Traditional baked macaroni and cheese usually involves mixing cooked pasta into a mornay sauce (a bechamel with melted cheese), adding it to a baking dish, topping with breadcrumbs or more melted cheese and then baking it until it’s browned and bubbling.
But, sometimes, these results are grainy. And sometimes it’s relatively easy for a mornay sauce to break. And sometimes, making a roux and thickening a bechamel can be a bit of a long process.
Well – I’ve tried to fix that with this recipe. I use no flour and the entire filling can be easily mixed in one pot, and only for a minute or two longer than it takes the pasta to cook. It’s simple, creamy, gooey and absolutely decadent.
How to Make Flourless Macaroni and Cheese
To begin, you’re going to want to cook your macaroni. I developed this recipe using elbow macaroni as that’s the classic, however, go ahead and use whatever small pasta shape you’d like. It doesn’t really matter – cavatappi is a great option!
Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package suggests – you want it to be a bit before “al dente.” This is because it will continue to cook when you bake it.
Keep in mind that this recipe is also easily made gluten-free. Simply use a gluten-free macaroni and breadcrumbs. No other swaps needed!
While you’re cooking the pasta, go ahead and assemble the sauce. This is simple and it is done in one big bowl. First, add in a can of evaporated milk. I call for this as it has less water content than regular milk so it will aid in a thicker sauce compared to using standard milk.
To the milk, also crack in some eggs, a bit of cornstarch, dijon mustard, some hot sauce, garlic powder, ground turmeric and paprika.
The latter two spices don’t do much in terms of flavour, but really give the mac and cheese that yellow-orange colour that is so associated with the dish!
Once your pasta is finished cooking, go ahead and drain it in the sink and then add it back into the pot. Dot the pasta with some butter and then toss in some grated cheese. I call for cheddar cheese in the recipe, but use any flavourful, good melting cheese that you’d wish.
The only thing to be aware of is not to use pre-grated cheese – grate the cheese from the block yourself. Pre-grated cheese is often treated with anti-caking agents that make it very difficult for it to melt fully.
Stir the cheese and butter into the pasta and then pour over the evaporated milk mixture.
Allow the residual heat of the pasta to melt the cheese and butter while you’re stirring constantly. Then, pour the macaroni into a baking dish.
Now it’s time to make the breadcrumb topping! Simply add a pat of butter to a large skillet and then melt it over medium-high heat.
Add in some panko breadcrumbs and cook until lightly toasty – only a minute or two.
Remove from the heat and stir in some grated parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Then, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the mac and cheese mixture.
Transfer the baking dish to a rimmed sheet tray (to catch any drips!) and move it to a preheated 180°C/350°F oven. Bake it until it’s bubbling and the topping is golden brown – about 20-30 minutes.
Allow the mac to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. The full recipe serves at least 6 people as a main meal, but even more as a side.
This makes it perfect to have on a Thanksgiving table, alongside some fresh cranberry sauce, roasted sweet potatoes or even some green bean casserole.
Baked Mac and Cheese Without Flour
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) elbow macaroni or similar pasta
- 385 ml (14 oz) evaporated milk 1 standard can
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp hot sauce such as Cholula or Frank's
- 70 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter divided
- 500 g (1 lb) cheddar cheese grated (see note)
- 100 g (1½ cups) panko breadcrumbs
- 10 g (2 tbsp) parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch, mustard, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, and hot sauce.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, dot it with 50g (3 tbsp) of butter and add in the cheddar cheese. Stir to combine.
- Pour over the evaporated milk mixture and stir constantly, allowing the residual heat of the pasta to gently melt the cheese and butter.
- Add the remaining 20g (2 tbsp) of butter to a large skillet. Set over medium heat and melt. Once melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Pour the macaroni mixture into a 30cm x 20cm (13in x 9in) baking dish (or any similarly sized dish). Top with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Set the macaroni and cheese atop a rimmed baking sheet and move to the oven. Bake until the topping is deeply golden and the mixture is bubbling – about 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making mac and cheese without using flour isn’t difficult. This decadent baked version checks all the nostalgia boxes and is a simple recipe that’s sure to please a crowd!
Are you after a great, flourless mac & cheese recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
