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
[…] One Pot Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese […]
Just wanted to say that I’ve made this 4 or 5 times now, and it’s definitely one of my favorite recipes ever! Most gluten free macaroni and cheese up to this point had been blah to me, but this is soooo delicious! Thanks for posting it!
I’m so glad to hear that, Courtney! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I’ve just made this recipe! I’ve been craving Mac and Cheese for weeks since getting back from Florida but I’ve not been able to find any like I had there! :( finally this recipe is in my life and it’s amazing! However, I’m also dairy free as well as gluten free so I’ve substituted Alpro Soya and Violife vegan cheese and it’s still amazing! Thank you!
Thank you so much about letting us know how the vegan version went! I will have to try this for my son, who’s allergic to dairy!
Both of my daughters are allergic/sensitive to dairy. They love mac and cheese; any ideas? I remember reading that your son is allergic to dairy too. If you have any other ideas on dairy free recipes regarding mac and cheese or any other, I would greatly appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Tracy Criswell
Hi Tracy! You could try this recipe with vegan cheese. I personally haven’t tried it, and am not sure about vegan cheese’s “melting” capabilities, but I’d start there. My little guy is allergic to dairy and so hasn’t had mac and cheese yet, at 3 YO, either!
I’ve just used vegan cheese and it worked a treat Tracy, it just took a little longer to melt than dairy cheese :) I use Violife, I hope that helps xx
This was a real find!
My daughter was craving mac & cheese, but whining that all the GF versions never really stack up. I found your amazeballs recipe and it worked perfectly. Super easy- super delish! Mucho thanx!!
You bet, Krystal!! SO glad your daughter was able to enjoy! :)
how much calories does it contain ?
[…] One Pot Macaroni and Cheese […]
I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and have been on the hunt for a go-to Mac and cheese recipe. This is definitely a keeper! This is the creamiest Mac and cheese I’ve ever had. I made one small modification…1/4 teaspoon of ground mustard instead of the cayenne. Thanks so much!
I used rice pasta shells and this recipe was a disaster. A horrible clumpy mess was what resulted. I used high quality ingredients. What a waste of money and time. SOrry but it sure didn’t work for me.
[…] One Pot GF Mac & Cheese via IowaGirlEats […]
Made this for Easter dinner, specifically for my niece who is GF. I will now be making Mac and cheese this way ONLY. Amazing! I used Barilla GF Elbows, Velvetta and whole milk. Came out perfect. Thanks for the recipe!!
I’m so glad to hear it, Johanna! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I made this tonight with fresh white cheddar. After following the recipe, there was a little more sauce than I like .. (my fault not the recipes… i added too much milk at the end) so i decided to stick it in the oven! 350 for 25 minutes with sprinkled cheese on top and it was AMAZING. this is definitely a new favorite!
This is the best gluten free mac n cheese recipe! So simple! I use unsweetened almond milk instead of cow’s milk and raw milk cheddar cheese and my family LOVES it!!
YAYY!! So glad to hear, Amy! Thanks for the feedback!
This sounds great! I’ll be making it for my friend’s gluten-free daughter next time she comes over for dinner :) What kind of gluten free pasta do you use? Brown rice? Corn? Thank you!!
I love Delallo gluten-free brown rice pasta – it’s better than any “normal” pasta I’ve ever tried! It’s tricky to find around here so I usually order it on Amazon: If you don’t want to go to those lengths, Barilla’s corn pasta is great too!
Hi! How was this heated up? Plan on making this for thanksgiving but pre assembling it on Wednesday and heating it on thanksgiving. Any suggestions? Thanks!
THANK YOU for an easy mac n cheese!! Without butter, flour, and breadcrumbs! Awesome! :)
Brilliant! Why pour starch down the drain just to add it again?
She said it was so the noodle did not stick while cooking…. Hope that helps!
This looks perfect. I am having a BBQ and would like to at least quadruple the recipe. Any tips? How big of a pan do you need for just the 3 servings? (i am not a great cook)
Hi Dani! I’m not sure this recipe would work to quadruple, unfortunately! I think you could double with success, but maybe not quadruple.
Hi. Have you tried making these into muffins and freezing for Lincoln? Tips?
Hey Sarah! I haven’t only because Lincoln is allergic to dairy. I think if you undercook the noodles a bit then finish the dish in the oven it could work!
You just saved my dinner, I went to make a box of GF mac and cheese and realized we didn’t have any boxes left. I didn’t have any other supper plans so I made this recipe and it turned out fantastic. I like this method and appreciated the lack of powdered cheese product in our dinner:)
I made this the other night exactly as written (except for using regular pasta) and it was delicious!
Thanks for the great, easy recipe!