Gluten Free 1 Pot, No-Drain, Mac n Cheese (2024)

This gluten free one pot no drain mac n cheese is ready, start to finish, in 15 minutes. Easier than the box, and WAY better! Dairy-free option too. This recipe will change your life!

Photos updated April 2016

You have to make this right now.
It really is so easy, and so delicious. Gooey melted cheese, creamy sauce, perfectly cooked pasta. It is stupid good!

Seriously.

The first time I tried to make thisgluten free one pot no drain mac n cheese I used more milk and had to tighten up the sauce with some cornstarch, but 1 bite and I decided I had to perfect andshare my recipe.

The second time I made gluten free one pot no drain mac n cheeseit was when I took the original photos. Miss E and I ate it all for lunch. At this point we still hadn't shared any with my sweet husband.

The third time I made itthis gluten free one pot no drain mac n cheese I accidentally added way too much salt, so it was kind of like eating a salt lick. A yummy cheesy noodle salt lick. Just don't dump in 2 tablespoons of salt by accident and you'll be fine. This was the first time we shared with my husband, kind of a poor first impression. We did top it with chorizo for a little protein and extra kick of flavor.

15 minutes start to finish.
Costs less than a box of gluten free mac and cheese, makes way more, and tastes a billion times better.
This gluten free one pot no drain mac n cheeserecipe will change your life!

Update April 2016:

I still make this recipe ALL the time! My daughter and my hubby recently have had to cut dairy out, so I have been making this gluten free one pot no drain mac n cheese even more, but using non-dairy milk and cheese to make it dairy free.

Be sure to use an unsweetened nut or soy milk, or it will be sweet and nasty. Who wants vanilla-flavored mac n cheese? NOT ME! I have used Cashew Milk, Soy Milk, and Almond Milk all with great success!

I have only tried Daiya cheese so far, but it came out oh-so-creamy! Even my always skeptic hubby was impressed!

📖 Recipe

Gluten Free 1 Pot, No-Drain, Mac 'n' Cheese

Yield: Serves 4 (6 as a side)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This gluten free one pot, no drain, mac n cheese is ready, start to finish, in 15 minutes. Easier than the box, and WAY better! Dairy-free option too. This recipe will change your life!

Ingredients

• 12 oz (approx 3 cups) gluten-free elbow pasta (or penne or other short pasta)
• 2 ¼ c. milk (I've used nut milk and soy milk with great success)
• 2 ¼ c. water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½-2 c. grated cheddar cheese (or use your favorite dairy-free cheese, I have used Daiya with great results) (Daiya mozzarella is what is pictured)
• Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Dump all ingredients, except the cheese, into a large saucepan.
2. Stir, cover, and heat over med-high heat until it comes to a boil.
3. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked al-dente. The liquid will thicken as it cooks creating the sauce.
4. Once the pasta is cooked stir in the cheese and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve while hot.

Notes

You can add more cheese if you want. I kind of eyeball it and stop when I think it is good and cheesy.

As it cools, the mac and cheese thickens up and can become clumpy or grainy as the cheese sets. This is normal and only happens if your mac and cheese gets cold. The best solution is to eat it all! I did not have the same issue with dairy-free cheese.

When re-heating leftovers be sure to add a little extra milk. That helps the mac n cheese to not be grainy (see the paragraph above.)

Nutrition Information

Yield 4Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 463Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 95mgSodium 1212mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 26g

All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook

See Also

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

More Gluten Free Main Dishes and Dinner Recipes