Want to make your mac and cheese a little fancier? You can add these ingredients to take things up a notch. However, if you are short on time, you can use pre-shredded cheese in a pinch. It is best to grate a block of cheese and use it.If you over-cook the cheese, especially on high heat, it might seize or clump up. For a creamy, gooey mac and cheese, give the cheese just enough time to melt into the pasta and take it off the heat. Don’t cook the pasta for too long after adding the cheese.Although there’s a lot of starch in there to thicken the sauce, you might have to cook it longer if there is too much water, and then the pasta will end up over-cooked. Make sure most of the water has been absorbed by the pasta before adding the rest of the ingredients.Both the butter and the cheese will have salt, so adjust accordingly. Stir to combine the cheese with the pasta, and remove from the heat as soon as the cheese has melted and combined with the pasta (1-2 minutes). Reduce the heat to low and add the grated cheddar. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Tip in the butter, salt, pepper, paprika, heavy cream, and milk. Add the rest of the ingredients except cheese The whole process should take a total of 10 minutes.ģ. Add the macaroni and cook it until soft, but not mushy. Pour the water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil on high heat. If using pre-shredded cheese, skip this step. Heavy cream – can be replaced with half-and-half for a lighter version.Seasonings – sea salt, ground black pepper, paprika.Of course, use any brand you want, Barilla is just a suggestion. Elbow macaroni – choose a pasta like Barilla gluten-free elbows if you want to make a gluten-free mac and cheese besides no flour.Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down You don’t need flour if you cook mac and cheese using this method. Since we are not draining the macaroni or rinsing it, the starch that is released while cooking the macaroni thickens it. It’s the starch from the pasta that did the trick.
How did the mac and cheese thicken without flour?Ī valid question. A chance to cut down on our refined flour intake was on the agenda, and I have to say it worked brilliantly! I also wanted to see if I could make mac and cheese without flour. No muss, no fuss! A simple mac and cheese without flour A quick stir to combine everything, and a delicious mac and cheese was ready in three simple steps. Finally, I added the cheese and allowed it to melt into the pasta.
Next, I added all the ingredients except the cheese to the same pot and cooked the pasta on low heat for 5 minutes. What I did instead was this: I used just enough water to cook the pasta so that I didn’t have to drain the excess. And I discovered it precisely because I was running late and wanted to get dinner ready asap! I decided to be brave and ditch the tried and tested formula of cooking the pasta ‘according to package instructions’ (lots of water, draining, rinsing), then making the roux, then cooking the pasta and sauce together, then popping the dish in the oven… phew! So no mac and cheese … until I discovered an easy way to make it. A few common ingredients, easy stovetop instructions, and one pot…that’s all you need to put together a satisfying meal for hungry times!įact: I had stopped making mac and cheese for a while because I simply did NOT look forward to the multiple steps while cooking it, not to mention the pots and pans waiting to be washed after. Looking for a simple mac and cheese recipe without flour? This is a quick, no-frills fix for the times when you don’t want to spend an eon in the kitchen getting dinner ready.