Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
The quintessential comfort food gets a gluten-allergy sensitive update.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) gluten-free pasta
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) gluten free flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 4 cups (960 ml) milk
- 2 cups grated cheese, such as Jarlsberg, a part-skim milk Swiss-style cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Mix together dry ingredients and whisk into to the melted butter. Continue to whisk while slurry cooks for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from burner and add milk all at once. Whisk until smooth.
- Back on the burner, let the slurry thicken and come to a boil.
- Add cheese by the handful and whisk until melted and sauce is smooth.
- Add to cooked pasta.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 630
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe add xanthan gum to the sauce?
The recipe combines 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour with 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum as the thickener for the cheese sauce. Xanthan gum helps the gluten-free flour mimic the thickening and binding behavior of a wheat-based roux — without it, the sauce can be grainy or fail to coat the pasta properly.
What kind of cheese does the recipe recommend?
The recipe calls for 2 cups of grated Jarlsberg, described as a part-skim milk Swiss-style cheese. It melts smoothly into the sauce and has a mild, slightly nutty flavor. Other melting cheeses like Gruyère or mild cheddar would also work.
Why add the milk all at once and off the burner?
Step 3 says to remove the pot from the burner and add all 4 cups (960 ml) of milk at once, then whisk until smooth. Adding cold milk to a hot roux off the heat prevents the flour from seizing into lumps — you get a smooth base before returning it to the stove to thicken. 
