Don’t know what to make for dinner tonight? We can help with that

Sarah Howells, aka The Gluten Free Blogger, is on a mission to show that being allergic or intolerant to gluten isn’t a barrier to eating tasty food. Her new book, Delicious Gluten Free Meals (Yellow Kite, £22) has 100 recipes that everyone in your household will eat – because after all who has the time to serve up dinner meals for different family members?

With autumn starting to bite, comfort food is back on the menu - and this mac and cheese will certainly hit the spot.

Over to you, Sarah.

The Gluten Free Blogger’s Ultimate Mac & Cheese

“I remember eating the most incredible gluten-free mac and cheese in New York City, and this recipe is the result of about ten years of trying to recreate that exact meal. This really is my favourite comfort food, and baking it with a cheesy crumb topping is the pièce de résistance. If you want to make portions to freeze, I recommend following the recipe up to step 6, then dividing it between foil trays and adding the topping. Simply cover and freeze until needed. The portions can be reheated from frozen in 30 minutes at 200ºC/Fan 180ºC/Gas Mark 6 – just like a ready meal, but miles better.”

Serves 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

400g gluten-free macaroni
50g unsalted butter, plus an extra knob
2 tsp chopped garlic
50g gluten-free plain flour
500ml milk
275g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
75g mozzarella cheese, grated
4 processed cheese slices
45g gluten-free breadcrumbs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC/Gas Mark 6.
2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni in it for 5–6 minutes, until al dente.
3. While the water is heating and the pasta is cooking, place the butter and garlic in a large saucepan over a low heat. Once the butter has melted, gently fry the garlic for a further 2 minutes.
4. Add the flour and use a whisk to mix into a thick paste. Continue to cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick.
5. Pour in about 100ml of the milk and stir constantly until it forms a smooth, thick paste. Continue adding the milk about 100ml at a time, stirring constantly after each addition, until the mixture is smooth again. Once all the milk has been added, you should have a smooth, thick white sauce.
6. Drain the macaroni, then pour back into its pan and stir in a knob of butter until melted. Set to one side
7. Add the grated Cheddar and mozzarella to the white sauce, then crumble in the cheese slices. Stir until all the cheese has melted, then remove from the heat.
8. Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and mix well. Pour the mixture into a 23cm ovenproof dish, then sprinkle with the breadcrumb and cheese toppings. Bake for 20 minutes, until the surface is golden and bubbling.
9. Serve with a good helping of peas or a fresh green salad.

Delicious Gluten Free Meals (Yellow Kite, £22) by Sarah Howells out now