You really can make healthy mac and cheese from scratch with this easy recipe. You don’t have to worry about what kind of cheese to use either. There’s no cheese in this mac.

I thought you might want to add this to your Thanksgiving menu.

The flavors are so close to my original gluten-free mac & cheese. It tastes like the real deal, only a little lighter. But it’s still creamy and filled with the richness you expect when you take a bite of one of America’s classic noodle dishes. Leftovers hold well in the fridge, too. Always a bonus when you’re dealing with gluten-free pasta.

It passed the Joe test with flying colors. Our dinner conversation that night went something like this:

Amy: How’s the mac & cheese?

Joe: This might be mac but it’s not cheese.

Amy: It’s mac and cheese. Just try it.

Joe: I’m not eating it until you tell me what you put in here.
(...)
Read the rest of Vegan Butternut Mac & Cheese

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 43 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Gluten-free mac & cheese doesn’t get any better than this.

Joe and I were at Costco (love this place…) and I cut through the cookbook section, as always.  There were some Barefoot Contessa books I didn’t yet own and he decided that I needed a new one.

I have so many cookbooks that we really don’t have enough space for them, and he never decides that I need another one.  I saw right through him – he loves when I use Barefoot’s recipes.  Honestly, I do too. There is a simplicity to her cooking style that yields the most flavorful dishes.

Later that day, he was flipping thorough the book and saw a recipe for Mac & Cheese, which he coyly asked me to make.  I am not a Mac & Cheese kind of girl.  It’s a little too heavy for me, but if Joe’s happy, I’m happy.

This is no ordinary recipe – it uses Gruyere, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and a little bit of nutmeg which adds so much flavor to the dish.  Topped with tomatoes and bread crumbs, you have a grown up version that’s fancy enough to serve on the holidays and simple enough for every day of the week.  (I think I’ve said this before about her recipes…it’s so true.)  In fact, as Joe was eating his Mac & Cheese, he kept saying, “I can’t believe this is gluten-free” and then started planning Christmas dinner out loud – he wants a whole turkey and this very rich, cheesy pasta dish.  That’s it.  I think I’m getting off easy this year.

Of course, I had to make a couple of changes to her original recipe to make it gluten-free.  My biggest worry was the pasta, because some gluten-free pastas tend to dry out after they’re cooked, others get a little too soft if left in a sauce.  Here they are:

• I used quinoa elbows made by Sunridge Farms, which is a quinoa and corn base.  It only comes in bulk.  This pasta was perfect for mac & cheese – in fact, it was identical in taste and texture to regular pasta.
• I used my gluten-free flour blend instead of white flour.  I know we all have one we love, but this mix hasn’t let me down yet.  I continue to be impressed at how well is mimics regular flour.
• I used my favorite brown rice bread crumbs by Hol-Field for the topping.
• I cut the recipe in half, which should serve 3 -4.  We had enough for dinner that night and leftovers the next day.

This “not really a mac and cheese girl” has been converted.  When our remodel kitchen is finished, I’m going to have some good friends over for dinner.  This is already on the menu.

What did I learn?

• Good cheese makes an ordinary dish into something special.
• Sophisticated food does not have to be expensive.
• Nutmeg pairs beautifully with a gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese.

Here is my gluten-free version.

You can find more food inspiration at Lisa’s blog, Blessed with Grace, and her Tempt My Tummy Tuesday Carnival.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us