Mac And Cheese Help Please!

[leahastanley]

This is my first gluten free thanksgiving. I have tried a few pastas, a few of them with the dreaded mushy texture. The one that i like with my is the quinoa pasta. But i also know that if it is over cooked it gets hard agian. So my question is what is the best gluten-free pasta for baked mac and cheese?? thank you

[shadowicewolf]

It gets hard again? Interesting. I'd think if you'd undercook it, it would be okay, or maybe just not cook it for as long.

I can't handle the rice based ones.

What about the corn ones? I've never used it for backing but i know it holds up when overcooked on stovetop. It has a very similar texture to the quinoa one.

[psawyer]

We use and like Tinkyada Brown Rice Elbows. But pasta one of the areas where individual preferences vary widely.

[jerseyangel]

I also use the Tinkyada Elbows. The trick to them not getting mushy is to undercook the pasta before combining with the sauce and baking.

[BridgetteIMcleod]

You might try the gluten free pasta noodles made with potato. These noodles hold up really well with mac and cheese recipes. Can be hard to find, try health food stores.

[mushroom]

  On 11/16/2012 at 7:50 PM, jerseyangel said:

I also use the Tinkyada Elbows. The trick to them not getting mushy is to undercook the pasta before combining with the sauce and baking.

But you do have to put in extra sauce, I have found, or it gets too dry

[leahastanley]

All the recipes just say gluten free pasta but never give a brand or type. My fiance' (that is not very supportive of gluten free cooking) keeps whining that i will mess up his favorite dish, and expecting me to make 2. yeah good luck with that

[leahastanley]

Has anyone tried the pasta mia brand?

[jerseyangel]

  On 11/16/2012 at 8:10 PM, mushroom said:

But you do have to put in extra sauce, I have found, or it gets too dry

I don't find I need to. I use a full bag of the pasta, and for the sauce 2 cups of shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup grated locatelli romano, 2 1/2 cups milk, cornstarch, salt and pepper. The finished dish is very creamy.

[JNBunnie1]

I do lazy-bones mac & cheese- layer bag of buttered dry pasta (I like tinkyada) elbows in your

9x13, cover with cheese and fill dish up to the level of the cheese with milk. Easy-peasy. I'm

always looking for ways to reduce the number of dishes I have to wash...

[jerseyangel]

That does sound easy, Bun But how in the heck do you butter dry pasta?

[mushroom]

  On 11/16/2012 at 9:10 PM, jerseyangel said:

That does sound easy, Bun But how in the heck do you butter dry pasta?

I would 'xpect it involves melting the butter in the microwave first??

Now I do the opposite of Bun Bun -- I make a PRODUCTION of mac 'n cheese involving a roo roux and really thick cheese sauce and buttered bread crumbs and parmesan on top, I mean, you have to call it Macaroni and Cheese Sauce, really

[lpellegr]

Tinkyada elbows, but only boiled for 12 minutes, no matter what the bag says. The bag is a dirty liar. A sauce made with 2 cups of milk is plenty for 2 cups of dry elbows. It also freezes well in individual portions.

[jerseyangel]

True about the lying bag. I only boil for 10 minutes. I set the timer so I don't forget and get mush:)

[shadowicewolf]

I'm a stovetop girl. No offense to the bakers

My sauce is rather easy and could be used in a baked. Butter, cheese, oliveoil, cornstarch, 8-10 slices of american cheese, milk....

[psawyer]

  On 11/16/2012 at 7:50 PM, jerseyangel said:

I also use the Tinkyada Elbows. The trick to them not getting mushy is to undercook the pasta before combining with the sauce and baking.

We boil for eight minutes and bake for 25.

[Takala]

  Quote

The bag is a dirty liar.

:lol: :lol:

This ^.

Try presoaking the rice pasta in cold water, drain, then boil for a much shorter period of time.

  Quote

My fiance' (that is not very supportive of gluten free cooking) keeps whining that i will mess up his favorite dish,

He needs to SUAMHOP. Hand him the bag of noodles, smile, and point to the refrigerator as you head out the door for a pedicure or something.

Easiest thing to do is take the supposedly too mushy leftover cooked rice pasta, salt it, maybe olive oil it a little, and melt some good quality, freshly shredded cheese over it in the microwave = mac 'n cheese. I did not invent this, my spouse did. Or make a brown butter sauce for it with mizithra cheese grated over it. (melt butter with garlic, maybe some chopped nuts, and pour over pasta, add cheese).

[jerseyangel]

  On 11/16/2012 at 11:52 PM, psawyer said:

We boil for eight minutes and bake for 25.

8 minutes.... Will try that next time. I like pasta done to the tooth:)

[shadowicewolf]

If he's going to act like a child, then make him cook his own dish. It wouldn't kill him.

[JNBunnie1]

Patee, to answer your question I melt the butter in a pan and pour it all over the noodles in the

9*13 and then stir it around.

[jerseyangel]

  On 11/17/2012 at 1:38 AM, JNBunnie1 said:

Patee, to answer your question I melt the butter in a pan and pour it all over the noodles in the

9*13 and then stir it around.

Makes perfect sense.

<I'm not too bright>

[pennypal]

Shar pasta is really good. combination of corn and rice. It's not so delicate that it overcooks easily. gluten-free family likes it too