Mac 'n' Cheese

Serves 4-6 mains | 8 sides

One thing that you do really miss being gluten-free is pasta, all pasta really, but periodically the pang for a good ‘ol mac ‘n’ cheese is very strong – especially when gourmet versions are all the rage and on seemingly every menu in town.  While I don’t advocate making it a habit, it is nice to indulge in this gooey, cheesy, comfort food now and again, especially during the holidays.  Well, it’s a good excuse at least when the days are blah and a large amount of “healthy eating” has already been abandoned for eggnog, chocolate, cheese plates, and candy canes.  And when JJ suggests that we have one of his favorite meals AND he'll make it - I'm definitely in!  So tonight we are assuaging all of the long days we’ve had this week with a “healthy” dose of mac ‘n’ cheese. 

Making a GF version is easier than you might think by using the best GF-pasta that you can find and then replacing the traditional roux with a vegetable starch like potato or tapioca starch.  On the pasta front I would highly recommend sourcing some corn-quinoa variety, such as Ancient Harvest Quinoa Supergrain Pasta.  You can find it in a variety of shapes like elbows, shells, spirals and more, and I’ve even seen the elbows in the bulk bin at New Seasons.  Corn pastas in general behave so much better than the rice ones (which have an innate tendency towards becoming a glue ball), especially for baked dishes.  Still, you have to really watch it – I would suggest hyper-vigilance to the point of a have a dedicated pasta person to monitor it continuously while you are preparing other ingredients.  Keep touching and tasting because the difference between al dente and total explosion is mere minutes, due to the lack of that all-important stretchy gluten.  That said, it can still be a satisfying pasta experience.

The great thing is that you can make this dish as gourmet or as classic as you desire.  We added rosemary in the sauce and a gratin topping.  This is a dish that can be a great canvas for experimentation - I would suggest trying sage, thyme or rosemary for spices, adding different cheeses, or even (gasp) spiking it with some broccoli, kale or swiss chard.  Any way you do it, relish the few times a year that you do indulge and enjoy every fabulously creamy bite of it – you can have a salad tomorrow. 

For the pasta: Fill a medium pot two-thirds full with water, salt liberally, cover and place over high heat.  When it hits a rolling boil, drop the pasta (see below).

For the sauce: Place a heavy, short pot (such as a dutch oven) or large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Then add:

• ~1/2 T extra virgin olive oil (or neutral vegetable oil)
• 1 med-lg boiler onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Saute together for a minute to release the aroma and then add

• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) – this is not a health elixir people (but then you wouldn't love it nearly as much!)
• 1 T died rosemary or other herbs (or 2 T fresh)

Saute further until the onions are beginning to become soft and translucent.  Meanwhile, drop the pasta in the pot of now boiling water.  Stir immediately, then stir occasionally (about every minute or so) until just undercooked.  It will keep cooking after you drain AND while in the oven, so keep this in mind when gauging doneness.

When the onions are soft, stir constantly and sprinkle in by the tablespoon:

• 2 -4 T potato starch (or other vegetable starch such as tapioca – I wouldn't use corn here) depending on how thick you like the sauce to be; more = thicker

Once incorporated let cook briefly then start stirring in

• 1 lb cheddar or other cheese, grated -> reserve about ½ cup for topping

Check the pasta constantly and when very al dente – edible but not quite done – drain and stir periodically to keep from sticking together while the sauce finishes.

When the cheese has melted somewhat, add

• 2-3 cups milk (or unsweetened, unflavored milk substitute of your choice) depending again on the desired consistency

Cook at a low simmer until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy.  While you wait make some crunchy topping if you like.  Crush

• ~1 c VGF chips such as corn tortillas, falafel chips, or rice crackers

Toss with

• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 t olive oil or melted butter

Then incorporate the reserved grated cheese.  When the sauce is ready, stir in the drained pasta noodles until everything is nice and coated, then cover with the gratin topping.  Bake for 30-40 min, or until the top is crunchy and golden brown.  

Remove from the oven, then leave it for 10 min before serving – set the timer and go have a sip of wine, check the email or play with the dog to save yourself from premature sampling and ensuing scalded mouths.  Or ask yourself "what would JJ do?" and chop up a quick picante relish to cut all the creamy goodness.  Dice any combination of pickled peppers/jalapeños, roasted red peppers, scallions, parsley and/or other vinegary or spicy condiments to suit your taste.  Then serve up and enjoy your well-deserved indulgence!

 

MJ Note: You could also portion this into individual dishes before baking, in which case the cooking time would be reduced, but you could also reduce 1) your desire to eat more than you should, and/or 2) cutlery jousting over the equitable division of portions amongst family members/friends/neighbors.