It’s a good day to talk mac and cheese (aka any day). Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, to be exact! Get. Ready!
Watch How to Make It!
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 or like 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 adding 6oz dry gluten free elbow pasta into a pot with milk and salt. Again, you can use whatever you’ve got on hand. I’ve used skim, 2%, and whole milk with fantastic results. At this point you can also add a dash of cayenne pepper for a hint of warmth, if you please.
Turn the heat to medium then stir slowly yet constantly with a spatula until the milk comes to a simmer — NOT a boil — 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat down to low then stir slowly yet constantly until the pasta is tender, another 5-7 minutes or so.
Before your very eyes the milk will thicken from the starches released from the pasta. SO creamy!
Once the pasta is tender add freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese then stir until the sauce is smooth, adding in an extra splash of milk if needed.
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 sharp 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 a keeper. And you can, of course, use regular pasta in place of gluten free pasta, too. Mac and Cheese for all!
More Easy Cheesy Pasta Recipes
- Cheesy Gnocchi Florentine
- Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Pasta
- Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic and Herbs
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Gluten Free Baked Ziti
free email bonus
Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
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
- 6oz dry gluten free elbow noodles or other short cut pasta
- 2-1/4 cups milk, any kind, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Add the pasta, milk, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using) to a medium-size saucepan. Turn the heat to medium then stir slowly and constantly until milk comes to a simmer — NOT a boil — 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat down to low then stir slowly and constantly until the noodles are tender, adding up to an additional 1/4 cup milk if the 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.
- Turn off the heat then add half the shredded cheese and stir until smooth. Add the remaining shredded cheese then stir until smooth. Scoop the mac and cheese into bowls then serve.
Notes
- I have used skim, 2% and whole milk for this recipe with great results.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Arlene 06.01.2015
I love most of your recipes. I did make this but didn’t like the skim milk I will make it again using 2%. Love all your posts.
Phoebe @Feed Me Phoebe 05.29.2015
This is healthy hedonism at its finest! Looks absolutely delicious!
Jay 05.28.2015
Do you have a particular brand of GF pasta you recommend? This looks delicious and I am always looking for good mac and cheese recipes!
Dena 05.28.2015
Is there a difference between table salt and Sea Salt? I doubled the recipe last night so I used 2 teaspoons of salt (mine is Sea Salt from Penzy’s spice store), but it was way too salty. And I really like salt, so usually I’m not sensitive to it. I used colby jack cheese, too, so maybe the salt content of the cheese was higher? Next time I would use half the salt, but the cooking noodles in milk was GENIUS! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thea 12.12.2017
Yes, Sea Salt is saltier in flavor compared to table salt. I’d suggest useing about half of what the recepie calls for, then adjust to taste.
Hope this helps!
Noelle 05.28.2015
I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and gluten intolerance/CD can go hand-in-hand with it. I tested negative for CD, but my doc said that doesn’t mean I don’t have a gluten intolerance. So I’ve been going back and forth with trying to go gluten-free; I’ve read a lot of people with Hashi’s have and have felt so much better without gluten. So I think I’m going to give it a go and see if this icky bloated-all-the-time feeling gets any better. And I’m starting with this mac and cheese. Dear lord.
I’ve been a reader of your blog from the beginning, and I know I will pretty much be using your website as my personal cookbook. I know I’ll get delicious GF recipes that won’t make me feel like I’m missing out on anything. (Don’t mean to go all fangirl on you but your blog is really one of the only ones I read anymore. I just love it.)
Kristin 05.28.2015
Good luck, Noelle – you’ll do great! Not trying to tell you to do anything you’re not comfortable with but I know several women with Hashis that have found great relief eating GF!
Dena 05.28.2015
Noelle, I also have Hashi’s and tried to go GF, but it I didn’t notice at difference at all, so after 2 months, I went back to gluten. However, I’ve been taking “Align” probiotic and it has definitely helped with the bloating. Just thought I’d pass that along!
