RememberвЂ“ make sure the noodles are UNDER cooked, especially if you are going to bake it (same goes for the gluten-free version). See that picture below? Yeah, that right there is the GF version! Yum! Quick Tips: The same rules apply for GF noodles as below-make sure they are under-done a bit before adding to the sauce if you are baking this dish. My family honestly didnвЂ™t even taste a difference. We used the Barilla Elbow Macaroni to make the GF version (the Barilla GF pasta have been my favorite GF noodles so far). Really, the only thing you need to do to make this gluten-free is swap out the macaroni noodles for GF mac. You will find that the corn starch makes the sauce so it is not gritty at all. This homemade mac and cheese can EASILY be made GF, mainly because the roux for the sauce is made with corn starch, not flour, like most recipes. BBQ pulled pork (seriously though, try it with the BBQ pork because it is AMAAAZZZING).Here are a few ideas that you can add in to make this dish your own:

You can make your homemade mac and cheese any way youвЂ™d like. If ham and peas arenвЂ™t your thing, no biggie. Havarti just melts so well (and gives you those beautiful cheese pulls. I love the taste of the sharp cheddar and the smooth, creaminess of the Havarti. The last time I made this I actually used a blend of sharp cheddar and Havarti. I usually end up doing a blend of cheeses. Sometimes I even use extra sharp cheddar-the flavor be a little much for the kids, though. My favorite cheese to use with homemade mac and cheese is sharp cheddar. The possibilities are endless! The Cheese(s): If you want to get even fancier, you can use a stuffing mix as your topping instead. I also love making a crumb topping with equal parts Panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup each or so). In my opinion, this is the best of both worlds - just be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesnвЂ™t get scorched. You can also broil for a minute or two instead of baking if you still want the extra creamy noodles and just a light crusty topping. The added cheese makes for a slightly crisp, bubbly layer on the top, which is amazing (and easy). The вЂњtoppingвЂќ is just an added layer of cheese. The recipe below is for a baked macaroni and cheese with ham and peas. The other option is to BAKE itвЂ¦ Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese:

You can do a basic skillet macaroni and cheese by making the entire thing in a skillet and serving it creamy (my kidsвЂ™ favorite way). You can make this a couple of different ways. Either way, this will be your new go-to homemade mac and cheese base recipe! Basic Macaroni and Cheese:ДЄs mentioned above, if you arenвЂ™t big on ham or peas, this is still the perfect вЂњbaseвЂќ recipe. This is THE perfect way to use up leftover ham. This macaroni and cheese with ham and peas is one of our favorite weeknight meals. Oh, the ooey-gooey goodness of homemade mac and cheese.

Using leftover mac and cheese dishes