Our whole family adores Gruyere cheese because it has a wonderful nutty flavor, which is delicious melted with pasta and mushrooms.
If you’re gluten-free or not, this a perfect comfort food for fall. If you’re not gluten-free, you might also love my Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (2 3/4 cups) dry brown rice elbow pasta
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
- 1 1/2 cups Caramelized Herbed Mushrooms
- 2 1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper to taste
Topping
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons dry thyme
- 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
Preparation:
Serves 8 to 10
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter an approximately 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender. Reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain the macaroni in a colander. Then put the macaroni back into the pot with the reserved liquid and set aside.
To make the sauce, heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and whisk in the corn starch until smooth. Whisk in the milk, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Fold in the cheese and mushrooms. After the cheese melts, add the salt and pepper to taste. Remove the sauce from the heat, fold it into the macaroni, and then pour everything into the prepared baking dish.
To make the topping, combine the olive oil, breadcrumbs, thyme and cheese in a small mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle this evenly over the macaroni. Bake for approximately twenty minutes and then place under the broiler for about thirty seconds to brown the top. Wait at least fifteen minutes before cutting.
Some additional notes:
Brown rice pasta is available at Whole Foods and Trader Joes (in a variety of shapes), and gluten-free bread crumbs are available at Whole Foods.
