Easy No-Bake Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
on Jul 07, 2014, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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Easy No-Bake Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is a faster version of the popular oven-baked pasta dish. This mac and cheese recipe is perfect for a busy week night or a bowl of simple comfort food.
I’m a huge mac n’ cheese connoisseur. You need to try these recipes too: Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon, Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese and Quick and Easy Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese.
Best No-Bake Mac and Cheese Recipe
Happy Monday Friends!
Post-holiday Monday’s are rough, aren’t they? I have laundry up to my eyeballs and tired kids who still seem to be coming off their sugar high. The last things that I want to do it think about dinner because all I really want is a popsicle, some leftover parade candy, and maybe a slice of pie. If you are in the same boat then I have a great recipe for easy homemade macaroni and cheese for you today. It’s so simple, it’s one of my kids’ very favorite dishes, and you probably have everything on hand to make it. I love that this recipe is just real food – noodles, cheese, milk, eggs… no odd little packets of neon orange powder with strangely slimy “noodles” in sight. I’m not saying it’s healthy but it’s so much better than the blue box counterpart. Do yourself, and your family a favor, and make this for dinner tonight. Add a side of fresh peas and some watermelon and you have yourself a delightful meal done in about 25 minutes.
The recipe comes from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. It’s tried, true, and tastes great! The recipes actually been floating around the blog for a few years and I just retook the pictures so I thought I’d re-share it. I started making this mac-n-cheese ages ago and now it’s just normal. Throw in the noodles, add the milk, eggs, and cheese after they done, and stir. It really takes no time and tastes like real food. Once you get into the habit of making this easy meal you’ll never make another.
What kind of cheese is best for mac and cheese?
I would argue that cheddar is the best cheese for homemade macaroni and cheese. The sharper the better. I really like Cabot Seriously Sharp.
How do I make my homemade macaroni and cheese less soupy?
The cheese sauce is a bit soupy right after making. You can either let it stand for 10 minutes before serving or just give your family spoons and serve it in a bowl. The sauce does thicken as it cools and as the macaroni absorbs it.
What goes good with mac and cheese?
I like to serve a vegetable side, salad or some bread with mac and cheese. Here are a few suggestions: Roasted Spring Vegetables, Easy Apple Spinach Salad with an Apple Vinaigrette or Homemade Italian Bread.
Easy no-bake homemade Mac-n-Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups macaroni or medium sized shell noodles
- 2 eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk, 12 ounce
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups cheddar, shredded , (the sharper the better, I like Cabot Seriously Sharp)
Instructions
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, stir in noodles and cook until almost tender.
- Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, half of the evaporated milk, dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Set the pot over low heat and stir in the butter until melted.
- Stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheddar. Continue to cook over low heat, gradually stirring in the remaining milk and cheddar, until the mixture is hot and creaming, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few other quick pasta dishes on Bless this Mess that we love:
- Linguine Rose with Shrimp
- Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
- One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta
- Skillet Taco Pasta made with ground beef
- Classic Tuna Pasta Salad
- Spinach Bacon Pasta Salad
- Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta
- Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Baked Pasta
- 30 Minute Simple Roasted Tomato and Sausage Pasta
You really can’t go wrong with this classic, comfort food. Easy No-Bake Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is perfect for a busy week night.
Thanks so much for be here. I like you.
May I use whole milk instead of evaporated milk?
Yes! Just don’t cook it too hot because it tends to curdle way more easily than the canned milk.
I usually make my own mac and cheese but have never tried it with the eggs. Since I’m always trying to find new ways to use my free range eggs, this will be supper tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
Why do you add an egg to a stove top recipe?
It helps to thicken it and make it creamy!
Hi Melissa
You are wonderful
I really hate cooking but your recipes are so quick and prep time quick
Thankyiy so much
Yummy!
I made this, finally, last week and OH MY GOSH. So delicious. I wanted to eat the whole thing by myself but, fortunately for my kids and waistline, refrained. <3
I made this for the first time tonight after having it for a while, and it was WONDERFUL! I’ve always had a preference for stove-top macaroni, but could never find one to my liking. THIS is my NEW recipe for macaroni!
You mention dry mustard in the list of ingredients but no salt, then in the instructions, you mention salt but no dry mustard. Is that a typo or do you use both?
I got it all straighten out! thanks for mentioning that. I like both!
You mention mixing in tabasco but it is not shown in the ingredient list that I can see. How much? TIA
Ooops! This is an old recipe revisited… I used to add a few drops but don’t any more. I’ll change the recipe, thanks for pointing it out!
This is exactly how mac & cheese should be, the perfect recipe.
That America’s Test Kitchen is never wrong… and it really is perfect. We make it all of the time! Thanks Matt!