I make many alternatives to traditional dishes from scratch, but it’s nice to know which quick and easy options are good when you’re in a rush, or just out of energy. I finally got a chance to try the Namaste Dairy Free mac n cheese. Unlike most boxed mac n cheese, making the cheese part was an extra step, but it wasn’t much more time consuming, just one more pot than usual.
I really liked that the packaging suggested adding in some extra ingredients like a protein and some veggies. When my husband and I make our gluten free mac n cheese, we always add in some meat and veggies or greens to help round out the dish.
I found some leftover beef from a roast, and chopped up some celery and carrots since that’s what I had in my crisper.
The instructions said to make the cheese sauce while the pasta cooked, so after I put the pasta into the boiling water I started on the cheese sauce. A side note about rice pasta, it always turns out best if you have the right amount of water, stir often when cooking to avoid it sticking together and cook it only until al dente, which means it’s soft but still has some firmness. Rice pasta can easily get over cooked, which it then becomes kind of a mush, so set your timer on the earlier side and check it often as it gets to the end. The rinse after cooking is also very important since it helps to remove some of the starch ‘sludge’ that can make it feel slimy and unappealing. Cooked right, most people can’t tell that its rice pasta after sauce is added.
I waited until the cheese sauce started to thicken a little before adding my meat and veggies, then I let the sauce and extras cook until the carrots became tender. Next time I make this, I will start the cheese sauce when I start boiling the water for the pasta so it takes less time, since the sauce took a little longer waiting for the veggies to cook and the meat to be heated through. The cheese sauce did thicken from its original watery state, but it was not the thickness you may be used to. Once added to the macaroni, it coated very nicely.
All in all, I was really pleased with the final result and it had a lovely subtle cheddar flavour that was quite close to a mild cheese. The dish got a thumbs up from my toddler and he even asked for seconds. I would use this again, and I will be recommending it to those needing dairy and gluten free option for mac n cheese.
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