It’s a good day to talk mac and cheese (aka any day.) Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, to be exact! Get. Ready!
Mac and cheese is one of those meals that’s not inherently gluten free but is a cinch to adapt, especially because my version has no flour roux. Just 5 ingredients (including salt!) tossed in a pot then stirred to create the creamiest gluten free mac and cheese that tastes like it has loads of cream and butter but is actually made with, get ready for it…
SKIM MILK.
If you don’t have skim milk – no problem! Use whatever you’ve got in the fridge. This recipe is pretty fool proof!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by rinsing 2 cups gluten free pasta under cold water. I like shells but you could use any short cut pasta. The weight should be 6oz.
Add the rinsed and drained pasta to a saucepan with 2 cups skim milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Turn the heat to medium then stir constantly until the milk comes to a simmer (mine took about 12 minutes.) Turn the heat down to low then stir constantly until the pasta is tender, another 12 minutes or so.
Be sure to stick to low heat because if the milk cooks off too quickly there won’t be enough left to cook the pasta. See how thick the skim milk gets by stirring with the starches released from the pasta?
Once the pasta is tender add 1 cup freshly shredded cheese then stir until the sauce is smooth, adding in a splash of skim milk if you need it.
This is the fun part of the recipe because you can play around with the cheeses you like and/or have in the fridge – you really can’t go wrong! If you want to stick with a more classic sauce though, choose medium-hard cheeses like cheddar, gouda, and fontina.
Let the mac and cheese thicken for a few minutes with the lid on the pan, then scoop and serve! Make this once and you’ll be whipping it up from memory at least once a week – it’s definitely a keeper. And you can, of course, use regular pasta in place of gluten free pasta, too. Mac and Cheese for all!
Similar Recipes
- Ham and Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
- Tomato-Basil Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Skillet Chili Mac & Cheese
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Gluten Free Mac and Cheese
Description
Gluten Free Mac and Cheese is as creamy and decadent as it comes! This one pot recipe is made from fridge and pantry staples in minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry gluten free shells or other short cut pasta (6oz)
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheese
Directions
- Rinse pasta under cold water in a colander then drain and add to a saucepan with milk, salt, and cayenne pepper. Turn heat to medium then stir constantly until milk comes to a simmer. Turn heat down to low then stir constantly until noodles are tender, adding an additional 1/4 cup milk if noodles have absorbed all the liquid but aren't tender yet. There should be a bit of milk left in the saucepan to create the cheese sauce.
- Add cheese to pan then stir until smooth, adding a splash of milk if necessary to help smoothen the consistency. Place a lid on top for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Adapted from White on Rice Couple
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Have you tried making this in the instant pot?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t!
This is delish! Never thought about cooking noodles in milk. It’s a hit everytime. I also make it in the morning and pack it in kids lunch.
Smiles all day. Thank you
All my pleasure, Debbie! I’m so glad this recipe is a hit with your family. :)
Would you mind sharing the brand of GF shells? Hard to find them here in markets, we’ve tried a couple brands I’ve purchased on Amazon … would like to know your favorite!
I like Tinkyada brand brown rice shells!
It’s a rainy day here in the Pacific Northwest and I am caving comfort. This hits every spot! Easy directions and ingredients easy to find. Yum!
I had a recipe from iowagirleats, for Mac and cheese that had a crispy panko breadcrumb topping that was my favorite, and I misplaced it. I can’t find it on your website anymore. Do you still have that?
I have never tried to cook homemade mac and cheese. I am never going back to boxes of GF Mac again!! Thank you!
i don’t have skim milk what else could i use?
Any unsweetened milk you’ve got on hand – 2%, whole, almond milk, etc.
I am so impressed with this recipe! It is delicious and so quick. I will NEVER make mac and cheese any other way again. Thank you! I used a quinoa and brown rice fusilli pasta and added a little dried mustard and nutmeg to the pinch of cayenne and salt. finished with white pepper. Scrumptious and SO easy!
I love this one pot recipe. This gluten free mac n cheese looks so creamy and delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Can I use whole milk instead of skim?
Just wondering why skim milk? I never use skim milk because of the processing it undergoes. Will 2% milk affect the outcome?
I’ve done a GF ‘in one pot’ type of pasta dish before, goulash, and it turns out great, so I was wondering why waste the time with boiling and draining GF pasta for mac and cheese just to have to add a thickener back in. I began searching and found this recipe. Short version: I added pepper, onion and garlic powder because that’s how we like ours, and it turned out fabulous! I was concerned with how creamy the sauce would be and how mushy the pasta would be rather than the flavors because, as I said, we season ours up beyond any basic recipe anyway. This got raves from the family for texture and sauciness. Even the leftovers (all of about a cup, lol) seem to have held their shape. One less step, one less chance to mush up GF pasta. Love it!! Thanks!!
Surprising easy!! Simply delicious.
Used chick pea shells. Worked perfectly.
Thankyou.
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Absolutely the best Mac and Cheese I have ever made! So simple and so delicious. Thank you for posting it!
Oh I’m so glad to hear that, Tara!! Thanks for your feedback and recipe review!
This was the best Gluten Mac and cheese I have ever made. Thank you!
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