Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, Two Ways+

 Yes, we all love macaroni and cheese, especially my sweet little girls. When we found out we needed to become a gluten free family I knew I would have to master the art of gluten free mac and cheese, and pronto. I thought it would take forever to get a recipe to taste like my own regular version, but in all honesty it was not that difficult. The first two or three attempts weren't great but they were edible. First was ruling out the not-so-great pasta choices on the gluten free market. Our staple replacement has become Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta. Next was figuring out how to get the same taste and texture in the cheese sauce without using wheat as the thickening agent. I tried several things at first which were not as successful as I would have liked. However, finding out that potato starch and potato flour are both good options made things much easier. Though I had to learn to be conservative; a little goes a long way (much more so than regular wheat flour).

I start by melting butter or Earth Balance in a large pot, adding some potato starch or flour (whichever I have on hand), sea salt, fresh pepper, a squirt of mustard, and some onion powder. Next, I pour in some 1% milk, and whisk constantly over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken. I then add my typical shredded cheese combo of sharp cheddar and colby jack. Sometimes I throw in a little cream cheese, too. I mix the sauce into my pasta, reserving a little for after the mac and cheese is baked. I then get creative with my additions. Sometimes this is it, and I bake it with a little extra cheese, salt and pepper on top. (Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.) In the above picture I have added some browned turkey sausage and onions. Sometimes I choose grass-fed beef with onions. This is great when served with some salsa on the side to pour on after it is plated. The picture below is a common choice because it is my husband's favorite...tomatoes, extra cheese, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs (gluten free cornmeal crumbs). This combo is great made into an italian version with mozzerella, basil and parsley added as well. I enjoy a mexican version, too- adding chiles, monterey or pepper jack, and salsa verde or cilantro, onion and tomatoes. The versions of mac and cheese are endless, which is good, because my family requests it all the time and without variation I probably couldn't eat it anymore! Hope these ideas help you get creative! Let me know if you have tried these or if you have other ideas to share!