Gluten Free Mac and Cheese with a Carrot-y Secret

• Produce

  • 1 1/4 cups Carrot puree
  • 2 lbs Carrots
  • 3 Garlic cloves, large

• Condiments

  • 1 tbsp Mustard powder

• Pasta & Grains

  • 1 lb Elbow macaroni, gluten-free

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Gluten free all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp Paprika, sweet
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1 small pinch Salt
  • 2 tsp Sea salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Olive oil, Extra Virgin

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 2 cups Breadcrumbs, fresh or dried gluten free

• Dairy

  • 1 Butter ( 1/2 cup, unsalted
  • 16 oz Cheddar cheese. i used kerrygold dubliner
  • 2 oz Parmesan
  • 4 cups Whole milk

• Other

  • The leafy parts of a carrot top, very finely chopped

Found on thetomatotart.com

Description

Ingredients

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled sliced and steamed until very soft
• small pinch of salt
• 2 cups fresh or dried gluten free breadcrumbs
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup)
• The leafy parts of a carrot top, very finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound gluten free elbow macaroni
• 1 unsalted butter (½ cup)
• ½ cup gluten free all purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 16 oz grated cheddar cheese. I used Kerrygold Dubliner
• 1 ¼ cups carrot puree
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoons mustard powder

Directions

• Stir together breadcrumbs, garlic, parmesan, carrot tops, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add olive oil and toss to coat.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set a large, covered pot of salted water over high heat to boil.
• In a food processor or high speed blender, puree the carrots until silky smooth (about 3 minutes)
• Add elbow noodles to boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil. In a separate pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to incorporate. This is called a roux. Cook for about 6 minutes or until the roux is a light golden brown and starts to smell nutty.
• Gradually pour warm milk into the roux. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to incorporate. This makes a béchamel sauce. Turn heat up to medium high and keep stirring until sauce becomes thick enough to coat the back of your spoon. Turn heat to low and continue stirring. If you have a thermometer, the ideal temperature would be between 140º and 150º. If your béchamel is above 160º you run the chance of a gritty cheese sauce.
• Stir in the salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard powder. Add the cheeses one handful at a time. Whisk after each addition until cheese is completely incorporated. Finally, stir in the carrot puree.
• Add the drained macaroni to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir until it is completed coated. Transfer to the greased baking dish and cover with an even coating of the breadcrumb topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition