Indulgent Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese

"When I add “indulgent” to the recipe title, you’d better consider yourself warned, Honey Bunch. ;) Indulgent Gluten Free Macaroni ‘N Cheese is not your everyday mac ‘n cheese. This one, you save for the day you need a little comfort food, a little something extra. But when you make it – either with full-on dairy  like some of you are able – or dairy-free like I make it for my family, eat it with gusto and enjoy every last cheesy bite, without guilt, without apology. It’s all about eating what we love, in moderation and with balance. So, go ahead, enjoy a little dish of this Indulgent Gluten Free Macaroni ‘N Cheese!"

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Indulgent Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked and drained gluten-free pasta, like Ronzoni
• 2 Tablespoons butter (or dairy-free butter substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 cup sour cream (or dairy-free sour cream substitute – most have soy; if you are soy-free, use an equal amount of dairy-free plain Greek-style yogurt)
• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (or dairy-free cream cheese substitute like Daiya brand spread)
• 2 Tablespoons milk (use dairy- or plant-based; I like unsweetened coconut milk.)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or dairy-free Cheddar-style shreds like Daiya), divided
• 4 slices Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese (or dairy-free Cheddar style block “cheese” sliced into 1-ounce portions to mimic “regular” cheese slices)
• Paprika, for dusting top before baking (it makes it so pretty!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Grease a 2-quart casserole.
3. Once pasta is cooked according to package directions, drain and return it to the cooking pot.
4. Add butter, salt, pepper and ground mustard; stir to help melt butter.
5. Add sour cream, cream cheese, milk and ½ cup of the shredded Cheddar; stir gently until mixture is mostly uniform and no large chunks of the cream cheese remain.
6. Spoon ½ of the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole.
7. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup Cheddar over top.
8. Top with remaining pasta mixture.
9. Place Cheddar slices on top to cover the pasta; dust with paprika, if desired.
10. Bake 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until cheese is bubbly and begins to brown on top.
11. Serve immediately.

Thought you’d like to know…

• Small portions of this dish are adequate, as it is very rich!

• Use your favorite gluten-free pasta. I find Ronzoni cooks up nice and is not mushy. There are other brands like Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta (contains non-GMO corn, too) and Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta that also hold their shape very well during cooking.

• Dairy-free substitutes are available for all the dairy ingredients in the recipe, as noted. Always read ingredients and be aware many dairy substitutes are soy based. If you have soy allergy (like me) be sure to have a look at brands like So Delicious and Daiya, which are soy-free as well as gluten and dairy-free. (And no, I am not advertising for them. I simply know they are quality products that you may find useful.)