Baked Mac and Cheese (Gluten-Free)

Final Up to date on November 5, 2025 by Carrie Korem, FNTP

This gluten-free baked mac and cheese is the right consolation meals for cold nights or your Thanksgiving desk. It’s a spin-off of my authentic stovetop mac and cheese from my first cookbook Deliciously Natural, however this model is baked till golden and bubbly. The creamy cheese sauce, buttery texture, and crispy edges make this one a household favourite.

I exploit Jovial rice pasta as a result of it’s gluten free and made with soaked rice, which makes it simpler to digest. You’ll by no means realize it’s gluten free!

Methods to Make Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese Step by Step

This recipe comes collectively in a couple of simple steps:

1. Cook dinner the pasta till al dente, then drain.
2. Make the creamy cheese sauce with butter, milk, arrowroot, and a contact of sea salt and pepper.
3. Stir the pasta into the sauce and fold within the cheese till the whole lot is coated.
4. Switch to a baking dish, prime with extra cheese, and bake till golden brown.

The result’s a wonderfully creamy, tacky mac and cheese with a crispy, flavorful prime layer.

Why You’ll Love This Baked Mac and Cheese  

– Creamy and wealthy with out utilizing gluten  

– Straightforward to make forward for holidays or household dinners  

– Made with healthful substances and actual cheese  

– Golden, bubbly prime layer that everybody loves  

Components for Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 pound rice pasta shells (I exploit Jovial)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1½ cups complete milk
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
• 24 ounces cheddar cheese, grated and divided

Methods to Make Baked Mac and Cheese

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and regulate the rack to the center place.
Step 2: Carry a big pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and prepare dinner till al dente, following the bundle instructions. Drain effectively.
Step 3: In the identical pot, soften the butter over medium-low warmth. Add the milk, arrowroot flour, sea salt, and pepper. Whisk till clean and barely thickened.
Step 4: Add the cooked pasta again to the pot. Stir in half of the grated cheddar till melted and creamy.
Step 5: Switch the combination to a buttered baking dish and prime with the remaining cheese.
Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes till the cheese is melted, bubbly, and simply turning golden on prime. Serve heat.

Methods to Make Forward of Time

You may assemble this baked mac and cheese as much as sooner or later forward. Cowl and refrigerate earlier than baking, then bake when able to serve. If it’s chilly from the fridge, add an additional 10 minutes of baking time.

Often Requested Questions:

Can I make baked mac and cheese forward of time?

Sure. Assemble it sooner or later forward, cowl, and refrigerate till able to bake.  

What’s one of the best cheese for baked mac and cheese?

Sharp cheddar melts fantastically and provides wealthy taste, however you possibly can combine in gruyère or Monterey jack for additional creaminess.  

Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Serving Options

This creamy baked mac and cheese pairs completely with Brussels sprouts, a crisp inexperienced salad, or roasted hen. It additionally makes a beautiful facet dish for Thanksgiving or any household dinner.

Serve it recent from the oven for the last word consolation meals second.

Extra gluten-free consolation recipes:

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Baked Mac and Cheese (Gluten-Free)

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• Creator: Carrie Korem, FNTP
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook dinner Time: 55
• Whole Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6-8
• Class: facet dish
• Weight-reduction plan: Gluten Free

• 1 pound rice pasta shells – I exploit Jovial
• 8 tbs. Unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups complete milk
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly floor black pepper
• 24 ounces cheddar cheese, grated and divided

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 levels F and regulate the rack to the middle place. Carry a big pot of water to boil. Add the pasta shell and cooke till al dente, in keeping with the bundle path. Drain the pasta in a colander. 

Return the pot to the range over medium-low warmth. Soften the butter within the pot after which add the milk, arrowroot, sea salt and pepper. Whisk the sauce till throughly mixed after which add the pasta again to the pot. Prime with half of the cheese (12 ounces). Stir till the cheese is melted and the pasta is thickly coated with the creamy sauce. 

Pour the pasta right into a massive baking dish. Prime with the remaining cheese and bake till the cheese is melted and bubbly and simply turning golden brown on the highest, about 25 minutes. Serve.