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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Course / Main Meal / Easy Macaroni Cheese

Easy Macaroni Cheese

Published on January 16, 2017 by Helen 39 Comments
Last Updated on April 22, 2020

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This delicious and easy macaroni cheese is made in minutes, with no roux worries when making the sauce. The easiest fuss-free version of Mac n cheese ever! 

A close up of a dish of easy macaroni and cheese with a crispy top.

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll love my Easy Macaroni Cheese
  • How to Make No Roux Macaroni Cheese
  • Hints, tips and variations for Easy Macaroni Cheese
  • Easy Macaroni Cheese
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes

Why You’ll love my Easy Macaroni Cheese

Who doesn’t love an easy macaroni and cheese recipe? Creamy cheese sauce coating al dente pasta makes for a wonderfully comforting meal, perfect for a work night supper. This recipe is especially loveable, as it gets dinner on the table in 25 minutes: perfect for a weeknight supper for 2.

This recipe has only six simple ingredients, so you save money compared to packet mac’n’cheese. And by cooking from scratch you know exactly what’s going into your meal; there are no artificial colours or preservatives here.

This recipe for simple macaroni and cheese uses our easy cheese sauce recipe that doesn’t start with a roux, so it not only saves time but also means no worries about lumps. You simply melt the cheese sauce together and then pour it over cooked macaroni, and finish the dish in the oven.

Its delicious as is, but this is a recipe that’s ripe for variation. Add bacon, or roasted squash for even more flavour.

How to Make No Roux Macaroni Cheese

The six ingredients for tasty macaroni and cheese

Step one – take a moment and measure out ingredients. Heat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

Step two – boil a large saucepan of boiling water and cook the macaroni according to packet instructions.

Grated cheese shaken with cornflour.

Step three – mix the cornflour and grated cheese. You can either shake them together in a box (lid on!), or stir together in a bowl.

Cheese sauce coating the back of a spoon

Step four – add the cheese and cornflour, milk, mustard and tomato paste to a small saucepan. Heat over a low heat, stirring constantly. The cheese will melt and after a few minutes the sauce will thicken. Once this has happened, take the sauce off the heat and put to one side.

Adding pasta water to make a smooth and silky cheese sauce.

Step five – when the macaroni has cooked, spoon off 3 tablespoons of pasta water, drain the pasta and then return to the saucepan. Add the reserved pasta water to the sauce and stir it in. Then add the sauce to the pasta and mix together well.

Top tip. Adding some of the water that the pasta was cooked in to the sauce makes for a deliciously smooth and silky sauce.

Mac and cheese with extra cheese on top ready for the oven.

Step six – transfer the mixture to a 15 x 10 cm (5″ x 4″) pie dish, and top with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese. Cook in the oven for xx minutes until the top is golden and crispy. Serve immediately.

Finished mac and cheese with a crispy top

Hints, tips and variations for Easy Macaroni Cheese

  • If you have some leftover cooked sausages or bacon? Cut into chunks and add to the mixture before it goes into the pie dish.
  • For a spot of zing, use a blue cheese such as stilton.
  • Add some mozzarella for stringy cheese sauce
  • Make brie and bacon macaroni cheese.
  • Add pre-roasted butternut squash for extra veg

A top down picture of an enamel dish of macaroni and cheese, with a spoon being removed.

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4.83 from 34 votes

Easy Macaroni Cheese

This delicious and easy macaroni cheese is made in minutes, with no roux worries when making the sauce. The easiest fuss-free version of Mac n cheese ever! 
Servings: 2 people
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time10 mins

Ingredients

For The Easy Cheese Sauce

  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 70 g cheese (grated)
  • 70 ml milk
  • ½ tsp mustard
  • ½ tsp tomato puree

Other Ingredients For Macaroni Cheese

  • 100 g macaroni
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs (for topping)
  • 70 g cheese (grated, for topping)

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 200°C /fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6.
  • Start cooking the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, according to packet instructions.
  • Mix the cornflour and grated cheese, either by stirring together in a bowl or by shaking in a plastic box.
  • Put the cheese and cornflour mixture into a small saucepan. Add the milk, mustard and tomato puree and heat gently on a low heat, stirring constantly.
  • After a couple of minutes, the sauce will thicken. Take off the heat
  • When the pasta is mostly cooked, spoon off 3 tablespoons of pasta water and add to the sauce. When the pasta is cooked, drain well.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, and stir well. Pour the mixture into a 15 x1 0 cm (6" x 4") pie dish. Top with the rest of the grated cheese and breadcrumbs.
  • Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the top is golden and crispy.

