Homemade White Mac n Cheese

Gluten free mac n cheese, I have to say this simple basic food that is the standard meal for kids in America has been a battle for me. It has been a battle for me because right before going gluten and dairy free I perfected homemade mac n cheese. Now I still make this recipe for moms who just had babies as a quick and easy meal that I can serve for them, but a dairy free version for myself just seemed out of the question. I would try to trick myself in thinking I could eat the boxed gluten free mac n cheese. I would by the box kind, and add my Earth Balance butter and yogurt to it and try to make it as dairy free as I could, but then I found out that yogurt doesn't agree with me and that no amount of organic powdered cheese is going to cut it with my digestive system. So I gave up on the mac. I still bought it for my daughter, and for now she has no issues with dairy. I make up a box every week and she has it for lunches as the week goes by. It's a great cheap meal for her and it lasts us a long time. Now my daughter has gotten into this thing that she has to eat white mac n cheese only. Before going gluten free for her, I would by only white mac and I did that because it doesn't stain like the yellow kind. When she went gluten free it was good to know that they make white gluten free mac since she won't touch the yellow kind still.

Tonight a stroke of genius hit my brain. I could make my own white mac n cheese and I bet I could make it in a way that I can eat it too.  So I put it together and it worked beautifully. Now, my recipe has white cheddar in it and I know some of you will think, "why did she make a big stink about dairy when she has cheddar in this?" I'll tell you why. I can digest aged cheese. Cheddar is an aged cheese and I can eat it just fine. I have the test results to prove it. So in my recipes you will see cheddar as my main cheese, but of course you can use what ever dairy free cheese you like.

Homemade White Mac n Cheese
1 bag of elbow pasta
1/2 of an 8 oz tub of tofu cream cheese 
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese or your favorite dairy free cheese
1/4 cup hemp milk
salt 

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta* (see note below for how to cook gf pasta). Pasta is done when it is still a bit firm, drain and set aside. In the same pot, now on low heat, add the tofu cream cheese and hemp milk. Stir together while the tofu cream cheese melts. Add the pasta back to the pot and add the shredded cheese. Keep stirring till well mixed and the cheese is melted. Add salt to taste. Serves 6. 


* To cook gluten free pasta is a bit different from gluten full pasta. I drizzle in some olive oil soon after I add my pasta to the boiling water and stir it all together. Normally you wouldn't do this with normal pasta, but I have found that gluten free pasta is extra starchy and will stick together in a terrible way. So by adding a little more water then I normally would to the pot and olive oil, it keeps the pasta from sticking.