Like most American families, Mac and Cheese was a staple in our diet. And, we have missed it A LOT since we cut out wheat and dairy. However, my kids never liked a fancy dish baked with breadcrumbs or paprika; they ate organic mac and cheese from a box. And, the Daiya Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese from a box, is gross. Once, I created a cashew cheese baked mac and cheese that I enjoyed, but what a waste! My kids spit out the one bite that they tried. In my defense, I didn’t think it was bad! So I worked to find the best tasting no-thrills “box-style” vegan gluten-free recipe!
In Gluten-Free and More Magazine, there was a mac and cheese recipe FromJessicasKitchen.com, in which she used coconut milk, coconut creamer, and vegan mozzarella and cheddar to make the sauce. However, her recipe is another fancy dish; so I took her sauce idea, and I changed a lot to make it more like a traditional box dish that my kids would eat. This dish has changed our dinner! They would eat it every day if I let them!
Noodles
- 6 quarts water
- 1 box gluten-free pasta shells
Ingredients for Sauce
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter (I use Earth Balance or Smart Balance)
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ cup coconut creamer (I used Trader Joe’s)
- 2 teaspoons Redmond’s Real Salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Almond Flour (I used Blue Diamond that I bought at Costco)
- 3 tablespoons water, room temperature (not cold)
- 2 cups dairy-free shredded cheddar cheese (I used Vegan Gourmet Cheddar Shreds from Fresh Thyme)
- 1 cup dairy-free shredded mozzarella cheese (I used VeggieGo Mozzarella Shreds from Fresh Thyme)
Directions
- First, prepare your noodles. Boil water, add pasta shells and cook according to the lowest time provided on the box because gluten-free noodles are often mushy.
- To start the sauce, melt the 4 tablespoons vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add coconut milk, coconut creamer, and Redmond’s Real Salt. Stir the mixture frequently until it begins to boil; watch carefully so that it doesn’t come to a full boil.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, almond flour, and water. Stir until it is smooth.
- Pour cornstarch mixture into the milk mixture, and increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and whisk until the cheese thickens to a pudding-like consistency. (approximately 2 minutes)
- Add the vegan cheddar and mozzarella. Whisk constantly for approximately 3 – 5 minutes until cheese is melted and smooth.
- Drain the pasta, and add it to the cheese sauce.
- Mix gently until pasta is evenly coated.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and enjoy! My kids ate it up and I admit, it was delicious!!!
I have tasted this recipe and it is delicious !
This looks fantastic! I’m working on removing some gluten from my family’s diet and making some other changes. This looks like a definite one to try with the chickpea based gluten free pasta I just reviewed on my blog. Thanks for the great post!
Oh I will check out the chickpea pasta! Always looking for a healthy way to get protein and we love pasta!