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Can I Make Macoroni & Cheese Sauce Without Flour

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Making Mac and Cheese has never been this easy! With just 10 minutes of prep and 45 minutes in the oven you can make the best baked Mac and Cheese - in one pan, without boiling, and without flour. With both Cheddar and Gruyere this is as cheesy & flavor packed as it gets!

simple mac and cheese without flour in an oven dish
Jump to:
  • Why you will love this recipe
  • What you need to make it
  • How to make it
  • Tips & tricks
  • Recipe FAQ
  • What to Serve with Mac and Cheese
  • Recipe
  • Reviews

Who doesn't love a good Mac and Cheese? I, for one, have always been partial to this queen of comfort foods. But, I seldom made it myself - because all the good recipes required boiling the pasta, making a roux... and that's just too much work for me.

So instead I created this simple Mac and Cheese recipe without flour. It's got all the flavor, perfectly cooked pasta, and is cheesy to a fault. Try it, and you will never go back to making Mac and Cheese the old-fashioned way!

Why you will love this recipe

  • It's so quick to prep - 10 minutes (or less)
  • All done in an hour - and it mostly cooks itself
  • It's so easy - just mix the ingredients and bake it
  • Cleanup is a breeze - just one pot, it doesn't get much easier
  • Perfectly cooked pasta that's been cooking away in milk & cream & cheese
  • Super cheesy and creamy
  • So much flavor from cheddar & gruyere

What you need to make it

ingredients for a simple mac and cheese without flour

Ingredient notes & substitutions

  • Milk can be swapped for cream or half and half
  • Cheese is best when you shred it yourself. But in a pinch you can use store bought shredded cheese.
  • Gruyere cheese can be switched for another cheese that melts well & has a lot of taste - like Comté, Emmental, Jarlsberg, Raclette or Parmesan cheese
  • Cheddar cheese can be switched for another well-melting, more mellow cheese, like Edam, Gouda, Brick cheese or Mozzarella

How to make it

collage showing how to make a simple mac and cheese without flour
  1. Place cheese and seasonings in an oven dish
  2. Mix well
  3. Add macaroni and mix well again
  4. Pour in cream
collage showing how to make a simple mac and cheese without flour
  1. Pour in milk
  2. Use a spoon to ensure all pieces of macaroni and cheese are submerged
  3. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, bring it out and mix gently, then place it back in the oven. With 5 minutes left, raise the temperature to 400°F (200°C)
  4. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
a spoonful of mac and cheese being lifted out of the pan

Tips & tricks

  • Use your favorite cheeses - see tips for what cheeses to use above, but feel free to experiment
  • Mix the seasonings well with the cheese to ensure an even flavor distribution
  • Mix it after baking for 30 minutes to allow more starch to release into the sauce
  • Allow to rest for the sauce to set, if you skip this it will be a bit runny
  • Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days
  • Reheat leftovers:
    • Oven: Cover with foil and heat at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes
    • Microwave: Heat in 1 minute increments
simple mac and cheese without flour in an oven dish

Recipe FAQ

Don't I need to cook the pasta first?

No! The pasta cooks just as well in the oven as it does stove top - it just takes a bit more time.

Don't I need to add flour to thicken it?

No! To thicken the sauce you need some kind of starch. And the good thing is, pasta contains a lot of it. It's released into the milk and cream as it cooks - and even more when you mix it all after 30 minutes.

Allowing the mac and cheese to rest for 10 minutes before serving then allows the sauce to set and thicken further.

simple mac and cheese without flour in an oven dish

What to Serve with Mac and Cheese

This easy Macaroni and Cheese is delicious on its own, but I prefer to serve it as a side. Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve it with:

  • Grilled Lemon Basil Chicken
  • Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
  • Homemade Meatballs
  • Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
  • Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

Did you love this recipe? Give it a 5 star rating!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.

Recipe

a spoonful of mac and cheese being lifted out of the pan

  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
  • ½ teaspoon paprika powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1.5 cup macaroni pasta
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

  • Bring out a round oven dish that's about 6x2 inches (15x5 cm) or a different shape but similar in size. Place the two types of cheese in the dish and mix well.

    1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

  • Season with paprika powder, salt and black pepper, and mix well.

    ½ teaspoon paprika powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • Add macaroni pasta and mix again. Then use a spoon to even out the surface.

    1.5 cup macaroni pasta

  • Pour in the cream and milk, then use a spoon to ensure all pieces of macaroni and cheese are submerged.

    1.5 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk

  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and mix gently. Place back in the oven for 15 more minutes. With 5 minutes left, raise the heat to 400°F (200°C).

  • Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

  • Measuring cups (metric or US)*

  • Oven dish - round 6x2 inches (4 cups)/or 15x5 cm (1 liter) or similar size in another shape

Ingredient notes & substitutions

  • Milk can be swapped forcream or half and half
  • Cheese is best when youshred it yourself. But in a pinch you can use store bought shredded cheese.
  • Gruyere cheese can be swapped for another cheese that melts well & has a lot of taste - likeComté,Emmental,Jarlsberg,Raclette orParmesancheese
  • Cheddar cheese can be swapped for another well-melting, more mellow cheese, likeEdam, Gouda, Brick cheese or Mozzarella

Tips & tricks

  • Use your favorite cheeses - see tips for what cheeses to use above, but feel free to experiment
  • Mix the seasonings well with the cheeseto ensure an even flavor distribution
  • Mix it after baking for 30 minutes to allow more starch to release into the sauce
  • Allow to restfor the sauce to set, if you skip this it will be a bit runny
  • Store leftovers in the fridgein an air tight container for up to 4 days
  • Reheat leftovers:
    • Oven:Cover with foil and heat at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes
    • Microwave: Heat in 1 minute increments

Calories: 799 kcal | Carbohydrates: 36 g | Protein: 29 g | Fat: 60 g | Saturated Fat: 37 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17 g | Cholesterol: 209 mg | Sodium: 727 mg | Potassium: 311 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 2272 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 776 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.

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Can I Make Macoroni & Cheese Sauce Without Flour

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