Noodle nirvana. Comfort food. There’s nothing like a dish of hot bubbling macaroni and cheese to make you feel warm and cozy. This one features gluten free penne pasta, plenty of sharp cheddar cheese and a delicious surprise topping of toasted sunflower seeds!
Macaroni and cheese. Simply a casserole of grated sharp cheese melted into sauce, stirred into hot cooked noodles, and baked with something crunchy on top. It’s basic sustenance—and easy to make from scratch.
Click here to PIN Gluten Free Sunflower Crusted Macaroni and Cheese!
Switching out three ingredients makes this macaroni and cheese gluten-free:
- The pasta: Trader Joe’s sell an excellent gluten free brown rice penne pasta that holds together when cooked, unlike some gluten free pastas that break apart when they get near boiling water. Unless you read the label you would never know this product is gluten free. (see note)
- The roux: Brown rice flour (affiliate link) blends with butter and thickens a sauce the same way as all purpose flour.
- The crust: Simply sunflower seeds, toasted and ground in the blender. Unbelievably scrumptious—gluten free or not–you want this as the topping on your mac and cheese.
One more changeup: In this recipe, the liquid is vegetable broth instead of milk. I think you’ll agree that this vegetable broth based “white” sauce has more flavor. And when you stir in all the cheese… nirvana.
Random Notes:
- Don’t live near a Trader Joe’s? These brown rice pasta shells (affiliate link) would be a good substitute—same ingredients—just brown rice and water.
- You might also enjoy this gluten free and vegan Thai peanut noodle dish.
- If you tolerate gluten, you can make this mac and cheese using wheat noodles. Likewise, you can use wheat flour in place of brown rice flour. But don’t skip the toasted sunflower seed topping–you will love it!
Just so you know, a couple of the links above are affiliates. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you!!
Growing up, macaroni and cheese showed up on the dinner table menu many a Friday night. Mom’s macaroni and cheese was homemade, not from a box.
This recipe is very much like the mac and cheese I ate as a kid. Same technique–except made gluten free. First you make a roux of rice flour and butter to thicken the sauce. Next whisk in liquid, usually milk, but here we use vegetable broth. Next melt in the cheese and stir cooked gluten free pasta. Scrape into a buttered casserole dish. Cover with a crunchy topping and bake until bubbling.
Typically, there’s a layer of buttery breadcrumbs on top–Mom put wheat germ and butter on hers. My topping of toasted sunflower seeds adds protein and keeps this baked mac and cheese gluten free.
Mom seasoned macaroni and cheese with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a little bit of garlic powder. With the vegetable broth base you don’t need either. Since it’s the way I learned, I’d probably add the Worcestershire, except the ingredient list includes anchovies so it’s not vegetarian, and now they put freeking corn syrup in it!
The other night, I tried a macaroni and cheese with butternut squash recipe. It reminded me of this mac and cheese recipe with the unique crunchy crust, so instead of a panko crust, I used my topping. So good! This post is an update of the original from 2014! Enjoy!
When the world has got me down and I need gooey cheesy comfort food—I head to the kitchen and whip up homemade mac and cheese. Especially this one. I feel better even before it starts to bubble in the oven.
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Sunflower Crusted Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup lightly toasted sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus some to grease the pan
- 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 8 ounces brown rice penne pasta
- 8 ounces white cheddar cheese grated
- Pinch cayenne
- sea salt if needed (see note)
Instructions
- Rub a 2-quart casserole dish with butter.
- Grind the toasted sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a saucepan, melt the first 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Stir in the rice flour. Over medium flame, cook and stir, letting the butter and flour bubble a minute. Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens a bit, not quite the thickness of heavy cream.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the grated cheese about ¼ at a time. Stir in the cayenne, a small pinch or larger pinch—to your taste. Taste for salt, adding if needed. Set aside while you cook the pasta.
- Stir the pasta into the boiling water. Cook until the pasta is tender, but with a bite, al dente. (Be sure not to overcook as the pasta will plump a bit more with the sauce when it bakes.) Drain. Stir into the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Spread the ground sunflower seeds on top. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling through the crust.
Notes
- Depending on your vegetable broth, you may or may not need to add more salt.
- If you don’t add the cooked penne to the sauce immediately, rinse well to keep the pasta from sticking together.
I’m headed to TJ’s today! And love the idea of a sunflower crust- nuts and seeds for the win! · 21 October, 2014
Thanks Kelley! We are lucky to have that TJ store (fairly) close by. And I thought they would never come–liquor laws. So they don’t sell 2 buck chuck–who cares. · 21 October, 2014
Makes me want to wander in the 219 Kitchen · 21 October, 2014
It’s a great recipe–thanks Mom! and Denny! · 21 October, 2014
I know it’s not polite to tell someone what they should do, but… you SHOULD totally enter that recipe into a contest. I’ve seen a lot of mac and crack recipes and have never seen anything sound so innovative and scrumptious. KUDOS!! · 23 October, 2014
Thanks Jenny!!! Now I gotta find that contest….
It’s polite as all get out to send someone kudos and should suggestions– I appreciate it! · 23 October, 2014
It’s good to update the classics and keep them in our (ever changing) diets. There’s always room for Mac & Cheese. GREG · 24 October, 2014