UPDATED RECIPE "World's Best" Mac and Cheese NOW "Gluten FREE"

UPDATE: Since posting this recipe I have made it Gluten FREE a few times by substituting brown rice penne and gluten free baking mix in place of the flour and traditional pasta. I made it once again last night with the traditional ingredients, and the comments were that the family likes the Gluten FREE version better! Also I am pretty generous in my measurements on the cheese, but I found that I can use a whole 16oz bag of pasta for this recipe with out sacrificing flavor. Finally, I'm sure you will all be shocked and amazed that this Mac&Cheese is one of OPRAH'S favorite things(I'd like to think she was talking about my recipe, but as it turns out she was referring to the Beecher's prepared frozen version... Close enough say I, and she doesn't know what she is missing.) Happy Holidays, God Bless, and keep it Saucey!!


ORIGINAL POST
First off, I am gluten intolerant. So when it comes to making mac and cheese, I just don't get that excited. I've tried gluten free pastas in the past, but they tend to break apart too easily and you end up with a cheesy mess. That said, my wife and daughter came home the other night and wanted me to make this mac and cheese recipe that they sampled at Henry's Farm Market. Again, I wasn't too enthused but it was my daughter's birthday this week and I am a pushover for my ladies. Besides, there was plenty of other food so I knew I wouldn't go hungry. That said, this recipe rocks! Totally lived up to its name and best of all I was able to bake it, the Kalbi Salmon, and Roasted Baby Broccoli(previous post) simultaneously in the oven. Thus stuff is so good that I ignored my gluten sensitivity(but paid for it the next 24hours) and ate a small portion. Actually, one bite turned into two, three, four, and more. It was that good!

Recipe credit needs to go to Beecher's Cheese. Not sure if they developed the recipe or just modified it to use their cheese, but it was great just the same. Without further ado here is the recipe:

Beecher's "World's Best" Mac & Cheese

serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

Sauce 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour(substitute Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Mix) 
1 1/2 cups whole milk 
7 ounces Beecher’s Flagship Cheese, grated (about 1 3/4 cups) 
1 ounce Beecher’s Just Jack Cheese, grated (1/4 cup) 
½ teaspoon coarse salt 
¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder 
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

Pasta 
6 ounces penne pasta (about 3 ¼ cups) (Substitute 16oz package of Brown Rice Penne)
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Beecher’s Flagship Cheese, grated 
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Beecher’s Just Jack Cheese, grated 
¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Instructions

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chili powder and garlic powder. Stir until cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter or oil an 8-inch baking dish. Cook penne 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Rinse pasta in cold water and drain well.

Combine pasta and sauce in a medium bowl; mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheeses and then the chili powder. 

Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Next time I will find a good "gluten free" pasta to make this with so that I can enjoy it without the negative consequences. let me know if anyone has a recommendation on the pasta.

Bon Appetite, God Bless, and keep it Saucey!