Creamy No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese – hands down the BEST mac & cheese EVER! Cottage cheese, milk, dijon mustard, cayenne, salt, pepper, sharp cheddar cheese, and macaroni. Everything cooks in the same pan, even the pasta! Can make the cheese mixture ahead of time and add noodles right before baking. Delicious side dish or meatless main dish.

The BEST Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite side dishes, and this No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese recipe is the best of the best. There are only a few simple ingredients in this casserole – macaroni, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, and milk. It is so easy to make and it tastes AMAZING! Don’t worry if you don’t like cottage cheese; I couldn’t taste it. It just added a really nice creaminess to the whole dish. We served this as a side dish, but I could have easily eaten this as my meal. It is the BEST!

How to Make Creamy No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese

As I said, this casserole is effortless to make. In a food processor or blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper together. Combine shredded cheddar cheese, uncooked macaroni and the cottage cheese mixture. Pour into a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Top with more cheddar cheese and bake an additional 30 minutes. Let the pasta rest for 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy!

• You can use any shredded cheese that you enjoy. Gouda or Colby would be delicious.
• Feel free to toss in some cooked chicken, steak, bacon, or ham and turn this side dish into an easy main dish.
• Can No-Boil Mac & Cheese be made in advance? you can make the cheese mixture ahead of time and add noodles right before baking.
• It is important to let the casserole rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving. The mixture will be hot and runny when it comes out of the oven. Once it has cooled a bit it will be super creamy and delicious.

What to Serve with Mac & Cheese

Did you know that we actually consider it to be a vegetable in the South? Right or wrong, that is just the way it is. I for one and fine with it. This recipe tastes just like Southern macaroni and cheese is supposed to taste. Super cheesy, creamy, and delicious! This casserole goes with absolutely everything – chicken, pork, casseroles, steak. Anything! You can even serve this as a meatless main dish. YUM! You must make this ASAP!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this cheesy pasta:

Beef

Melt in your Mouth Steaks

Melt in Your Mouth Steaks – the best steak marinade EVER! The steaks are so tender and juicy. They literally…

Grilled Chicken

Awesome Sauce Chicken

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Pork

Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe – the BEST pork we’ve ever eaten! So simple with only 5 ingredients in the…

Main Dish

Cola Glazed Baked Ham

Cola Glazed Baked Ham – you’ll never buy a fancy store-bought honey-glazed baked ham again! Only 3 ingredients in the…

Recipe Print Recipe

Creamy No-Boil Macaroni & Cheese

Author: Plain Chicken

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Creamy No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese – hands down the BEST mac & cheese EVER! Cottage cheese, milk, dijon mustard, cayenne, salt, pepper, sharp cheddar cheese, and macaroni. Everything cooks in the same pan, even the pasta! Can make the cheese mixture ahead of time and add noodles right before baking. Delicious side dish or meatless main dish.

Equipment:

• Food Processor
• Blender
• 9-inch Square Baking Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• pinch cayenne
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 -oz uncooked elbow pasta

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly spray a 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a food processor or blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper together.
• Reserve ¼ cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, cottage cheese mixture, and uncooked pasta.
• Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
• Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• You can use any shredded cheese that you enjoy. Gouda or colby would be delicious.
• Feel free to toss in some cooked chicken, steak, or ham and turn this side dish into an easy main dish.
• Can No-Boil Mac & Cheese be made in advance? you can make the cheese mixture ahead of time and add noodles right before baking.
• It is important to let the casserole rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving. The mixture will be hot and runny when it comes out of the oven. Once it has cooled a bit it will be super creamy and delicious.

Plain Chicken

https://www.plainchicken.com/creamy-no-boil-macaroni-and-cheese/

All images and text © Plain Chicken, Inc.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @plainchicken or tag #plainchicken!

Steph