Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese Bake
This gluten-free Macaroni and Cheese bake is a southern-style macaroni and cheese casserole sans gluten that’s just as delicious as the original version.
This is a great recipe for homestyle macaroni and cheese that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Even my gluten-loving kiddos ate this up and asked for seconds. This gluten-free macaroni & cheese bake is so full of cheesy goodness that you won’t even know the difference from the original!
The Best Gluten-Free Pasta For Macaroni and Cheese
A proper selection of gluten-free pasta is crucial to the success of this dish. Some of them just turn to mush when you cook them….and that would be a casserole fail. I used the Hodgson’s Mill brown rice elbow macaroni and the Tinkyada rice pasta and both turned out great. The Tinkyada is actually my favorite. Be sure and cook it al dente and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. It will have plenty of time to finish plumping when you bake it in the oven.
Recipe Update
*I’ve made a modification to the original recipe and added two beaten eggs to the cheese mixture before baking. It turns out more like southern macaroni bake and was absolutely delicious! If you like more of a macaroni casserole texture, add the eggs. If you want more creamy mac and cheese, just follow the original recipe.
Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese Bake
Ingredients
- 8 oz box gluten-free elbow macaroni pasta (such as Hodgson Mill brown rice elbow macaroni or Tinkyada brown rice pasta)
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour King Arthur brand recommended
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 5 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups extra sharp white cheddar such as Cabot's, shredded fresh from block
- 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar freshly shredded from block
- 2 eggs lightly beaten (optional for more of a baked macaroni and cheese texture)
- paprika to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook macaroni "al-dente" according to package directions, immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Set pasta aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Blend in flour, salt, peppers and dry mustard with a whisk, then add milk.
- Cook until beginning to thicken and smooth.
- Add half of the cheese and stir until blended.
- Stir in beaten eggs until well incorporated, if using
- Pour macaroni into a 9x13" pan sprayed with cooking spray and add cheese mixture. Stir until mixed and then top with remaining cheese.
- Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 25-30 minutes until set and lightly golden on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks for sharing this delish looking recipe at The Weekend Social. I need to look for the Brown Rice pasta you listed. Hope to see you again Thursday 9:00 PM EST. http://www.theKitchenChopper.com
Thank you for hosting a great party KC! 🙂
The recipe was very good but I think something is off in the ingredients. The amount of sauce the recipe makes is far too much for 8 oz. of pasta. I had to add 4 more ozs. And could have added more pasta.
Hi Carol! Thank you for reaching out! Did you measure the pasta dry? It is a very creamy mac and cheese, but if you like it thicker then adding a bit extra pasta works great to thicken it up a bit.
Can you prepare ahead, then bake before serving ?
Hi Shawn! Yes, you can assemble the day before and bake just before serving.
I made 1/2 recipe, with Bob’s red mill GF , 1:1
Did well with sauce, cooked to smooth & thick enough. Added mustard powder, bit of grated nutmeg. Used extra old cheddar, & Gruyère — delicious. But, when casserole done in oven, the sauce was ‘split’ —- or some might say ‘curdled’— but no ingredient that would curdle.. Puzzled. I wonder if one could just use cornstarch. Did that with a cooked salad dressing, instead if flour- pleased with result. Just saying
Hi Shirley! I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessing that it was the cheese that you used. Some cheese, especially cheese that is more aged won’t melt as well as a young cheese. Also, if the cheese stays in the pot too long before it’s tossed with the pasta and baked, this can happen. Try and young cheddar next time shredded from the block and let me know how it goes. You shouldn’t need the cornstarch. I’m glad you still enjoyed it!