Product: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar – $1.99
Rice Pasta and Cheddar?! WTF?! Let’s call it what it is, shall we? Trader Joe’s very own gluten-free macaroni and cheese. Mmmmm…I love, love, love macaroni and cheese. When I went gluten-free…I had to create a new way to make it from scratch. And the options out there on the market were…pretty much limited to Annie’s.
But then my area got a Trader Joe’s. And while walking the crowded aisles one afternoon, my roomie and I stumbled across boxes of Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Rice Pasta and Cheddar (which honestly is macaroni and cheese…I promise!). Well, it was such a great bargain that we snatched up a box to try.
Prior to this as far as gluten-free-in-a-box-mac-n-cheeses goes, my only exposure has been Annie’s Rice Macaroni and Cheese. And it was good. Especially for nights you don’t have time to shred up your own cheese, cook up noodles, make a white sauce with gluten-free flour and ingredients and bake for 45 minutes. Let’s face it…some night’s you’re just HUNGRY!
Preparing the macaroni and cheese was similar to the way I had to make the Annie’s version as well. Boil water. Add pasta. Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes. While noodles are boiling away, make cheese sauce. Put 1/4 cup of milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) into a measuring cup, then mix in the cheese powder until it is well mixed and you have a cheese soup of sorts in the cup.
Drain the pasta, return to pan, and pour over the cheese sauce. Stir until well blended.
Now, I have been told the sauce is actually thicker when you use a higher fat milk. No doubt. But I am lactose intolerant, and unsweetened almond milk was what I had on hand. Guess what? It works great.
Now, Trader Joe’s gluten-free macaroni and cheese is not the cheesiest, nor does it come in fun shapes. That’s okay because this product doesn’t need that sort of gimmick. Sure, it’s not Velveeta…but it doesn’t need to be. The cheese sauce you whip up is perfect to mix in. If you like your cheese thicker…add some shredded cheddar and give it a good stir. There you go.
What I can say is that when I compared it to Annie’s Gluten-Free Macaroni & Cheese…Trader Joe’s tasted better. How about that? It’s a fraction of the price too. LOVE IT!! It was cheesy goodness in every bite. The noodles didn’t fall apart after cooking, despite constant stirring. And they held up when the sauce was poured over it and blended in. The texture was great. And there was no need to add anything to the sauce. Mac and cheese perfection from a simple box. My roomie loved it and she doesn’t have to eat gluten-free. I mean…loved it. Especially how cheesy it turned out. And I didn’t even add cheese. Just the cheese powder/almond milk mix.
Trader Joe’s…you make a gluten-free life worth living. Thank you for adding this simple product to this busy girl’s life. I’d rather make it from scratch…but this makes those mac and cheese cravings simple and easy to fill. No long waits. Just 12 minutes to cook the noodles and viola…dinner is served.
If you live near a Trader Joe’s…and even if gluten-free isn’t your thing…try it. You’ll fall in love with it. And I guarantee you it’s far better than anything Kraft serves you from a box.
The Celiathlete 