One Pan Macaroni and Cheese makes it a breeze to prepare homemade mac & cheese at home with a no-boil, one pan recipe. Thank you Milk Means More – United Dairy Industry of Michigan for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
During my conversation with Katie Dellar of Nu-Dream Dairy, she mentioned that one of her favorite dairy-rich recipes is macaroni and cheese. Katie is totally my people. Obviously. Whether it’s serving a bowl of creamy, comforting memories with Grandma’s Mac and Cheese, the sassy, spiced chorizo variety of Queso Mac and Cheese, the toddler-inspired slow cooker Creamed Corn Macaroni and Cheese, or even sneaking in a little hidden nutrition, as with my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, tender pasta paired with creamy cheese sauces are my “spirit animal” foods.
Katie relies on her simple, no boil recipe because it assembles in about 15 minutes before going in the oven. I’m a big fan of recipes that combine real food ingredients, yet require minimal preparation time. As a fellow mom of four kids, Katie understands the necessity of multi-tasking when it comes to meal time. The meal comes together quickly, giving Katie time to finish chores in the barn while the cheesy mac bakes.
During our conversation, Katie rattled off the rough ingredient ratios that she typically uses in her recipe. She then gave me her blessing to experiment a bit while nailing down exact measurements to “make it pretty enough to share” here on the blog. How could I not?
One Pan Macaroni and Cheese is easily adapted to include a variety of favorite cheeses. One thing that Katie and I are both adamant about is using freshly grated, good quality cheeses. This creates the best tasting macaroni and cheese. The additives that prevent pre-shredded cheeses from sticking together hinder the cheese from melting to its full potential. One Pan Macaroni and Cheese isn’t quite as creamy as a recipe that uses a roux and separately boiled noodles. However, the results still yield a cheesy, carbalicious bowl of macaroni and cheese with little effort. And even better, there are fewer dishes to wash.
One Pan Macaroni and Cheese is a delicious, easy way to satisfy comfort food cravings on a busy weeknight. Give it a try!
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 6
One Pan Macaroni and Cheese recipe makes it a breeze to prepare homemade mac & cheese at home with this no-boil, one pan recipe.
15 minPrep Time
1 hr, 15 Cook Time
1 hr, 30 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 3 C. dried macaroni, divided
- 1 1/2 C. freshly grated mild cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 1/4 C. freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 5 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, divided
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 5 C. 2% milk
- Optional for Serving:
- Crisp, crumbled bacon
- Additional shredded cheese
- Freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Smear the teaspoon of softened butter around the interior of a 13”x9”x2” glass baking dish to coat.
- Layer half of the dried macaroni across the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar and parmesan cheeses evenly over the macaroni. Evenly scatter half of the chilled butter cubes over the cheese. Repeat the layers with the dried macaroni, cheese, and cubed butter. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the milk over all, being sure to moisten all of the pasta. Look for any macaroni noodles that are sticking upward over the surface of the milk, and then gently press them flat underneath the milk.
- Bake the macaroni and cheese for one hour or until the noodles are soft, milk has been completely absorbed, and cheese is melted and smooth. Serve immediately.
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