Gluten Free Oh My God It's Good Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese is a comfort food staple for American children and adults. Almost every restaurant that you frequent which has a children's menu has mac and cheese on it. Sadly the ones in the restaurants are usually the boxed Kraft version which as we know isn't really that healthy - Packed full of chemicals, dyes, preservatives and the obvious wheat flour fat elbow noodles.
 Before our little doodlebug (Erin) was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, we would go to eat at the K&W Cafeteria about once a week. She always loved to go there and every time we went she always ended up and got the same favorites; fried chicken, green beans, cucumber salad, and macaroni and cheese. The mac & cheese was her very favorite out of all the favorites.

After her diagnosis, my mother and I tried many times over to make a gluten free version and all of the attempts we tried met with doodlebug's disapproval. She would look so disheartened with each failed attempt until my mother and I figured we would just never be able to duplicate it. But luckily, stubborness runs in my family genes - So we tried some more.

While venturing into the unfamiliar world of Quinoa noodles, we came up with this version of a gluten free mac & cheese that is absolutely yummy. As a matter of fact, we named the dish after Erin's response when she tried it - "Oh my god Nana, that tastes good."

Give it a try and see what you think. The greatest part about it is that you can add it to a warm food thermos for school lunches as well.

OMG Mac & Cheese‏

8 oz Quinoa Pasta Elbows ( I got them at Home Economist and it is the best macaroni pasta I have tried)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 cup Milk

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

1 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Mustard

1 Teaspoon Worchestireshire Sauce ( Lea & Perrins is GF)

Dash / 4 or 5 drops Tabasco or Hot Sauce

1 can diced Green Chilis

1/2 cup Chopped Spanish Olives w/ Pimento Centers

9 oz Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tablespoon Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350

Cook noodles per package directions - Boil 10 minutes and Drain.

Mix Milk, Corn Starch, Mustard, Hot Sauce, W. Sauce, Salt and Pepper in small bowl.

Melt butter in large sauce pan or skillet. Add milk mixture.

Stir and cook until thickened. You may need to add a little more milk if necessary.

(Reserve enough cheese to sprinkle on top) Add cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese - Stir constantly while cheese melts.

Add sour cream, chilis, and olives to mixture. Remove from heat.

Combine drained noodles with this mixture and stir well.

Spray casserole dish with olive oil - Add mixture and sprinkle top with reserved cheese.( I added some additional cheese to the top - that is your preference. )

Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.

THIS IS NOT SPICY AND KIDS WILL LOVE IT!

Did You Know?

It is said that macaroni, a curved, tubular pasta made from flour that had its origins in China and was brought to Italy by Marco Polo, has been cooked and served with cheese in Italian homes, inns and restaurants for over 500 years. By the eighteenth century, the dish, in one form or another, had become popular throughout Europe, and colonists from England brought along their appetite and recipes for this cheesy treat to North America. In the 1800s, recipes for various versions of macaroni and cheese appeared in many American cookbooks.

 

As times changed and women began to look for life beyond the confines of the kitchen, convenience foods were introduced into the marketplace. Since macaroni and cheese had already achieved status as a family favorite, Kraft decided the time was right to introduce a dinner in a box and called it Kraft Dinner. In 1937, Kraft macaroni and cheese hit the grocery shelves in the U.S. and Canada, and soon it became a huge success.