Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 6 servings
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?
I combine 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?
I use 2 cups of grated Jarlsberg, 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?
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.
