Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

No ratings yet

A creamy gluten-free mac and cheese made with a classic béchamel and melted cheddar-Gruyère cheese sauce. Finish it baked with buttery crumbs or serve it creamy from the stovetop. Serves 8 as a side. The sauce is intentionally a little fluid for a baked gluten-free pasta version, so you may not need all of it for a stovetop version.

Prep Time10

Cook Time32

Baking/broilng15

Total Time57

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: as side dish

Calories: 525kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

3 ½-4 quart pot a pot or pan called a saucier works great for sauces

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup GF flour blend King Arthur M4M or Mochiko sweet rice flour
3 ½ cups whole milk not low fat
¼ cup whole milk powder for extra richness, optional but recommended
1 teaspooon smooth Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg optional
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces medium cheddar cheese grate yourself, not pre-shredded
4 ounces gruyere cheese grated
2 ounces fontina or mozzarella cheese optional for extra cheesy, grated
12 ounces GF pasta elbows rigatoni, cavatappi, or small shells.

Crunchy topping

¼ cup GF breadcrumbs or GF panko crumbs or combination
¼ cup grated Parmesan
⅛ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder optional
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter or olive oil

Instructions

Start pasta water

Start a large pot of water (6-7 quarts) for the pasta. Add a tablespoon of salt.

Make the bechamel

Add the milk to a small pot (2 quarts) and whisk in the whole milk powder. Bring the milk to steaming (do not boil). In a medium (3 -4 quart) pan, melt the butter over medium low heat. When the butter is bubbly, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. It will smell toasty.
Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Whisk continuously until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the Dijon, paprika, white pepper, nutmeg, and garlic. If it feels a bit stiff, add a splash of milk to loosen.

Add the cheese, finish the sauce

Add the pasta to the boiling water while finishing the cheese sauce.
Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the grated cheese off heat (prevents graininess), stirring until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning so the sauce is not flat.

Cook the pasta

Cook 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain, but don’t rinse the pasta – the starch helps the cheese sauce cling and stay creamy.
If you are doing the Parmesan crust, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the pasta

Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until well coated (use a large bowl if needed). The sauce may look a little loose—this is intentional, because gluten-free pasta absorbs more as it bakes and rests. Transfer to your baking dish.
Optional: You can serve it straight from the stove, but it will be looser and extra creamy without the baked topping.

Parmesan crust (optional)

Combine the crumbs, Parmesan, paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl and blend in 1 tablespoon melted butter (or olive oil). Sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until heated through, 10–15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, switch the oven to broil with the rack still in the middle.

Broil briefly for the crust

Broil on the middle rack (or one level up) for 1–2 minutes, watching closely, until golden and lightly browned.

Notes

If you can't find GF pasta elbow macaroni pasta, other pasta shapes work fine as long as they are small. Try rigatoni, cavatappi, or small shells. The rigatoni is a sturdier pasta. If it feels stiff, add a little more milk and mix, then top and broil.

Cheese sauce - If you want to use this cheese sauce for another recipe or purpose, it makes a little over a quart of cheese sauce. If you want to use it for over vegetables, you can cut the recipe in half.

Reheating tip: Gluten-free pasta absorbs sauce as it sits. When reheating, add a splash of milk and warm gently to bring back that creamy texture if needed. It will depend on how long it has been in the refrigerator.

Nutrition