Gluten Free Macaroni Cheese

We love pasta in our house, and we love cheesy bake dishes even more. Unfortunately, lately we have found that Mr 2's eczema has worsened with the cold winter weather we are having. We have found though, that the less wheat/gluten he eats, the better his skin is. With that in mind, I've been trying to cook as many Gluten Free meals for him as possible and minimize his wheat/gluten intake. So, I thought a Gluten Free Macaroni Cheese would satisfy our pasta/cheese needs, while not disturbing Mr 2's skin too much.

I used a brown rice elbow pasta that I found at a local Japanese Supermarket. The boys eat the pasta by the bowlful so I thought I'd use it in a yummy Macaroni Cheese, a comforting dish to pick us up on a cold winters day.

To make the Gluten Free Macaroni Cheese, first, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and prepare the pasta according to the package directions. I used brown rice elbows, but you can use whatever gluten free pasta you have. If gluten isn't an issue, then use your favorite pasta instead. Once cooked, place the pasta into an ovenproof dish for your macaroni cheese.

To make the cheese sauce, you simply combine together the cream cheese, egg, milk and salt & pepper. I like to use my potato/vegetable masher to squish the block of cream cheese into a smooth  consistency of a creamy cheese sauce.

Then it's a matter of pouring the creamy cheese sauce over the prepared macaroni and stir to combine.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. A bowlful of this dish is so comforting you wouldn't want for anything else. I do, however, like to serve it was a salad or some vegetables on the side.

As this recipe was created with Mr 2 in mind, I kept the recipe relatively simple. He is a good eater, but prefers his ingredients separately on his plate.With that in mind, feel free to add all or any of the following optional extras:

• A Cup of grated cheese for an extra cheesy topping.
• Mix through a couple of teaspoons of your favorite mustard.
• Vegetables - instead of serving vegetables on the side, you could cook some peas and corn into the macaroni.
• Nutritional Yeast - I recently got myself a packet and am learning about this interesting ingredient. If you'd like to add some extra B Vitamins and cheesy flavor to your Macaroni Cheese, then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons into the cheese sauce.

I served the Gluten Free Macaroni Cheese to Mr 2 in a Bento meal, along with star shaped bananas, peas, corn and cranberries. He loved it! And most importantly - the meal didn't seem to irritate his skin.

Gluten Free Macaroni Cheese
250g (8.82 ounces) Gluten Free Macaroni (I used Brown Rice Elbows)
250g (8.82 ounces) Cream Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 Cup Milk (or use a Milk Substitute if you prefer)
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
3. Drain and rinse cooked macaroni and place into an oven proof dish.
4. To make the cheese sauce, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg, milk and salt and pepper. Mix together until well combined. I use a potato masher to make it easier to transform the thick cream cheese into a sauce consistency.
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the prepared macaroni in the dish and stir well to combine.
6. Place the macaroni cheese into the preheated oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.
7. Serve with vegetables or a side salad.

Serves 4 to 6

As I'm getting more into the gluten free way of cooking, I'd love to hear your gluten free tips and hints.

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More Yummy Cheesy Bakes:

Cheesy Cauliflower & Broccoli Bake
Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower & Coconut 
Potato, Tuna & Mushroom Gratin

The BEST Pumpkin Tagliatelle

You may think it's a bit of a stretch to call this the "Best" Pumpkin Tagliatelle, but I assure you that when you make this pasta, it will instantly become your favorite Pasta dish. The first time I made this, I did so by casually added a bit of "this and that" and when I served it to my Darling Husband he immediately declared it the BEST Tagliatelle he's ever eaten and demanded I note down how I made it so I can do it again. (ok, he's not THAT bossy, but he was pretty adament that I make this for him again and again...)

So, I wrote the recipe and have followed it about half a dozen times since then... each time resulting in a mouth watering dish that the family absolutely ADORES. Best of all - this recipe is so much lighter than usual creamy pasta sauces, and you don't lose anything taste wise.

Feel free to tweak the veggies, as you may have noticed from my recipes, my family are mushroom crazy, so most meals contain a giant portion of mushrooms and we are happy bunnies. I made the dish in the one pot, to save time and washing up. The end result is a thick, creamy sauce which is thickened from the pasta being cooked in the pumpkin sauce. If you'd like, you are welcome to cook the pasta in a separate pot, the sauce won't be as creamy, but it will be healthier without the addition of the pasta starch to the pumpkin sauce.

I like to cut the pumpkin into different sizes. That way, the smaller pieces dissolve to become the pumpkin sauce, while you are still left with delicious pumpkin pieces in the dish. Mr (almost) 2 loved the chunky pumpkin bits. He picked them up with his fingers and gobbled them up quickly. He also loved slurping up the saucy Tagliatelle. As I said - the family LOVED it and I hope you will too. 

