 pm

      This is the only recipe that I have used for Mac-n-cheese since it first appeared several years ago. I've made it dozens of times, some with slight variations to the base recipe with different cheeses, etc.; all with great results and cheesy goodness!

      Reply
      • Parvathy says

        July 25, 2025 at 8:52 pm

        Hi Terry, I am so glad to hear this! Yes, this is my go to recipe for easy baked mac and cheese as well! I am soon going to post another one with rotini pasta! Slightly different method but its delicious as well, hope you try that too sometime 🙂

        Reply
    4.77 from 26 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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