Insanely Good Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make gluten-free pasta taste better? ›

Don't forget to salt the water.

On its own, gluten-free pasta is really pretty tasteless. It needs seasoning, in the form of salt, just like regular pasta. After the water comes to a boil, add enough salt to make the water taste like the ocean (about 1/4 cup for a large pot of water), before adding the pasta.

Gluten free mac and cheese can and should taste just as good as the other stuff. We think you'll love these. If you love Kraft Mac and Cheese but you always wish the cheese sauce tasted a little bit more like actual cheese, Annie's Gluten Free mac and cheese is the way to go.

Once you've added the pasta to the pot of boiling water, stir every 30 seconds for the first five minutes of cooking to move the olive oil around and keep the pasta loose. Gluten-free pasta requires more stirring in the initial cooking stage than regular pasta so that it doesn't (surprise!) stick together.

Most gluten-free flours will have a unique taste, which can be hard to get used to eating. That's why we recommend adding extra vanilla. Adding more vanilla or other spices/flavorings will help cover these unfamiliar flavors. Besides, who doesn't love the smooth taste of vanilla–we certainly do!

Kraft (the company that makes Velveeta) has a trusted policy to disclose any allergens on their nutrition label and there are no warning that indicate that Velveeta cheese contains any gluten ingredients. Furthermore, the gluten-free and celiac community is in agreement that Velveeta should be considered gluten-free.

If your mac and cheese tastes bland, it's either because it's under-seasoned, you didn't use flavorful cheese, or you didn't use enough cheese. Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it.

Pro Tip: Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Many store-bought shredded cheese brands coat their cheese with an anti-caking agent than can make sauces grainy and less creamy. While it requires a bit of an arm workout, grating your own yields the best texture.

Mustard Powder: The secret ingredient you should always add to your Mac and cheese. The acidity in the mustard helps cut through the fat. You can find it in the spice section of any major grocery store. Otherwise, swap it for 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Dijon or yellow mustard to taste or omit it.

Beaten Eggs: adds a custard-like texture to the creamy mac and cheese. Salt: balances and enhances the overall flavor profile.

Micro-wave Cooking instructions 110 watt microwave on high Remove tray from outer carton; pull back corner of film to vent. Cook on high for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Stir Pull back film and stir the macaroni and cheese. Replace film.

Why does gluten-free pasta taste different? ›

In fact, in blind taste tests most people we've cooked for tend to prefer the gluten-free noodles. Overall, the only differences reported are that gluten free varieties are slightly grainier and have a more hearty, nutty flavor that pairs deliciously with any sauce.

Gluten free pasta tends to absorb more sauce than normal pasta. This means you might need to add more water to the sauce as you mix it through the pasta. Don't rinse your pasta.

Save the starchy water.

It acts as a sauce for the pasta recipe. Gluten-Free Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (pictured above) is a great example of this. If your pasta water gets super-starchy, that's okay in this recipe because that's exactly what it calls for!

Fresh basil is the natural choice with simple pasta sauces like marinara, but parsley, cilantro, and even mint can also give pasta dishes a burst of fragrant flavor when they're sprinkled on just before serving.