The BEST Pumpkin Tagliatelle
1 teaspoon oil
2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
250g mushrooms, sliced
1kg (2.2 pounds) pumpkin (I like to use butternut pumpkin/squash) - diced
1 Cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock
1 Cup Water
1 Tin Evaporated Milk
250g (8.8 oz) Packet Tagliatelle
Parmesan

1. Soften onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat on the stove top.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are reduced and have released a lot of their liquid.
3. Add the pumpkin and stir well to combine.
4. Pour over the stock and water, bring up to the boil.
5. When boiling, add the evaporated milk and reduce the heat to simmer.
6. Once the pumpkin has softened and cooked, add the tagliatelle and cook according to the time on the package directions.
7. Serve immediately, topped with a little Parmesan and enjoy!

Serves 4


More Yummy Recipes You'll Love:
Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake
Tuna and 4 Veg Polenta Bake
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

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Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake

 

My family adores cheesy bake dishes, as you may have noticed from the regular recipes which contain a cheesy bake of some description, including Tuna and 4 Veg Polenta Bake and Potato, Tuna and Mushroom Gratin. This time, my cheese offering is a side dish to complement a main meal and maybe even tempt the non cauliflower/broccoli eater in your house to try some.

I decided to make a lighter version of the classic cheesy cauliflower/broccoli bake - without the addition of calorie rich cream. Cottage cheese is a much lighter ingredient, yet you still get the creamy texture and flavor you expect from such a dish. The dish is also lightened by being topped with just a few tablespoons of Parmesan, a cheese that only requires a little to provide a huge flavor hit.

To make the Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake, simply place your frozen vegetables into a microwave and oven safe dish. Microwave until defrosted.

Beat together the cottage cheese and egg until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.

Then, it's simply a matter of mixing together the cottage cheese mix and the vegetables until they are well combined.

Sprinkle over the Parmesan and then place in the oven until cheesy and golden.

I made the dish using half a 500g bag of frozen mixed cauliflower and broccoli, but feel free to use all of one or the other, or use a couple of heads of fresh cauliflower and broccoli. If you're not using frozen, then simply skip the defrosting step and go straight to mixing the egg and cottage cheese together before mixing in with the vegetables. 

My Husband was only halfway through his first mouthful when he insisted that I make this again. Soon. The dish was met with a similar response from Mr (almost) 2 who kept wanting more and more! I served the Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake to him as part of a Bear Themed Bento Lunchbox, along with some bear shaped peanut butter sandwiches and bear shaped apples, that I made using various Bear Cookie Cutters. (where to find bear cookie cutters)

 
Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake
250g Mixed Cauliflower and Broccoli
1 Egg
1 Cup Cottage Cheese
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Place the frozen vegetables in a dish that is microwave safe and oven safe. First place in the microwave to defrost the vegetables to around room temperature.
3. In a bowl, beat together the egg and cottage cheese until smooth.
4. Once the vegetables have defrosted, keep them in the oven proof dish and pour the cottage cheese mix over the veg and stir through until evenly distributed.
5. Top with the grated Parmesan and place the dish in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side/vegetable dish

To recreate the Bear Themed Bento Lunchbox, you'll need:

Recipe Update - I shared this recipe before getting rid of my Microwave. I now either steam or boil the vegetables before they go in the oven. Click through to read more about our decision to have a Microwave Free Kitchen.

You'll also love these Yummy Cheesy Bakes:

Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and Coconut

Potato, Tuna and Mushroom Gratin

Tuna and 4 Veg Polenta Bake

 

What's your favorite cheesy bake version? 

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Orange and Tomato Salad

3 Sliced Oranges + 3 Sliced Tomatoes = A Refreshing Sweet & Tangy Orange and Tomato Salad with No Salad Dressing required!

We enjoyed the salad as a side to a rich (& yummy!) honey roasted chicken dish - balanced out the heaviness of the chicken dish perfectly.

The kids don't usually like tomato but amazingly they did when it was mixed with oranges in this salad. I also served the salad in a de-constructed manner, with the oranges and tomatoes in separate holes in a muffin tin meal, along with a portion of the honey roasted chicken and a little popcorn.Mr (almost) 2 loved it and wanted more of everything! (where to find a muffin tin)

<-- Pin this Muffin tin Meal!

The Orange and Tomato Salad is a simple, yummy salad that can be put together at a moment's notice.