Molly 09.23.2019
Noelle, I have Hashis and skipping gluten is very important for your thyroid. The gluten protein is very similar to thyroid tissue and so your body attacks both. It takes years to heal and get the gluten out of your system so skipping it for a couple months won’t make a difference. Good luck on your road to better health! I’m about 5 months gluten free, maybe a bit more. I’ve lost some weight and am not as bloated but I’ve made a couple mistakes along the way, gluten hides in the weirdest places! It’s all worth it for better health though and you’ll find it’s not so hard to go gluten free, you just have to cook more often. If you have an Aldi, their gluten free options for pasta and tortillas are very good and affordable. And for a thickener I use arrowroot powder. Turns out corn makes me sick too, which is pretty common, so watch out for that.
Patricia 05.28.2015
I made this last night with regular pasta (because we aren’t gluten free) and it was perfect! My family loved it. Seriously easy and very good.
Lynne 05.28.2015
This is great, thank you. What a genius idea !
Ryan @ Feed by Round Pond 05.27.2015
Yummy recipe that is pretty guilt-free. I love adding a little bit of Parmesan Cheese as well.
Sarah (People, Places & Plates) 05.27.2015
Never thought of cooking the pasta in the milk before..love it!
Stephanie | Worth Whisking 05.27.2015
This recipe is 100% up my alley! Look at that cheese sauce! Yum! Macaroni and cheese is a particular weakness of mine. :) I’ve been dabbling in gluten-free baking, in particular, but maybe now is the time to try my hand at gluten-free cooking, too! Thanks for the recipe!
E. V. Williams 05.19.2019
Just had this for dinner and it was a winner!
A few notes:
1. We used tinkyada brown rice pasta and ended up using 2 1/2 c milk by the time it was all said and done.
2. We used half cheddar and half smoked Gouda and oh. My. Goodness!
3. I also added 1/2 tsp turmeric, which brought out the cheesy flavor and gave it the color of nostalgic Mac and cheese.
Hope this helps someone, because you HAVE to make this! It will be on regular rotation around here.
Robin 05.27.2015
I’ve been wondering if there is a disadvantage to using the pre-shredded cheese. Why do you recommend shredding it yourself?
Kristin 05.27.2015
I would definitely hand-shred the cheese fresh vs using pre-grated!
Jennifer S 06.12.2015
I agree – shred your own it is awesome and doesn’t have all that added stuff to keep it fresh or from caking.
Kim 05.27.2015
I am definitely giving this a go! Thanks for sharing this recipe! XO -Kim
http://www.thethirtysomethinglife.com
Becky 05.27.2015
I love adding some smoked gouda when I make mac and cheese! This looks so delicious and easy; perfect for a busy weeknight!
Stephanie 05.27.2015
This is my kind of recipe! Would you be able to use Almond Milk in place of Skim? Just wondering!
Kristin 05.27.2015
I didn’t test with almond milk, just because I was using cow’s milk cheese, but I bet it would work!
Nicole 05.27.2015
This looks amazing! I, too, grew up on VSAC and always loved it. Curious as to why you rinse the pasta before cooking. I know to rinse quinoa because of the bitterness, but haven’t rinsed GF pasta (or regular pasta for that matter). Thanks!
Kristin 05.27.2015
It’s to help rinse off the starch on the surface of the pasta so it doesn’t stick together in the small amount of milk (vs a big pot of boiling water.)
Katherine 05.27.2015
I’m totally going to make this. I’ve tried so many different gluten free mac and cheese recipes and been so disappointed by most of them. Time for a good one.
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday 05.27.2015
I love how easy this is! I’m all about easy, cheesy comfort food! Pinned :D
Danielle K 05.27.2015
Looks tasty! Could you use regular pasta in this recipe?
Kristin 05.27.2015
You bet!
Tiffany 05.27.2015
Yummy! Just to clarify, you are rinsing the uncooked pasta under water before cooking? I assume if you are using regular pasta versus the gluten free you would do this as well?
Kristin 05.27.2015
Yep to both! :)
Brittany 05.27.2015
Wow! adoring the simplicity of these meal! And isn’t that really how mac and cheese should be??! Ah! happy Wednesday to us all <3
:)