Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of those guilty pleasures that I miss from my gluten-filled days. Well here's a delicious recipe for mac and cheese that uses gluten free rice noodles and almonds for a crunchy, cheesy delight.

In this recipe I use sharp cheeses because I love the amazing flavor that aged cheeses provide. If you don't have Robusto cheese, feel free to substitute it with your favorite hard cheese. I hope you enjoy!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

16 oz elbow rice pasta

1 pint light cream

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili powder

about  6oz sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated

about 6oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

about 2 oz Robusto cheese, grated

handful grated Parmesan
2 handfuls of slivered almonds

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a large pot, cook the noodles until al dente, reducing the minimum suggested cooking time by 5 minutes. This prevents the noodles from falling apart when they are added to the cheese sauce. After they are done cooking, drain the water and add the noodles to a shallow baking dish.
3. While the noodles are cooking, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in the mustard, paprika, chili, cheddars, and Robusto. Simmer the cheese mixture until all the cheese has melted. The mixture will look almost like a creamy Alfredo sauce. Add a dash of salt and pepper to the sauce.

4. Pour the cheese sauce over top of the noodles, and sprinkle with the Parmesan and the almonds. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the almonds and Parmesan topping begin to turn to a golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-8 minutes before serving.