Easy Gluten-free Mac and Cheese + Video

Creamy, thick and gooey mac and cheese that’s gluten-free and made entirely on the stove top. This recipe uses NO flour as a thickener. Lots of cheese, spices and a little hot sauce to make it anything but bland. Tips on cooking the gluten-free pasta for a non-gummy final result. This is it! No other recipe needed. This recipe is also free of: soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame.

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WHY THIS GLUTEN FREE MAC AND CHEESE ROCKS

Most mac and cheese recipes you’ll find start with a béchamel–a flour and butter combination to help thicken the sauce. I don’t like having to waste my precious gluten-free flour in this, and think there are better ways of thickening it, without a hint of flour taste.

Cornstarch is a better thickener that is cheaper, easier to find and won’t use up your gluten-free flour (or for those making this that don’t normally cook gluten-free and don’t have that on hand). 

My husband–a mac and cheese lover–says that this recipe is “bomb”. It’s thick, creamy and almost reminiscent of Velveeta–without all the weird chemicals. It’s shiny, gooey, creamy, smooth, thick…all the things a macaroni and cheese recipe should be. 

The eggs help thicken it, and give it the taste of baked macaroni and cheese, without having to take the extra step. The evaporated milk makes for even better results than just plain milk and the addition of spices and a dash of hot sauce gives it enough je ne sais quoi so that it doesn’t just taste like liquid cheese.

The texture of the noodles (thanks to my under cooking) helps make this a masterpiece–one you will reach for anytime you need some good ol’ comfort food.

WHAT GLUTEN-FREE PASTA TO USE

I normally recommend either Barilla or Jovial, but in this case, I think Jovial is the clear winner. I’ve tried Barilla several times and it’s thinner and just falls apart. It doesn’t hold its shape and becomes just shreds. Go with Jovial for this recipe. Jovial is made from rice and can be found at most health food stores or on Amazon. If you try another brand that works, please be sure to leave it in the comments.

HOW TO COOK THE GLUTEN-FREE PASTA

It’s important that you salt the water–like the saying goes: as salty as the sea. This gives the pasta a flavor base.

Then, you want to wait to add the pasta until it’s at a boil. Then, boil it with at least two inches of water above the pasta, if not 3 or 4. Also, you want to do it in a large stock pot so that it doesn’t boil over. Once you’ve added the pasta, turn the heat down to medium. It should still be boiling, but not at a roaring boil.

Lastly, read the box directions. Take whatever times it tells you and knock off two minutes. You don’t want this fully cooked, since it will be added to a hot sauce that will continue to cook it a bit, otherwise you end up with a mushy, shapeless mess. My jovial box recommends ten minutes, so I cook it to 8 exactly, save the pasta water and remove the pasta from the pasta water immediately once the timer dings. There is no need to rinse the pasta off. If you truly want to, only do it very briefly, no more than five seconds.

WHAT CHEESE TO USE

Classic mac and cheese flavor is cheddar, through and through. So, I use a block of sharp cheddar. 

DO NOT use pre-shedded cheese. This comes with chemicals on it that help it not clump in the bag, and will ruin your sauce. Take the time to shred it yourself in either a box grater or food processor. Use whatever brand you prefer. 

I know this is controversial, but you’re going to want to use American cheese too. I know. It’s nothing fancy, but that’s the flavor you’re used to getting with Kraft or Velveeta mac and cheese, so if you’re going for nostalgic, reminiscent of days gone by Mac and Cheese, you need to use it. Plus, it helps with the shine, it gives it that glossy, come-eat-me look you want in a mac and cheese. I found mine by going to the Deli counter at my local grocer and asking for them to give me 4 ounces of yellow American cheese. I believe the brand was Land O Lakes. I never said this was highbrow mac and cheese. I just said it was dang good.

That’s it! No need to buy crazy expensive cheeses when these two do all the heavy lifting.

WHY I DON’T USE FLOUR

I used to use flour until I read an article by The Food Lab that convinced me both in pictures and text that using cornstarch was superior and I have to say they’re right. 

