Baked Macaroni and Cheese - Gluten-Free!

This gluten-free Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe is a crowd-pleasing favorite! Cheesy and creamy with a crunchy, buttery top, it's everything baked mac & cheese should be.

I love Macaroni & Cheese, and you all must love it too – I get asked for mac & cheese recipes every time I teach a cooking class, and usually end up discussing it once or twice at Gluten-Free events, too.

I usually start making Macaroni & Cheese as soon as the crisp Fall weather shows up, it just seems like the thing do to. This is my favorite basic baked version, but don’t be afraid to switch the cheeses up and make it your own: I’ve used every type of cheese under the sun, and have even used smashed potato chips when I was out of GF breadcrumbs. I've also made my famous Bacon Pimento Mac & Cheese with this topping, and it's incredibly delicious too.

There are tons of gluten-free pastas on the market! I my current favorite is the fresh GF pasta from Manini's (find it in the cold case at premium grocers) or the dried elbow pasta from Jovial.

Ingredients

• ½ pound Gluten Free elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons Gluten-Free Flour Blend, or 2 tablespoons rice flour + 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
• 1 ½ tablespoons powdered mustard
• 3 cups milk
• ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large egg
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

Optional Topping:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup Gluten Free panko breadcrumbs or 1 cup rough-chopped Gluten Free croutons

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente, careful to not overcook.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the Gluten Free flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes, making sure the mixture is completely smooth. Stir in the milk, onion, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes.

Temper in the egg. Stir in ¾ of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cooked & drained macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Topping: Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the breadcrumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Notes

photo by the incredible James Collier. He always makes my food look fabulous.