A friend gave me a slow cooker Mac & Cheese recipe, many years ago. It was not gluten-free and it was sort of a loose recipe. The recipe seemed easy enough to adapt to the type of Mac & Cheese we liked, and to making it gluten-free. It turned out delicious, after all my changes. It is a great recipe for taking to gatherings, and everyone who has had it, says it is amazing (even when they are gluten eating folks). I do use Emeril Lagasse’s Essence Seasoning. I make this version of it, but I cut the salt in half and the cayenne in half, but it is fine as it is written too.

Cheese types for mac & cheese

I like to mix cheeses for this gluten-free mac & cheese. We use mostly sharp cheddar. Since we eat mostly organic, the one I buy is usually a white sharp cheddar. I also use gruyere and a bit of parmesan. An estimate of the amounts I use are about 2 1/4 cups cheddar, 1/2 cup gruyere and 1/4 cup parmesan. This mix gives it a complex taste. The benefit of making this in the slow cooker, is the texture. It gets to be a thick mac and cheese, as the shells absorb all the liquid over the time it cooks. It reminds me of the thick oven-baked frozen mac & cheese I loved in my childhood.

Gluten-free noodles

I use elbow gluten-free noodles, but any shape will work. Jovial or Tinkyada brand brown rice noodles are the ones I have found to be my favorite. I tend to find them in 12 oz packages, so I use 1 1/3 packages to make a pound. I find these noodles hold up in the slow cooker better than other gluten-free noodles. You can use whatever noodles are your favorite. Just put them in uncooked.

Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

Recipe by Lisa ImermanCourse: Side DishCuisine: Pasta, DairyDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

Ingredients

• 6 cups whole milk

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (or any GF flour you want)

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon Emeril Essence Spice Blend

• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion

• Salt and pepper to taste.

• 1 pound Gluten-Free Elbow Macaroni (dry)

• 3 cups shredded cheese (I used 2 cups sharp or extra sharp cheddar, 3/4 cups gruyere, 1/4 cup Parmesan)

Directions

• Butter the inside of the crock
• Add milk to crock and then mix in the flour and all spices with a whisk.
• Add noodles and mix them in to cover with the milk mixture
• Add cheese and combine well into mixture
• Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

Notes

• I usually add about 3/4 teaspoon sea salt and a few shakes of black pepper.

Please follow and like us: