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Gluten-Free Baked Macaroni and Cheese

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 24, 2019

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Gluten-Free Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

3 slices (about 3 ounces) gluten-free sandwich bread, torn into quarters2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter12 ounces gluten-free caserecce or elbow macaroniSalt and pepper 2 ½ cups whole milk 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 garlic clove, minced½ teaspoon dry mustard ⅛ cayenne pepper 1 cup chicken broth 12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded (3 cups)6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1½ cups)

Before You Begin

You can substitute Monterey Jack for the Colby cheese if desired, but the flavor will be less pronounced. Make sure to taste the pasta often, as it can overcook quickly. Cooking times for gluten-free pasta vary from brand to brand. Make sure to taste the pasta often, as it can overcook quickly. Bread may clump together during toasting, make sure to break it apart into fine crumbs before sprinkling over the pasta.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse bread and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground, about 12 pulses. Spread crumbs in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. (Do not turn off oven.) Once crumbs have cooled slightly, break up any large clumps into fine crumbs.
  2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Stir in pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and leave in colander.
  3. Whisk ½ cup milk and cornstarch together in small bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to now-empty pot and return to medium heat until melted. Stir in garlic, mustard, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in remaining 2 cups milk and chicken broth and bring to simmer. Whisk in cornstarch mixture, return to simmer, and continue cooking, whisking often, until large bubble form on surface and mixture is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, gradually whisk in Colby and cheddar until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Stir drained pasta into cheese sauce, breaking up any clumps, until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into 8-inch square baking dish (or other 2-quart casserole dish) and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Gluten-Free Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Gluten-Free Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 slices (about 3 ounces) gluten-free sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces gluten-free caserecce or elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ cayenne pepper
1 cup chicken broth
12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded (3 cups)
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1½ cups)

Ingredients

3 slices (about 3 ounces) gluten-free sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces gluten-free caserecce or elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ cayenne pepper
1 cup chicken broth
12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded (3 cups)
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1½ cups)

Ingredients

3 slices (about 3 ounces) gluten-free sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces gluten-free caserecce or elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ cayenne pepper
1 cup chicken broth
12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded (3 cups)
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1½ cups)

Why This Recipe Works

Our favorite traditional baked mac and cheese relies on béchamel sauce for its base. This sauce, which calls for whisking milk into a butter-flour roux, ensures smooth, creamy results in the final dish. For equally creamy results without the flour, we relied on cornstarch (first mixed with milk to prevent clumping), which thickened our sauce to the perfect consistency. (We kept our sauce mixture loose so that it could withstand the heat of the oven without drying out.) For the cheese, we found that a mix of Colby cheese (for meltability) and cheddar cheese (for rich flavor) delivered an appealing casserole that baked up smooth and creamy. Adding a little dry mustard and cayenne helped to boost the cheesy flavor even more. Now, all we needed was the perfect bread-crumb topping. The simple fix was pulsing gluten-free bread and melted butter in the food processor and then toasting the coated crumbs in the oven. Once baked on top of our casserole, the crumbs provided the ideal crisp counterpoint to our tender pasta and creamy cheese sauce.

Before You Begin

You can substitute Monterey Jack for the Colby cheese if desired, but the flavor will be less pronounced. Make sure to taste the pasta often, as it can overcook quickly. Cooking times for gluten-free pasta vary from brand to brand. Make sure to taste the pasta often, as it can overcook quickly. Bread may clump together during toasting, make sure to break it apart into fine crumbs before sprinkling over the pasta.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse bread and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground, about 12 pulses. Spread crumbs in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. (Do not turn off oven.) Once crumbs have cooled slightly, break up any large clumps into fine crumbs.
  2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Stir in pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and leave in colander.
  3. Whisk ½ cup milk and cornstarch together in small bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to now-empty pot and return to medium heat until melted. Stir in garlic, mustard, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in remaining 2 cups milk and chicken broth and bring to simmer. Whisk in cornstarch mixture, return to simmer, and continue cooking, whisking often, until large bubble form on surface and mixture is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, gradually whisk in Colby and cheddar until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Stir drained pasta into cheese sauce, breaking up any clumps, until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into 8-inch square baking dish (or other 2-quart casserole dish) and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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