Because mac and cheese is used at so many group gatherings, BBQs and holidays, many people will stumble upon this recipe because they want a safe side dish for a gluten-free friend, and they won’t have a pantry stocked with gluten-free supplies. So, I wanted it to only have to have one gluten-free item to buy: the pasta, which will get used up so they’re not toting around extra flours and ingredients they don’t need later on.

WHAT TOOLS TO USE

For this gluten-free macaroni and cheese recipe you’ll need:

• Cutting board and knife
• Large mixing bow
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Box grater or food processor to shred the cheese
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large stock pot for boiling pasta
• Medium sauce pan for making the cheese sauce

WHAT INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

• Water and salt for cooking pasta
• Jovial gluten-free elbows
• Extra-sharp cheddar 
• American cheese
• Cornstarch
• Evaporated milk
• Egg
• Frank’s RedHot or other hot sauce
• Onion powder
• Ground mustard powder
• Table salt (plus more to taste if desired)
• Garlic salt
• Black pepper
• Salted butter
• Saved pasta water for thinning
• Optional for topping: gluten-free breadcrumbs

STORING AND REHEATING DIRECTIONS

As with any gluten-free pasta dish, you are NOT going to want to freeze this. It’s best eaten fresh. Thanks to under cooking the pasta though, leftovers can survive 1-3 days in the refrigerator and be heated up in the microwave. You’ll notice it thickens CONSIDERABLY when it’s cooled. That’s thanks to the starch in the pasta. You’ll want to either stir in some milk or some water to thin it back out. It will thin more once it’s heated, but you may want to add some more liquid to get it the consistency you want. 

WHAT TO SERVE WITH MAC AND CHEESE

Mac and cheese is wonderful in the fact that it can be either a main dish or a side dish. You’ll usually see it sitting next to pulled pork, brisket, or barbeque chicken at southern or BBQ joints. You’ll also see it gracing the table at picnics, get togethers and anywhere a pasta salad is wanted. You can also see it even being served along the fanciest of all dinners: Thanksgiving. There really is no wrong time to serve this American staple.

• I love to serve it with some crunchy gluten-free bread crumbs on top.
• I also love to serve it with some pulled BBQ chicken on top for some extra protein.
• Some people love to put a little extra hot sauce on top too.
• Cubed ham stirred into the mac and cheese is delicious
• Kid friendly option: sliced hot dogs in it

No matter how, when, or where you serve this, be prepared for it to be gobbled up. In fact, you’ll see in the video I’m actually doubling the cheese sauce to make even more.

It serves four people if it’s a main dish, but can serve 8-10 as a side dish, just depending on how hungry and how many other side dishes your guests have.

TIPS ON CHEESE SAUCE

Be patient. The cheese sauce will take awhile and some whisking to get smooth and the cheese melted totally.

Everyone has a different preference on how thick they like their cheese sauce. This is exactly why I tell you to not pour the pasta water down the drain when removing the cooked pasta from the water it was boiled in. This starchy water is the perfect liquid to have on hand should you want to thin out your sauce. If you did accidently throw it out, milk will do.

Make your cheese sauce as directed, and then when stirring in your pasta, if you feel you want the cheese sauce a littler thinner, add the pasta water a tablespoon or so at a time and stir until you get the desired sauce level that’s right for you. Some may want none, and some may want a lot. You do you!

CAN I BAKE THIS MAC N CHEESE?

I never really get the appeal of baked mac and cheese. It tastes the same, but dirties another dish and takes even longer. My husband claims the appeal is another layer of shredded cheese topping on it that gets crusty when baked. I’ve never tried nor had the patience to test this in the oven. Here’s my best guess: bake the pasta 4 minutes less than the package says (since it will continue to bake in the oven). Stir the cooked pasta with the finished cheese sauce and pour into a 13×9 glass baking dish. Top with additional cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-ish minutes, or until the topping is melted.

IS THERE A VIDEO SHOWING HOW TO MAKE IT

Yes! See how to make this mac-n-cheese recipe from start to finish in this tutorial video. The video should auto populate, but if it doesn’t, it is embedded in the bottom of the recipe card. If all else fails, you can view it on my YouTube Channel.

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT. BE SURE WHILE YOU’RE THERE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER GLUTEN-FREE PINS.