How To Make Homemade Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

How to make tasty homemade mac and cheese, for real.

One of the first recipes I shared here on Gluten-Free Goddess was our old school, homemade, family style baked mac and cheese recipe. I won’t mention how long ago that was, or how old the recipe actually is, darling. Suffice it to say, I first learned to make it in eighth grade Home Ec class (does Home Economics class still exist? Do they even teach cooking in middle school any more?). Aside from these ponderings, and the unnerving sensation of years advancing, rolling, as Warren Zevon says, like a rockslide down a hill, I’ve been craving this comforting, cheesy mac and cheese dish like mad lately.

So I thought I’d post our Gluten-Free Goddess version of it. Seems like old fashioned homemade comfort food is the medicine I need lately.

Maybe you do, too?

Cheesy forever,

Karina

Gluten-Free Goddess Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

The trick with cooking gluten-free pasta is to not over-boil it- keep it a touch al dente, as it continues to cook in the oven. Our current favorite pasta to use is Barilla Gluten-Free Penne.

Ingredients:

12 oz. dry gluten-free elbow macaroni, penne, or spiral pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour or cassava starch
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded havarti or mild cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Smoked Paprika for sprinkling on top

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the gluten-free pasta until it is just barely tender and undercooked slightly. Drain the pasta in a colander, shake it. Pour it into a 6-cup baking dish. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, start your cheese sauce.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over low-medium heat, and stir in the rice flour/starch (I like to use a whisk to do this). Cook and stir the flour for about 10 seconds, then slowly add in the milk, a little at a time, whisking to blend the flour paste and milk. Bring the mixture to a soft bubble (it will thicken as it heats), then reduce heat to low. Add the shredded cheeses, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and nutmeg and stir well.

Continue stirring the sauce slowly until the cheddar melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Add the cheese sauce to the cooked macaroni/pasta and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle the top with smoked paprika. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes, until heated through, and bubbling around the edges.

Serves 4.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddessrecipes.com

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