Ingredients:
- 1 Package of Gluten-Free Macaroni* (340 g box)
(we like Catelli Brand, it boils like regular pasta and tastes just as good it also is a plant based product, this is not a sponsored post) - Water
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 cup of table cream (if going vegan/dairy-free use cashew milk)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (if vegan use 1 brick of nuts for cheese Un-brie-lievable)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano (1 wedge of nut for cheese chipotle cheddar flavoured wedge)
- 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (omit if vegan)
- Cracked Black pepper to taste
- 1 TBSP tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup of gluten-free bread crumbs (for vegans use crumbled natural potato chips or corn flake cereal for a bit of crunch)
- See Variations and add-ons to make this an even tastier dish
Instructions:
- Shred all cheeses
- Pre-Heat oven to 350 F (300 F Convection)
- Grease a medium glass oven-safe casserole dish
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil following the instructions on the package, ensure you do not overcook pasta, if you do they will continue to absorb moisture from the cheese mixture and you will have Mush and Cheese instead of Mac and Cheese. You are looking for slightly firm noodles, don't worry they will keep cooking in the cheese sauce
- While pasta is boiling, in a medium saucepan add the milk and tapioca starch and whisk until the tapioca is dissolved, then add half of all the cheeses. Keep whisking over medium heat until you have a thickened mixture (do not let the cheese or tapioca settle at the bottom of the pot or it will burn.)
- Strain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the noodles from cooking any further, once the noodles are cooler to the touch, let dry in strainer for 10 minutes so that any excess moisture/water can evaporate
- Transfer and spread the noodles evenly in your greased casserole dish and add your olive oil (mix with noodles to evenly coat)
- Sprinkle a bit of cracked black pepper into your cheese sauce mix, then add 1/2 of the remaining grated cheese again
- Pour cheese mix over noodles and mix the cheese around so it spreads evenly with the noodles
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the noodles to create a melted crust in the oven
- Finish the top of the cheese with a good layer of bread crumbs or the vegan alternative
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes, then broil the top for 5 minutes, keeping an eye on the dish so that the cheese browns but does not burn
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes then serve!
* Variations:
1. Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese (Before putting the final layer of cheese, add shredded pulled pork to the top, then drizzle with your favourite BBQ sauce, then complete step 10. - omit step 11
2. Hot dog or Veggie Dog Mac and Cheese: Boil a few hot-dogs in water until plump, then cut into bite-size pieces. Add this in step 7. (you can also do this with broccoli which is very tasty indeed!)
It is best eaten the day of since the noodles will keep absorbing the liquid and it will not be as cheesy and creamy the next day...but it will still be delicious.
Get creative and Tag us in your Mac and Cheese creations!
