Christmas Mac and Cheese

This Gluten Free Christmas Mac and Cheese is the perfect dinner for the festive season – and a great way to use Christmas dinner leftovers. I’ve taken my classic gluten free mac and cheese to a whole new level with pigs in blankets, roasted Brussels sprouts and a delicious gluten free stuffing crumb top. The whole family will love it!

Every Christmas I always go into Costa Coffee and stare longingly at their pigs in blankets mac and cheese.

I’ve never been able to eat it (because, y’know, gluten) but now I’ve perfected my gluten free festive mac and cheese recipe and it is 100 times better!

With roasted Brussels sprouts and pigs in blankets, and topped with a gluten free stuffing crumb, this gluten free mac and cheese is a proper festive treat.

It’s a great Christmas leftovers recipe or you can easily whip this up in the run-up to Christmas to enjoy when you want some comfort food.

Serve it with some gluten free garlic bread or gluten free doughballs for mopping up that delicious cheese sauce.

And of course you could always add any leftover gluten free stuffing to the mixture as well – or leftover cheeses from the cheeseboard.

This recipe uses my original gluten free mac and cheese as a base recipe, but you can add anything you like for a festive spin.

Ingredients

There’s a printable recipe card for this gluten free Christmas mac and cheese below. But for the shopping list here are the ingredients you’ll need.

• Gluten Free Macaroni: I usually use either the Tesco or Sainsbury’s own free from macaroni, but any gluten free pasta shape will work.
• Pigs in Blankets: Most supermarket ones are gluten free, or make your own with gluten free cocktail sausages and streaky bacon.
• Brussels sprouts: You can swap for any veg you like – spinach, kale, roasted carrots and parsnips or even peas.
• Butter: This forms the base of the gluten free cheese sauce.
• Plain Gluten Free Flour: A plain or all purpose gluten free flour blend.
• Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese: The stronger the cheese, the more flavour this will have. You can also add extra leftover cheeseboard cheese as well.
• Milk: To make the cheese sauce.
• Wholegrain Mustard: Most wholegrain mustard is gluten free.
• Gluten Free Stuffing Mix: There are a few options in the supermarkets – Tesco and Sainsbury’s have their own as well as Paxo. Or use gluten free breadcrumbs instead.

How to Make Christmas Mac and Cheese

Here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free Christmas Mac and Cheese recipe is to make.

Preheat the oven to 200C / Fan 180C / Gas 6. Lay the pigs in blankets and Brussels sprouts (cut-side-down) on a large, non-stick baking tray.

Roast for 25-20 minutes until the pigs in blankets are cooked through. Remove from the oven but leave it on – you’ll need it to bake the mac and cheese for that crispy top!

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the gluten free macaroni as per the packet instructions while you start the sauce. Once cooked, drain and set to one side.

In a different pan melt the butter over a low heat. Add the gluten free flour, stirring for a minute to create a roux.

Next, pour approx 1/5 of the milk into the pan, stirring continually until smooth. Repeat until all the milk has been added and there are no lumps.

Add the wholegrain mustard and grated cheese and stir until you have a smooth sauce, then remove from the heat.

Next, add the cooked pigs in blankets and Brussels sprouts to the sauce and mix to combine. Pour in the cooked and drained macaroni and mix well.

Pour the mac and cheese into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the extra cheese and gluten free stuffing mix.

Pop the dish in the hot oven and bake for approx 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling on top, then serve.

Variations

Want to mix up this gluten free Christmas mac and cheese recipe? Here are some twists you can try adding to this recipe:

• Cheeseboard Cheeses: Add any leftover cheeseboard cheese to the sauce, including stilton, brie or even Mexican cheese. They’ll all create a lovely sauce!
• Extra Veg: You could add extra leftover veg from your Christmas dinner, such as carrots and parsnips, broccoli or even mix in leftover cauliflower cheese.
• Spicy: Add a swirl of sriracha sauce to your Christmas mac and cheese for a spicy kick – or even some chilli flakes in the sauce.

Storing and Freezing

Any leftovers of this Christmas mac and cheese can be kept in the fridge and reheated thoroughly before eating.

You can freeze the festive mac and cheese once baked, but I find some cheaper brands of pasta can break up when frozen and reheated.

To save time, I’d recommend making the sauce ahead of time and freezing this. Then simply cook everything else fresh and add the reheated sauce before baking and serving.

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.