Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
intro
Velvety elbow pasta coated in rich, smoky Gouda cheese sauce, baked to a crisp, golden bubbly finish for cozy, crowd-pleasing comfort food.
Ingredients
Steps
Boil the macaroni
Bring a large stockpot filled with 2 liters of heavily salted water (water should taste as salty as seawater) to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 225g dry elbow macaroni, stir once to prevent sticking, and cook for 6 minutes (2 minutes less than the package’s al dente direction, as pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain well and set aside; do not rinse the pasta, as residual starch helps the sauce cling to noodles.
Prep the cheese blend
While the water comes to a boil, preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Remove the thick dark wax rind from 200g smoked Gouda, then shred the Gouda and 50g sharp white cheddar on the large holes of a box grater. Toss the shredded cheeses lightly to combine, then set aside 2 tablespoons of the cheese blend to use for the topping.
Cook the butter roux
Melt 42g unsalted butter in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is fully melted and foaming subsides (about 1 minute), add 24g all-purpose flour, whisking constantly for 2 minutes until the mixture turns pale golden and gives off a faint nutty aroma, with no raw flour scent remaining.
Whisk the cheese sauce
Slowly pour 480ml warmed whole milk into the roux, 60ml (¼ cup) at a time, whisking constantly to eliminate lumps between each addition. Once all milk is incorporated, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, cooking for 3-4 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (running a finger across the spoon leaves a clean line). Remove pan from heat, stir in 3g garlic powder, 1g smoked paprika, 5g Dijon mustard, 5g kosher salt, 0.5g ground black pepper, and the main portion of shredded cheese, stirring for 1 minute until fully melted and smooth.
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained, partially cooked macaroni to the saucepan with the finished cheese sauce, stirring gently with a silicone spatula for 1 minute until every noodle is evenly coated in the thick, smoky cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 20cm (8-inch) square baking dish, spreading it into a smooth, even layer.
Bake until bubbly
Toss the reserved 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese with 25g panko breadcrumbs, then sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the mac and cheese. Bake in the preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for 15-18 minutes, until the sauce is actively bubbling around the edges and the top is crisp and deep golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set.
Tips
2.Do not rinse cooked pasta: the starchy coating on drained pasta helps cheese sauce cling tightly to each noodle, rather than sliding off and pooling at the bottom of the baking dish.
3.For extra smoky depth, stir 50g of crumbled crispy cooked bacon or 1 teaspoon of good-quality liquid smoke into the cheese sauce before combining with pasta.
OMG this smoked gouda mac is the only mac and cheese my kids beg for now! Made it for our weekly family dinner last night and even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. SO good.
Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and the pan was literally scraped clean in 10 minutes. Everyone kept asking who brought the mac and cheese and begging for the recipe. Total game changer.
Made a big batch of this on Sunday for meal prep and it held up perfectly all week for lunches! The sauce stays creamy even when reheated in the office microwave, no weird grainy texture at all. 10/10
Okay I was a little skeptical about swapping half the cheddar for smoked gouda but wow, that smoky depth is unreal. I added a little extra crispy panko topping like the recipe notes suggested and it was chef’s kiss.
Loved how easy this was for a weeknight! 40 minutes total is totally doable even after a long work day, no fancy steps or weird ingredients I had to run to three stores for. Will be making this again for sure.
This looks incredible! Can I swap the regular elbow pasta for gluten free elbows without ruining the sauce texture?
Made this last night and added a pinch of cayenne for a little kick, it paired so well with the smoky gouda! Highly recommend that little tweak if you like a tiny heat boost.
Wait, do I shred my own gouda for this or is the pre-shredded stuff okay? I’m still pretty new to cooking and don’t want to mess it up!
Made this for our Sunday football watch party and served it in little individual cups with mini hot dogs on the side. It was such a hit! The kids and the grown ups all devoured it.
I usually hate leftover mac and cheese because the sauce gets all gummy, but does this actually reheat well? Saw someone mention meal prep earlier but wanted to confirm!
Threw in a handful of roasted broccoli when I tossed the pasta with the sauce and it was *chef’s kiss*. The smoky cheese goes so well with the earthy broccoli!
Wait the recipe says you can add a panko topping — do you just toss panko with butter and bake it on top? How long do I bake it for so it gets crispy but the sauce doesn’t dry out?
Ugh this sounds so good, but I can’t have regular dairy — has anyone tried making this with a dairy free gouda substitute and oat milk? I don’t want to waste ingredients if it’ll come out weird.
Made this for my date night last night and my partner said it’s the best mac and cheese they’ve ever had! I paired it with grilled chicken thighs and a simple side salad, total restaurant quality meal for way cheaper.
Okay y’all, I burn toast on a regular basis and even I managed to pull this off! I was so nervous the sauce would break or be lumpy but it came out so smooth and creamy on the first try. We love to see it.
Is it weird that I want to add crumbled bacon to this? I feel like the smoky bacon would pair so perfectly with the smoked gouda, am I onto something here?