This is my no-fuss, weeknight-friendly mac and cheese that basically makes itself in the oven. You literally pour heavy cream over raw elbow macaroni, add three more simple ingredients, and let it bake in a glass casserole dish until everything is bubbly, creamy, and golden around the edges. I started making this on nights when I’d get home from work, realize we needed a “real” side dish, and didn’t want to stand at the stove making a cheese sauce. It’s become one of those always-a-yes sides in my house—perfect for everything from burgers to holiday dinners.
Serve this creamy mac and cheese alongside roasted chicken, meatloaf, or grilled sausages—it’s especially good with anything you’d normally pair with mashed potatoes. A simple green salad or steamed broccoli balances out the richness, and garlic bread or dinner rolls make it feel like a cozy Sunday supper. For casual nights, we’ll sometimes treat it as the main dish and add a crisp salad and some sliced apples on the side.
Oven Baked 5-Ingredient Creamy Mac and CheeseServings: 6
Ingredients
2 cups dry elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, loosely packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 2- to 2.5-quart glass casserole dish with cooking spray or a little butter so the pasta doesn’t stick.
Pour the dry elbow macaroni evenly into the bottom of the glass casserole dish, spreading it out so it’s in a fairly even layer.
Sprinkle the shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the dry macaroni, making sure most of the pasta is covered with some cheese for even creaminess.
Season the macaroni and cheese in the dish with the kosher salt and black pepper, scattering them as evenly as you can over the top.
Slowly pour the heavy cream over the macaroni and cheese in the glass casserole dish, making sure the cream seeps down into the pasta. Gently shake the dish or nudge the pasta with a spoon so the cream is distributed and most of the macaroni is touching liquid.
Cover the glass casserole dish tightly with foil to trap in the steam and help the raw macaroni cook through in the oven.
Bake the covered dish in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pasta is mostly tender when you peek under the foil and give a piece a quick taste.
Carefully remove the foil (watch for steam), stir the macaroni and cheese well to bring the extra creamy sauce from the edges into the center, and smooth it back into an even layer.
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
Let the mac and cheese rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so it can thicken up slightly and set. Scoop and serve warm straight from the glass casserole dish.
Variations & Tips
If you like a stronger cheese flavor, swap half of the cheddar for shredded Gruyère or an extra-sharp white cheddar. For a little kick, stir in 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or smoked paprika along with the salt and pepper. You can also add 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan on top before the final uncovered bake for a deeper, salty crust. If you prefer a looser, extra-saucy mac, add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of heavy cream before baking; for a firmer set, reduce the cream by about 1/4 cup. To bulk this up into more of a main dish, scatter 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked, crumbled bacon, ham, or rotisserie chicken over the macaroni before you pour on the cream. Just keep in mind that any mix-ins are in addition to the base 5 ingredients. You can assemble the dish a few hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate; when baking from cold, add about 5 to 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time, checking that the pasta is tender before uncovering for the final browning.
