Mac&cheese As A Main Dish

[celiac-mommy]

My dd wants my "famous" homemade mac and cheese for her birthday dinner (it's really not that special ) and since I will be serving about 30 family members and, I'm stuck for side dishes. Here's a tentative menu:

Mac&cheese-for sure

caprese salad-??

roasted asparagus-??

chocolate chip mint cupcakes-for sure

chocolate chip mint ice cream (she loves chocolat and mint)

Any other ideas for different sides? I don't want it to be too heavy and I can't do ham because 1 person is allergic to pork... Thanks in advance

[Katester]

Could you share the recipe for the chocolate chip mint cupcakes? They sound great. Sorry I'm not any help. Hopefully others will help a little more.

[amybeth]

Chicken nuggets

Baked beans (can jazz up with peppers, onion, brown sugar, bacon - oh wait, no pork)

Broccoli is good with Mac and Cheese, too

Broccoli slaw with dressing

Homemade Dilled Cucumbers

Lil' Weiners

Meatballs

Fruit/Veggie Platters

This is all pretty casual, though, not sure how fancy you wanted your menu

[purple]

I agree, baked beans for sure and the veggie/fruit tray

1/2 ears of corn on the cob

crock pot full of something like BBQ chicken

or fruit salad

Are we invited???

oops... I just read mac and cheese as a main dish...throw out the chicken.

potato salad

jello salad

some side dishes you can make the day before??????

fruit dip and veggie dip to go with the trays

chips for munching and crunching

[Juliet]

Whenever I make homemade mac & cheese, we absolutely LOVE sauteed, sliced mushrooms. I do it with just a little olive oil, garlic, salt, and sometimes a squeeze of lemon. I don't know what it is exactly but that combination is just sooooo yummy! That is, of course, if you like mushrooms. (mmmmm, mushrooms )

And a nice light garden salad with crunchy vegetables, maybe some nuts (pine nuts?), and a nice, acidic dressing to counterbalance the salty, heavy cheese.

[sickchick]

mmm steamed broccoli!

[celiac-mommy]

Could you share the recipe for the chocolate chip mint cupcakes? They sound great. Sorry I'm not any help. Hopefully others will help a little more.

Makes 24 cupcakes

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

Please share your mac n cheese recipe. Thanks.

[celiac-mommy]

Please share your mac n cheese recipe. Thanks.

To preface, I'm not much of a measurer, I also try different cheeses-I usually just dump stuff in until it's the consistancy and flavor I want....

I use the oven directions and I put sliced tomatoes on the top--add in as much cheese as you like, I don't really measure it--I taste it until it's as sharp as I like it (pretty sharp) and as creamy as I like.

8 ounces dried elbow macaroni or desired-shape gluten-free pasta (2 cups)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4-1/2c diced onions

2 tablespoons white rice flour

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2-1c shredded mexican cheese blend

1c (or more if you like) shredded extra sharp special reserve Tillamook cheese-the one in the black pkg (or the sharpest stuff you can find)

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, saute onions until translucent. Stir in flour and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce in saucepan, stirring to coat. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

2. Oven Macaroni and Cheese: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare as above, except increase milk to 2 cups. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

[JennyC]

Are you doing a vegetarian meal? If not maybe you Aidells chicken sausage. It's really good and their products seem to be gluten free unless they contain soy/teriyaki sauce. (They're sold at costco. ) Maybe you could also experiment with a nice green salad.

Open Original Shared Link

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Can you use smoked turkey breast (sliced from the deli counter) instead of ham? If you ask them to slice it very thick, you can brown each slice on both sides, and glaze it with peach preserves or crushed pineapple, a smidge of dijon mustard, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, etc.

COurse, that's kinda flip-flopping main dish and side dish, isn't it???

[celiac-mommy]

Are you doing a vegetarian meal? If not maybe you Aidells chicken sausage. It's really good and their products seem to be gluten free unless they contain soy/teriyaki sauce. (They're sold at costco. ) Maybe you could also experiment with a nice green salad.

Open Original Shared Link

Not vegetarian, she just loves mac and cheese. I actually have a bunch of those sausages in the freezer and am going to Costco in the morning. That's a great-and easy-idea!

Can you use smoked turkey breast (sliced from the deli counter) instead of ham? If you ask them to slice it very thick, you can brown each slice on both sides, and glaze it with peach preserves or crushed pineapple, a smidge of dijon mustard, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, etc.

COurse, that's kinda flip-flopping main dish and side dish, isn't it???

That sounds AMAZING-I'm definately going to have to make that--SOON

[JNBunnie1]

Bake 350, in muffin cups for 15-20 minutes

Frost with whatever you like

[celiac-mommy]

Purple chocolate-mint cupcakes. That is freakin hilarious!

The cupcakes will be in the shape of a guitar before I load on the purple frosting. She really wanted a "High School Musical" party, I said no and compromised with a Hanna Montana (hence the guitar)--she's not allowed to watch either one, but that's what all the kids are doing these days, and it's just decorations

[RDR]

When I was a kid we used to have Open Original Shared Link with Mac N' Cheese all the time. It can be done as mini-muffins as well. The recipe at Chef Michele's isn't gluten-free but it should be close enough to make substitutions

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

To preface, I'm not much of a measurer, I also try different cheeses-I usually just dump stuff in until it's the consistancy and flavor I want....

I use the oven directions and I put sliced tomatoes on the top--add in as much cheese as you like, I don't really measure it--I taste it until it's as sharp as I like it (pretty sharp) and as creamy as I like.

8 ounces dried elbow macaroni or desired-shape gluten-free pasta (2 cups)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4-1/2c diced onions

2 tablespoons white rice flour

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2-1c shredded mexican cheese blend

1c (or more if you like) shredded extra sharp special reserve Tillamook cheese-the one in the black pkg (or the sharpest stuff you can find)

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, saute onions until translucent. Stir in flour and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce in saucepan, stirring to coat. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

2. Oven Macaroni and Cheese: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare as above, except increase milk to 2 cups. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Thanks for posting. It looks easy to make and very yummy!