I originally shared this on Punky Moms in 2010 – long before we were GF/DF, and I’ve sort of make it GF/DF, but really, if you eat wheat pasta and dairy cheese, it’s the bomb mac & cheese. It’s edible with GF pasta and fake cheese. Edible, but just not the same. I won’t lie. We don’t really eat it much anymore. Because edible doesn’t equal gooey creamy artery clogging tummy aching goodness. Nope.

I was busy copying tried and true recipes over to my handy dandy recipe book this morning and I realized how awesome it would be to share them with you! Maybe I’ll even remember to do it, I don’t know, more than once ;) I’m going to shoot for once a week, probably on Tuesdays just because today is Tuesday and if I add it and a reminder to my handy dandy calendar, it will bean me upside the head and remind me to do it. Thanks, Steve, for letting me use Handy Dandy. Come on, you’re a mom, you know who I am talking about.

Let’s take it easy this week and do a simple from scratch Mac & Cheese. No, really, it is super simple. This is a variation on “President Truman’s Meatless Tuesday” that my kids love. The recipe I have (I cut it out of a magazine) calls for it to be baked, but my version works perfectly as a last minute stove-top type dish. I usually pair it with a vegetarian chili (ok, not always, but usually) and it tastes delish spooned over top of a portion of chili.

Print Recipe

Mac & Cheese

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Author: Jennifer

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked macaroni gluten free!
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced onions I usually omit this, my kids don’t like it. I think it’s divine
4 tbsp all purpose flour gluten free! or rice flour, oat flour, almond flour, whatever
1 tsp salt I usually omit this
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
2 cups milk almond milk is best, soy gives it a weird taste IMO
3 cups shredded cheddar divided (I like to mix mild & sharp, and maybe toss in a little CoJack too)

Instructions

Boil 6 cups of water and cook macaroni until al dente. Drain.
In a large saucepan, melt butter.
Add onion and cook, stirring constantly until tender.
Add flour, salt, dry mustard and paprika. Mix well.
Add milk and stir for five minutes or until thickened. I suggest drizzling the milk in slowly while stirring.
Add shredded cheese and stir until melted.
Stir in macaroni and serve.

Notes

For a little added protein add a can or two of drained tuna or chicken. Voila! Quick and easy mac & cheese without all the sodium and food coloring of that boxed stuff. Need an even quicker variety? Cook up your macaroni, drain and return to pot. Add about 1/4 c milk and 5 or 6 slices of American cheese (or to taste). Stir together and serve. If your cheese is too thick, add a little more milk. If it’s too runny, add a little more cheese.

Originally posted at Punky Moms in 2010