Gluten Free Creamy Mac and Cheese
Creamy, stretchy, deeply cheesy mac and cheese is one of those comfort foods that can feel completely out of reach when you're avoiding gluten — but this version delivers everything you actually want from the dish. The secret is a silky sauce built from butter, cornstarch, whole milk, and heavy cream, thickened low and slow so it coats every noodle without a single grain of wheat flour in sight. Sharp cheddar and Gruyère are grated fresh and folded in gradually, which keeps the sauce smooth and glossy rather than grainy or clumpy. Dry mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder add a quiet depth that makes the whole bowl taste like it came from somewhere far more complicated than your stovetop. A splash of hot sauce is optional, but it gives the richness just enough of an edge to keep things interesting. The reserved pasta water trick at the end is a small move that makes a big difference — it loosens the sauce to that perfect, spoonable consistency without diluting the flavor. This makes four generous servings and comes together in about the time it takes to boil the pasta, which means weeknight comfort food is absolutely back on the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 12 oz gluten free elbow pasta
- 1 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
For the cheese sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 2 oz gruyère cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the gluten free elbow pasta and cook according to the package directions until just tender with a slight resistance at the center, typically 7–9 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta through a colander and set aside.
- 2
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until the mixture is pale and slightly foamy.
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