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Click here to learn more about The Freezer Cooking Guide 

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You may also like:

Beetroot & Lentil Yummy Summery Salad

Kiwi & Cucumber Salad

Quinoa & Egg Salad

Quinoa and Egg Salad

This Quinoa and Egg Salad is a protein packed version of the much loved Potato Salad. The hearty flavors of Quinoa and Egg are a heavenly combination with the caramelized Onions and Mushrooms. The plain natural yoghurt (or Greek yoghurt) glues the dish together and is a healthy alternative to a salad full of high calorie mayonnaise.

This Quinoa and Egg Salad is great as a light dinner after a day of over indulging (such as on Mothers Day, Birthdays or Holidays) or as a filling lunchbox dish. It's a delicious way to enjoy this trendy ingredient and maybe even introduce it to the fussy eater in your house!

Quinoa and Egg Salad Recipe
1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups Water (or 2 Cups Stock or half/half)
1 teaspoon Oil
1 Onion, Sliced
200g (7oz) Mushrooms, Sliced
4 Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced
1 Cup Plain Natural Yoghurt (or Greek Yoghurt)
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1. In a sieve, thoroughly rinse and clean the Quinoa and place it in a saucepan on the stove-top.
2. Pour the water/stock over the Quinoa and bring the saucepan up to the boil over medium heat.
3. Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer the Quinoa, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes or until cooked and all of the water is absorbed.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the onions. Gently soften the onions over low to medium heat. When the onions begin to soften. add the mushrooms and cook over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the onions have become caramelized and translucent.
5. Once the onions and mushrooms have cooked, add them to the cooked Quinoa and stir to combine.
6. Allow the saucepan to cool down completely before adding the sliced hard boiled eggs, yoghurt and salt and pepper, to taste.
7. You could serve the salad direct from the saucepan or move it to a large salad bowl.

Serves 4 as a main meal

Linking up at: Kitchen Fun & Crafty Friday; It's a Hodgepodge Friday; Happy Hour Friday; Strut Your Stuff Saturday;My Meatless Mondays; Frugal Food Thursdays; Beautify it Monday; Show it Off Mondays; Made from scratch Monday;

More Quinoa Recipes:
Quinoa Porridge 
Coconut Chicken with Quinoa and Vegetables
Red Quinoa and Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Tuna & 4 Veg Polenta Bake

After making Polenta Biscotti, I kept looking for other interesting recipes to include my opened bag of Polenta. This Tuna and 4 Veg Polenta Bake was my next cooking experiment. I liked the idea of baking Polenta into a comfort type dish, similar to my Potato, Tuna and Mushroom Gratin.

There are 4 nutritious vegetables packed into this comforting dish. You can include whichever 4 you like, the vegetables I've included are family favorites and work well together... Zucchini, Onion, Leek and Mushrooms.

The Tuna & 4 Veg Polenta Bake didn't disappoint - it was comforting and hearty, yet light and full of flavor. Definitely a recipe to be repeated again and again and again!

I served a portion of the Tuna & 4 Veg Polenta Bake to Mr 22 Months with some cute  as part of a Bento Lunchbox. Also included in his meal are cranberries in a Flower Cup and green apple pieces cut into and an Airplane and a Boat.

 

Tuna & 4 Veg Polenta Bake
Adapted from AlltheCooks.Com
2 tsp oil
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced
200g Mushrooms, sliced
1 Zucchini, diced
2 Cups Water or Stock or Half/Half
1 Cup Polenta
425g Tin Tuna
1/2 Cup Cheese, finely grated

1. Preheat the oven to 180 and get out a baking dish.
2. In a frying pan over low to medium heat, soften the onion and leek in the oil.
3. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook for 15 minutes to reduce.
4. Meanwhile, pour the water or stock into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, pour the Polenta over in a steady stream and stir continuously until thickened and creamy.
5. Once the Polenta is cooked, add the reduced vegetables and tuna to the saucepan. Stir well to combine.
6. Pour the Polenta, Vegetable and Tuna mixture into the baking dish and cover with the grated cheese.
7. Place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. 
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes to set.

Serves 4 to 6 

To Recreate the Bento lunchbox, you'll need:

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Kiwi and Cucumber Salad

I put together this instant salad as a result of a few kiwi fruit needing to be used QUICK! I thought it would be interesting to enjoy them in a healthy salad.

You simply combine 3 chopped kiwi fruits, 1 whole cucumber (also chopped) and half a finely diced red onion. And Voila! You have a Kiwi and Cucumber Salad!

I didn't think it needed any salad dressing as the salad itself is the perfect combination of sweet and sour because of the strong-flavored ingredients ingredients included.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with this Wordless Wednesday -

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