The funny thing about writing a food blog is that everyone assumes my mom taught me how to cook. While I remember sitting and chatting with her on countless occasions while she made dinner, I was not interested in learning how to cook. It wasn’t until I was about to get married that I realized cereal and easy mac would not sustain my husband. By that point I was living away from home and had to teach myself how to cook.
If you were to ask her about it, my mom would tell you that she’s not a good cook. But that’s not true. When I told her I was writing a post about what she taught me in the kitchen she laughed out loud. While she didn’t prepare gourmet meals on a regular basis, we were always well feed. Although most of the meals that I prepare are not family recipes or meals I grew up eating, I’ve began to realize that my mom taught me a far greater skill in the kitchen. My mom taught me how to love people with food. I grew up in a house that there was always room for friends at our table. If people were over hanging out or working on homework, you could guarantee that you’d be fed.
If she ever found out that you loved a dish she made, she’d invite you over any time she made it. On a recent trip to Texas my mom sent Currey and I to a friend’s house with a brownie pie. She’d made this friend several brownie pies during our high school career because he was always so complimentary of them. It was a gift of love. I’ve realized that people are so appreciative when you create a meal based on their preferences. I’ve also realized that people love to eat at our house because I try to make food I know they’ll love.
One of our students is a frequent dinner guest. I love having her over because she raves about my food. Who doesn’t love a thankful recipient? And yes, it gets her endless invitations back to our home. Recently she’s gone gluten free so I wanted to make a fantastic dinner that accommodated her new diet. I found a gluten free mac and cheese recipe from Martha Stewart. I made a few changes and was so thrilled with the results. As far as gluten free mac and cheese goes, this was a great recipe. I used quinoa and corn pasta and it held up well in this dish. I’d highly recommend this recipe for anyone in your life that is eating gluten free.
Gluten Free Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to butter dish
1/2 cup gluten-free crisp puffed-rice cereal, slightly crushed
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons potato starch
2 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded cheddar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 box gluten-free penne, cooked until al dente and drained
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in the microwave, then toss with cereal and Parmesan.
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Sprinkle with potato starch and cook for 1 minute. It will form a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continually whisk until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, mustard, onion and garlic powder until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings based on your personal taste. Add pasta and stir until all pasta is coated in cheese sauce. Transfer pasta to baking dish. Sprinkle with cereal and cheese mixture and bake until sauce is bubbling and cereal is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart