Reduce heat to medium-low and season with the sea salt, pepper, dry mustard, paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne. Stirring constantly, cook mixture for approximately one minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside. Drain cooked macaroni, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the cooking water. Add Black Diamond ® Lactose Free cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated. Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 325° F (160° C) until crispy! Lactantia ® Lactose Free 2% Milk 2L. The freedom of Lactose-Free.
Between my dog and myself, we have a host of dietary hurdles to overcome. He can’t digest protein or citrus; I can’t have gluten or dairy. We’re a hot mess, he and I, yet we make it work. I diligently make him banana and potato biscuits every week, and for myself, I indulge in the most verboten dish of all for the lactose and gluten-averse: mac ‘n cheese.
I like this recipe for a lot of reasons. It’s super easy, fast, cheap, and allows for endless customization. But best of all, it reminds me of the blue-box version my mom used to make when I was young. We all know this box. Delicious when you’re age 8, but tastes more like chalky nostalgia in your 20s.
Best Dairy Free Mac And Cheese Recipe
The process is exactly the same for this recipe, only I’ve substituted high quality, diet-friendly ingredients for stuff in the box. The starchy pasta water helps everything bind together without the need for milk. I can usually tolerate a small amount of butter without my body staging a coup d’etat, but if your dietary sensitivities are more severe, a substitute like Earth Balance works fine. I like using Daiya vegan cheese and use a combination of 60:40 cheddar to mozzarella to add a clingy thickness to the sauce, plus gluten-free noodles, but the recipe is essentially a template. Modify however you see fit — regular pasta, different varieties of vegan cheese, add blanched peas or sautéed kale…the world is yours.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200g) of elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup (62g) of Lactantia® Lactose Free Butter, Salted
- ¼ cup (32g) of all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (3g) salt
- Ground pepper, to taste
- 2 cups (500mL) of Lactantia® Lactose Free 2% Milk
- 2 cups (250g) of shredded Black Diamond® Lactose Free Marble or Old Cheddar
Instructions
Creamy Mac And Cheese Recipe
Dairy Free Mac And Cheese Recipe Daiya
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
- Shred Black Diamond® Lactose Free cheese.
- Melt Lactantia® Lactose Free butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly pour Lactantia® Lactose Free milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes.
- Add Black Diamond® Lactose Free cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.
- Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 325° F (160° C) until crispy!