Notes

  • The mustard and tomato puree are optional, but they do give the sauce a gorgeous rich orange colour. You could add a little red chilli too, to create a Mexican feel. 
  • Substitute some of the cheddar with mozzarella for a really stringy sauce.
  • Make a double or quadruple batch and serve in a fondue pan over a low flame at a party – try using gruyère and Dijon mustard instead of the cheddar and tomato. 
  • Reheat in the microwave on low power for 30 seconds, then in bursts of 10 seconds.  
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Macaroni Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 537 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 541mg24%
Potassium 246mg7%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 758IU15%
Calcium 573mg57%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main, Pasta
Cuisine: British
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Filed Under: Main Meal, Pasta, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Recipes by Course Ingredients: Cheese, Pasta

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Agata

    5 stars
    Nice twist on the classic. Love the no roux method!

    Reply
    • Helen

      It does give a tasty addition to a classic meal.

      Reply
  2. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

    5 stars
    This is such a homey meal! Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese — I love adding extra flavors to these kinds of dishes to round it out and make it a balanced meal — not that I couldn’t eat a plate of mac and cheese by itself…

    Reply
    • Helen

      The added extras just make it that little bit more moreish.

      Reply
  3. sue | theviewfromgreatisland

    4 stars
    I love this no roux method! Perfection!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thank you Sue. Good luck on the hunt for the ham, hopefully you’ll find some.

      Reply
  4. Talya

    5 stars
    We love macaroni cheese and love the idea of this rendition giving it extra fuss free flavour!

    Reply
    • Helen

      An easy dish made tastier.

      Reply
  5. Amanda | The Kitcheneer

    5 stars
    YUM! Love the addition to this classic comfort dish!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Such an easy thing to make too.

      Reply
  6. Elinor aka Beachhutcook

    5 stars
    Love this twist on the classic!

    Reply
    • Helen

      It would be the perfect meal for camping out.

      Reply
  7. Jo

    5 stars
    This looks fab! We made this and I’ll never be going back to the roux method

    Reply
  8. Deborah Nicholas

    oh that looks delicious and my little ones are always asking for macaroni cheese too!

    Reply
    • Helen

      I’m sure your little ones would enjoy this dish too.

      Reply
  9. hannah

    This looks great for the winter and really easy to make too

    Reply
    • Helen

      It is the perfect winter comfort food.

      Reply
  10. Helen

    It is an all time favourite comfort food, isn’t it.

    Reply
  11. Mellissa Williams

    5 stars
    Macaroni cheese is such a tasty comfort dish, love that you have made it even easier!

    Reply
    • Helen

      It really is a perfect comfort meal for when it’s cold outside.

      Reply
  12. Rachel

    5 stars
    This looks just absolutely incredible, one of my all time favourite dishes and comfort in a bowl x

    Reply
    • Helen

      Can’t beat food that makes you feel happy.

      Reply
  13. madeeha

    5 stars
    Nice and easy recipe. Mac & cheese is my favourite with any variation.

    Reply
    • Helen

      It’s one of those can’t beat it meals isn’t it?

      Reply
  14. Kara

    5 stars
    Mine love mac n cheese, I adore your easy method for the sauce

    Reply
    • Helen

      It makes for a really tasty addition, certainly worth trying.

      Reply
  15. Sarah

    5 stars
    This sounds amazing! I have pinned it!

    Reply
  16. Alina

    5 stars
    As always your dish looks delicious! It looks homey and very tasty and I will surely try it soon :) I’m sure the hubby will not mind either ;)

    Reply
    • Helen

      I hope the husband enjoys it. in my experience comfort food is a good thing.

      Reply
  17. Fashion and Style Police

    5 stars
    Love this twist on the humble Mac n cheese

    Reply
    • Helen

      The photo doesn’t lie, it is a tasty dish worth trying.

      Reply
  18. Zena's Suitcase

    5 stars
    This is my kind of food. I love what you have done with the recipe.

    Reply
    • Helen

      I do try and add some extra veggies to all my recipes. every little makes a difference.

      Reply
  19. Baby Isabella

    4 stars
    Macaroni and cheese is a winner in this household – love this easy twist to the recipe.

    Reply
    • Helen

      I do like a twist on a classic.

      Reply
  20. dena jayne

    4 stars
    This looks yummy! I haven’t had mac & cheese for years! xo

    Reply
    • Helen

      Worth trying again, to remind you of what you’re missing.

      Reply
  21. Keely

    5 stars
    Macaroni cheese is one of my favourite comfort foods, especially at this time of year.

    Reply
    • Helen

      Always, and especially with loads of cheese!

      Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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