Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese

Yesterday I made the most amazing gluten-free mac & cheese, and I thought I'd share the recipe. I really cannot stress how good it tastes, and if it weren't for the milk I used, it would have been vegan, as well, which is something I also need to be careful of since my gallbladder removal, because I have issues with digesting foods high in fat & meats. I LOVE cheese, and it absolutely sends me over the edge with pain, but by using vegan cheese, it makes a huge difference.



Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 4 servings (if you're a BIG eater. I've had 4 servings AS MEALS, and only half of it is gone, so I don't know who they're talking about)


Ingredients

•3 cups milk (cow’s, rice, soy, potato, or nut)
•3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (4 tablespoons if using rice or potato milk)**
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
•2 cups (12 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese or cheese alternative, such as Vegan Gourmet
•1 cup (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack or mild white cheese or cheese alternative, such as Vegan Gourmet
•2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or soy alternative, such as Soyco
•1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Frank’s (I used a favorite GF chipotle)
•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
•1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't use fresh. I am on a budget. :))
•2 cups (about 8 ounces) gluten-free elbow macaroni, such as Pastariso, cooked al dente in salted water according to package directions (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Pasta, Elbows)
•1 cup store-bought gluten-free bread crumbs, such as Ener-G, or homemade Plain Bread Crumbs (see below)***
Paprika, for garnish

Directions

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish.

2. Place all but 1/4 cup of the milk in a heavy medium saucepan. In a small bowl, stir the sweet rice flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of milk until it is smooth and then whisk it into the milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the butter and stir until it is melted.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses, hot pepper sauce, mustard, and nutmeg until the cheeses are completely melted. While the pasta is still hot, add it to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta thoroughly with the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.

4. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and a dusting of paprika. Bake 15 minutes more or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned. For speedier results, place a broiler rack about 6 inches away from the heat source. Preheat the broiler and broil the dish until the bread crumbs are browned and crunchy. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve immediately.


** I had a difficult time finding Sweet Rice Flour in a store, so I looked up what I could use as a substitute, and I found cornstarch is also used for thickening sauces, but for every 1 Tablespoon of "regular" flour or sweet rice flour, you are to use 1 1/4 Tablespoon of cornstarch. At first I forgot to add the extra 3/4 T, and the milk, starch & butter would NOT thicken. I thought my arm was going to fall off. Once I added it, it came together quickly.

*** I didn't have the energy to pull out the food processor, so I just toasted some of the more dense bread I have (the kind I use as back up when I run out of Udi's) and toasted it. Then I just chopped it up on the cutting board. I probably didn't need to toast it first, but it's kept it from becoming moist in the fridge over night & the bread crumbs really add to it!!!

Homemade plain bread crumbs

Ingredients

•4 cups gluten-free bread of choice, torn in small pieces

Directions

Place the bread in a food processor and pulse on/off until the crumbs reach desired consistency. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer up to 3 months.


This recipe if from 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster, a GREAT book and well worth the money.


Here are a few extra tips I learned while making this:

1. Don't make your noodles too far in advance, or at least don't drain them too soon.

2. When thickening the milk, use a 3 or 4 qt saucepan, because if the milk rises too quickly, it can easily boil over a 2 qt pan.

3. If you are using vegan cheese, make sure all of it is melted before you put it in to cook. It doesn't melt like real cheese in the oven. Once you serve it and mix it up, it will melt, but it isn't very pleasing to the eye.

4. Read the directions carefully!!! I put the breadcrumbs on before I ever stuck the dish in the oven, so mine wasn't cooked in the oven the entire time, although I think it didn't make a huge difference since I toasted my bread crumbs & everything else was already cooked.


If you follow this recipe, I promise you, you will have an amazing dish that EVERYONE in your household can enjoy!!!

Mazel Tov!!!


***UPDATE***

Some people have requested the calorie count, and after adding everything together, the total comes to 2700!!! I know it sounds like A LOT, but if you break it down into 4 servings that's 675 calories, and there is 4g of protein in every 2oz of the corn pasta. Plus, as I stated before, I can't imagine anyone eating 1/4 of this in one sitting, not even my ex-husband, and he eats more than any person I've ever seen. There are also ways to cut down on the calories, such as low fat cheese, non dairy milks & imitation butter. I hope this information helps.