Dairy Free Gluten Free Mac N Cheese

It’s creamy and delicious and has all the goodness of your old favorite but this Dairy Free Gluten Free Mac N Cheese is all cleaned up!

You’ve asked and asked. Ok begged. Groveled. Give us the Mac N Cheese but make it out of clouds and fairy wings and tear drops from angels. I came close. I mean I did have to use actual food ingredients, but I think you’ll be pleased. 

Back in the days of gluten and heavy cream, one of my besties, Blair, would make the Joy of Cooking mac n cheese. If you haven’t had it and have autoimmune disease, I’d refrain – because you’ll either die of elation or from inflammation.  But that sh*t is SO GOOD. And I think of it often. But also, I don’t think I’ll ever make it as is again. 

However, I figured out a way to get close and I’m sort of amazing at how good it turned out. I had to make lots of modifications but kept some of the very specific flavors like the bay leaf and sauteed onion. I’m going to tell you how to make this completely dairy free but beyond that, I don’t have subs. I don’t know if your great Aunt Patty’s fermented buttermilk recipe will work in this. I also don’t know how long to cook every single different brand of gluten free pasta. What I will tell you is, if you make it like I recommend, you’ll be glad you did. 

Also, because I was going for a prize-winning recipe, I topped mine with potato chip crumbles. I like feeling like a hero and I’m pretty sure if I effed up the whole rest of the recipe I still would have redeemed it with this topping. But I digress. If you cannot have the potato chip topping, you can sub whatever you like. I can’t promise you’ll win any awards though. 

Dairy Free Gluten Free Mac N Cheese

• Author: Jennifer Robins

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 ounces dried gluten free macaroni noodles. I used THIS one. Use Jen10% for 10% off your order
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 6 tablespoons ghee, avocado oil, or butter (if dairy is tolerated)
• 2 cups dairy free cream, I used Nutpods Original Creamer
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt to taste
• 1/4 cup Dairy Free Cheese Mix by The Curious Coconut
• 1 cup mashed up potato chips
• 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese (if you tolerate dairy), you may also use a cheddar substitute

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and place your pasta in the boiling water
3. Cook pasta according to the directions, then strain and set aside
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil/butter over medium heat in a skillet
5. Add in the chopped onion and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant
6. Add in the dairy free cream, seasonings, bay leaf and 1/4 cup powdered cheese mix
7. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes and then remove from heat
8. Remove the bay leaf and pour the cheese mixture into the reserved pasta
9. Spoon 1/2 the pasta mixture into a casserole dish. If you are going to use cheese slices, layer four of them on top of 1/2 the pasta
10. Then spoon the remaining pasta mixture in and place the other four slices of cheese on top
11. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove from the oven, sprinkle the crushed potato chips on top and serve warm