Dinner
Gluten-Free Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Creamy stovetop mac and cheese with a smooth cheddar sauce thickened with cornstarch instead of flour.
Sauce adapted from Argo's cornstarch macaroni and cheese.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 4 to 6 servings
Times are estimates.
Let’s Get Cooking
Ingredients
For 4 to 6 servings
You’ll Need
- Large pot and colander
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Box grater
Method
Cook the Pasta
Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling water according to its package, checking it at the earliest time given. Drain well; do not rinse.
Make the Sauce
In a medium saucepan, whisk the cornstarch into the cold milk until no lumps remain, then add the salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Keep stirring at a boil for 1 minute, until thickened.
Melt In the Cheese
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in both cheeses a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next, until the sauce is smooth.
Combine and Serve
Fold the drained pasta into the sauce until every piece is coated. Serve right away. If the sauce thickens too much as it stands, stir in a splash of milk.
A Little Extra Guidance
Recipe Notes
Ingredient checks, storage, and food handling guidance.
Before You Cook
The sauce skips the usual flour roux. Cornstarch whisked into cold milk thickens it once it boils, so there is no flour blend to buy. Bring the sauce to a full boil for a minute so the cornstarch cooks through and loses its raw taste.
Grate the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to stop it clumping, and that coating can make the sauce grainy. Add the cheese off the heat, a handful at a time, so it melts smoothly instead of turning oily.
Gluten-free pasta goes from tender to soft quickly. Cook it to the low end of the package time and serve the mac and cheese right away; the sauce keeps thickening as it stands.
Choosing Gluten-Free Ingredients
Use pasta and cornstarch labeled gluten-free. Block cheddar is naturally gluten-free, but read the label on any cheese product you use. Boil the pasta in a clean pot with fresh water, never in water used for wheat pasta. See the FDA guide to gluten-free labels.
More Recipes to Try
You might also like our gluten-free chicken alfredo, lasagna and spaghetti with meat sauce.
Food Handling and Leftovers
Use a food thermometer and the safe cooking temperature chart. Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or one hour above 90°F, in shallow containers. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Use refrigerated cooked leftovers within 3–4 days; reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F. See USDA leftover guidance.
Browse the gluten-free recipe collection.
Storage and Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk, stirring, until hot (165°F); the sauce thickens and the gluten-free pasta softens in the fridge.
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