lactose-free mac & cheese
A while back I toyed with the idea of making a low-lactose mac and cheese, but nothing came of it. Recently as part of a BzzCampaign, I received a free 8.4 oz bottle of Filippo Berio extra-virgin olive oil. I figured it was a good time to finally try my hand at making a lactose-free mac and cheese.
This is a roux-based recipe. Roux is equal parts fat and flour, and in this case the fat is heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil. To make a white sauce, we add milk to the roux. When it comes to lactose-free milk, I usually use Lactaid or Stater Bros. brand. I have heard of people using soy or coconut milk, though I would use something that doesn't have sugar added so that your mac and cheese isn't sweet.
As for the cheese, that really depends on what's available in your area. When I was looking into low-lactose cheese, I found all kinds of contradictory information on the Internet, sometimes from the same source, so I decided to go with products clearly labeled lactose-free. The one most widely available in my area is Cabot cheese, with prices ranging from three to eight dollars depending on which store you buy it from. Out of all the stores that I visited, Trader Joe's may have the biggest selection of lactose-free or low-lactose cheeses, but their selection also changes frequently. There's also soy cheese, yogurt cheese, and other options I'm sure I have not yet heard of. Lactose-free cheese may not melt, grate, or taste the same way as regular cheese.
Ingredients:
Method:
Sources: Cheese Orzo & Marion's Creamy Mac and Cheese
This is a roux-based recipe. Roux is equal parts fat and flour, and in this case the fat is heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil. To make a white sauce, we add milk to the roux. When it comes to lactose-free milk, I usually use Lactaid or Stater Bros. brand. I have heard of people using soy or coconut milk, though I would use something that doesn't have sugar added so that your mac and cheese isn't sweet.
As for the cheese, that really depends on what's available in your area. When I was looking into low-lactose cheese, I found all kinds of contradictory information on the Internet, sometimes from the same source, so I decided to go with products clearly labeled lactose-free. The one most widely available in my area is Cabot cheese, with prices ranging from three to eight dollars depending on which store you buy it from. Out of all the stores that I visited, Trader Joe's may have the biggest selection of lactose-free or low-lactose cheeses, but their selection also changes frequently. There's also soy cheese, yogurt cheese, and other options I'm sure I have not yet heard of. Lactose-free cheese may not melt, grate, or taste the same way as regular cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound of elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups lactose-free milk
- 2 cups grated or cut-up lactose-free cheese
- salt, pepper, and other seasonings of your choice
Method:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily and add pasta. Cook according to package directions and drain.
- Heat olive oil in a pot. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly until the flour taste cooks out, about 2 minutes. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Season as desired.
- Add cheese to the pot, and turn off or lower the heat. Stir the cheese into the white sauce. Then add pasta to cheese sauce and mix to combine.
Sources: Cheese Orzo & Marion's Creamy Mac and Cheese