No roux needed to make this creamy, cheesy shells and cheese recipe.

No Roux Shells And Cheese

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

You may find it hard to believe that the best shells and cheese you’re ever going to have is made with no roux.

I’m not a chef. I’m a proud home cook who started out in the kitchen just like everyone else did.

Making a roux used to intimidate me. Big time.

I was always afraid of either over or under cooking the flour. Once you do that the whole dish is off.

But I absolutely loved macaroni and cheese. So, I was determined to get around my little issue.

I thought a roux was an absolute must for this recipe at the time.

We’ll let me just tell you, not only do shells and cheese not need a roux, they’re actually even better without one.

Yup, I said it. This is the creamiest, cheesiest most flavorful recipe you will ever find. I’m not even exaggerating a little bit.

I have made this for some many people and it’s become a family favorite recipe in all of their homes.

I’ve also shared this on lots of social media channels. It racks up millions of views every time I post it. I don't say that to boast or brag either.

It’s just that to me its a really strong indicator that that the feelings I have for this recipe are shared with lots of other people.

I said the best part about this recipe is that there’s no roux needed to me made. That is true!

But another great part is that is so easy to make. Most of the effort is put into shredding the cheeses and that’s nothing.

Every single person deserves a great shells and cheese recipe in their lives. And this one is the BEST!

Fast. Simple. Delicious.

Did you know that I have a cookbook called Fast Simple Delicious? 

It’s 60 no fuss no fail comfort food recipes perfect for busy weekday dinners.

Click HERE to order your copy or click the 3 lines in the top right corner and click “Book”. Thank you for the support.

Other super easy pasta dishes

If you like easy pasta dishes, here are some other recipes that I know you'll love, too.

• Tik Toks Viral Alfredo Sauce
• The BEST vodka sauce
• Easy Cheeseburger Casserole

Do I have to use pasta shells?

Nope. You can use whatever you want. Obviously, macaroni and cheese is the most popular pairing.

I’ve just always preferred the shells. I think they really do a great job of holding in all of that creamy cheesy goodness.

If you’d like to use something else besides macaroni or shells, be my guest!

I would recommend a tube like pasta as opposed to a long flat one though.

Pasta cooking tips:

There aren’t many ingredients to this recipe. Shells and cheese is mainly it.

So they both have to be at their best.

Here’s some tips to make sure the pasta part of this recipe is as good as it can be.

• Salt the water. While the shells cook they will absorb the salt and add some flavor.
• Boil the water. Might sound like a strange thing to bring up but please make sure your water is at a rapid boil before dropping the pasta.
• No oil. Some people add a couple drops of oil to their boiling water before adding the pasta. Don’t do that. The oil will actually coat the pasta and prevent the sauce from sticking. It will just roll right off instead.
• Don’t over cook it. Undercook the shells here by two minutes. If you over boil the pasta, it will become super mushy and not hold its from when you bake it.

Do I really have to shred all the cheese myself?

Yes, you absolutely have to shred the cheese yourself.

It’s a must for this recipe. Don’t take a shortcut here and get the pre shredded cheese in a bag.

There’s all kinds of chemicals in there like cellulose that keep it from clumping.

That anti clumping stuff is also going to stop the cheese from melting properly.

For this shells and cheese recipe to be the best, the cheeses need to be able to melt perfectly.

Take the extra time to shred the cheese yourself. It will be totally worth it.

What other cheeses can be used?

I really love the monetary jack, cheddars and Munster cheese for this.

But pretty much any cheese that can be shredded would work.

If you’d like to try something different or just want to use up what’s already in your fridge, go for it.

Pepper Jack would even be a great alternative if you’d like a little heat.

Is there a substitute for the Velveeta?

Some people are really against using Velveeta.

Im assuming because it’s processed and not “real cheese” as I’ve been told many times.

There really is no substitute for this creamy, cheesy, liquid gold besides cheese whiz. And that’s processed, too.

I highly recommend using the velveeta or completely omitting it if you really feel strongly against it.

No roux shells and cheese ingredients:

• Medium sized pasta shells
• Butter
• Velveeta
• Muenster cheese, shredded
• Mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Monetary jack cheese, shredded
• Heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Dried parsley (optional)

Instructions:

First, drop the pasta in salted water.

Cook the shells for 2 minutes under the recommended time it suggests on the package.

While that’s boiling, shred all of the cheeses.

Now place them in a bowl and toss them all together.

Once the shells are done cooking, drain them from the pasta water.

Place the same pot back on the burner that you just used. Keep the heat off and add the butter and the Velveeta.

Then pour the shells back into the pot over the Velveeta and butter.

After that, season the pasta with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Keep in mind that the cheeses are salty when you’re adding the seasoning.

Now add the heavy cream.

And almost all of the combined cheeses. Keep about 1 ½ cups on the side that will go on the top of the shells and cheese later.

Next, stir everything together until it’s evenly combined.

Add the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Add the rest of the cheese evenly on top.

Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes.

The sides will be bubbly and the cheese will be melted on top.

Finally, sprinkle the top with some dried parsley If you want. It does nothing besides make it look nice.

Let the shells and cheese sit to thicken up for about 5 minutes before serving it.

This stuff is so good!