Ah . . . Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese

Really.  This is the best--I mean THE best--macaroni and cheese that I have EVER had.  Period.  Ever.  And now you can have it too.  The 15 or so minutes spent at the stove are well worth it.

If ever there were a comfort food that is missed by gluten-free folks, this is IT.  Children, especially, miss their macaroni and cheese when they have to go gluten-free.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  In fact, this dish is so good, I swear that it actually outshines regular wheat macaroni and cheese by far.  When you have it, you’ll never even miss the other stuff.  I mean it.  Just please don’t tell the Wheat Muggles, or they’ll try to steal this great idea and the price of everything will go up, lol.

So let’s get started with a picture tutorial and the full recipe below!

 Let's start with the eight basic ingredients:  Gluten-free elbow macaroni, milk, cornstarch, cheddar cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and mustard powder.

Add your cornstarch, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and butter to a saute pan.  Then add your milk and stir.  In a separate pan, heat your water and cook the macaroni for 6 minutes.  It will still be somewhat hard.  Yes, 8 ounces of macaroni does not look like it will be enough.  But it will--I promise!  So don't get tempted to use the entire pound.

Heat the milk mixture on medium, stirring constantly (but lazily) until it boils.  Then stir and cook for one minute.  Basically you're just making a white sauce.  Turn off the heat and add your shredded cheese, minus a handful or two.  Stir well to melt it.  Then drain and pour your cooked macaroni into the cheese mixture, pour all of that into a greased pan, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and then bake at 375 degrees for half an hour.

And voila! You get baked macaroni and cheese!  See how the cheese you sprinkled on top has browned nicely?  Doesn't that look pretty?  Let it sit for five minutes before serving.  Was that easy or WHAT?

2 Tbs cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2.5 cups milk
2 Tbs butter
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz gluten-free elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 2-quart casserole pan.  In a saute pan, combine cornstarch, salt, mustard, pepper, butter, and milk.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring, and let boil for one minute.  Turn off the heat.  Add the shredded cheddar minus a couple of handfuls.  Mix well to melt the cheddar.  In the meantime, boil water for the macaroni.  Cook the macaroni for 6 minutes ONLY and then drain.  Add the macaroni to the cheese mixture and mix well.  Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole pan and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

TIPS:  I've tried a lot of gluten-free pasta, and the ONLY store-bought one I care for is Tinkyada.  It blows the doors off the others.  Really.  There's that much of a difference.  Don't be tempted to use the full pound of macaroni.  Use your scale and measure out 8 ounces, otherwise you'll have a real mess in your oven.  I use a 2-quart Pyrex casserole pan for this recipe.  If you buy cheese already shredded, check to make sure that it doesn't have wheat flour added to prevent sticking.  If you forget to save out a couple of handfuls of cheese, you won't get the nice browning on top but it will still be delicious.