Easy, Gourmet Gluten Free Microwave Macaroni & Cheese (Vegan Option)

Well, it's still hot here in Vancouver, and I very much dislike turning on my oven in this sort of weather.

Recently, I posted 15 Easy, Vegetarian and Gluten Free One-Pot Meals, almost all of which can be made on the stove top in under 30 minutes, and thereby cutting back on time spent slaving in a hot kitchen.

But when the thermometer outside hit 40C / 104F even that 20-30 minutes seemed too much. So I turned to Google and my microwave...

And ended up making this delicious, gourmet gluten free macaroni and cheese in a mug. It's waaay healthier than most packaged stuff, so easy, so delicious, easy clean up, and very flexible. There is a chance I may make pasta in the microwave forever more...

I'm sure somewhere in my neighbourhood there is an old Italian lady crying over her pot of putanesca at that statement, but it's true ;) 

Also, if you have kids that love pasta, but you don't want them turning on the stove just yet, or they can't be bothered to pull out pots and pans, this is a super easy recipe for them to make! 

The inspiration for this came from this recipe on Ella Claire Inspired. Making it according to her directions didn't work for me, since my water bubbled over constantly, and I chose to add more ingredients. 

As I said, this is flexible, so you can change things based on what's in your fridge. Choose all or none of the optional ingredients, or just cook the noodles and smother in pasta sauce. Also, amount of water and cooking time may vary based on the type of noodles used, so you may have to finagle these a bit.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Mac & Cheese in a Mug

1/3 cup dry gluten free rice noodles, such as spirals or shells (my fav brand is Tinkyada)

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup water or broth
Pinch of salt

1/3 cup shredded cheese of choice (or vegan cheese)
2 tsp milk of choice i.e. vegan, soy, almond, etc (optional, but makes it creamier)
1 tsp butter (optional, also makes it creamier)

More Gourmet Optionals

Garlic powder

Nutmeg

1 cup spinach, kale, or arugula

Fresh basil or parsley

Cooked peas
Tuna
Chopped tomato


Directions

1. Place noodles, water / broth, and salt in a microwave safe mug. Microwave on high 1 minute, or until water appears to be boiling. Remove from heat and place a small plate overtop the mug to keep the steam in. Let sit 8 minutes.

Microwave another 1 minute and place plate overtop again. Let sit 5-6 minutes, until noodles are soft and almost all water is absorbed. A little water remaining is fine, it makes it creamier.

2. Add cheese and any optional ingredients. Microwave another 30 seconds or so, stir to combine, and enjoy!

To clean up, soak the mug in warm water for several minutes. That melted cheese gets messy, but it's soooo worth it!!

How do you like YOUR mac & cheese?

What would you add to this recipe? 

Do you have a favourite microwave meal?

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