We came across this way of cooking macaroni and cheese that just made us flip. Of course, it was the gluten-full, dairy version, but we thought we may just try it catered to our diet. Boy are we glad we did!

The key is to cook the noodles not in water, but right in the milk alternative! In this case we used almond milk. We tried this with two different types of gluten-free noodles, rice and a quinoa/corn mix. While both were good, the quinoa/corn macaroni (affiliate link) was definitely better. The rice pasta had a longer cooking time and was a bit mushier. So while we will list the recipe with the ingredients we used, so we know that they will come out well, we welcome input on the kind of ingredients you used! Also, if there is one thing that we cannot stress enough – when we say that you have to stir the cooking pasta constantly, we mean it. Don’t leave the stove while it is cooking. You will end up with a clumpy mess.

The Creamiest Vegan, Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups of quinoa/corn gluten free macaroni, uncooked
2 – 2 1/2 cups of almond milk
2 tablespoons vegan butter alternative
1/2 cup of your favorite shredded vegan cheese, we used Daiya cheddar shreds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse macaroni under cold water thoroughly and place in a 2-quart pot. Add the vegan butter alternative and 2 cups of the almond milk, reserving the extra 1/2 cup for later. Over medium heat, bring the almond milk to good simmer and then reduce to low. Cook over low, *constantly* stirring, until almond milk has evaporated to the point of leaving a creamy sauce behind. If the pasta still does not seem thoroughly cooked, add the other 1/2 cup of almond milk, bring back to a simmer, reduce to low and stir constantly until cooked back down. Once the macaroni is cooked thoroughly, and the almond milk is reduced to a thick, creamy sauce, turn off the burner and add the cheese, nutritional yeast, ground mustard, salt and pepper, stirring thoroughly. Cover and let sit for a few minutes to let everything melt together, then stir again.

If you find that your favorite vegan cheese does not melt very well into this dish, the good news is that with just the base of cooked macaroni and creamy sauce, you can take this dish in unlimited directions by adding various combinations of these ingredients:

• chopped garlic
• basil
• parsley
• oregano
• sun dried tomatoes
• chopped green olives
• capers
• green peas
• steamed carrot slices
• steamed broccoli
• marinated mushrooms

The sky is the limit! Enjoy – and let us know what creations you come up with!

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