Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese takes everybody’s favorite comfort food up a notch ~ this easy baked macaroni and cheese recipe can be on the table in under an hour.
My second daughter just barely made it home yesterday after she and her boyfriend were stranded for the night in the Denver airport. They slept on the floor and she had to unpack her bag and cover herself with clothes just to keep warm… so I suddenly have a fuller house, and kitchen, than we’ve had all year. And even though it’s just a few days till Christmas I still need to feed everybody, preferably on a regular basis, and preferably without a lot of fuss because, eeeps, I’ve got stuff to do…lots of stuff to do.
I made this cozy and quick weeknight meal slightly less predictable by using lots of smoked Gouda cheese. I picked up a huge block of the stuff at Costco the other day, in fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever bought a bigger hunk of cheese, and I really went to town with it in in this dish. There’s nothing earth shattering about it, just a creamy basic jazzed up with a nice smokey flavor.
My go-to formula for making mac and cheese is super simple
I’m loyal to my favorite mac and cheese recipe because it always turns out perfectly and is easy to remember since everything is in denominations of “2” —
- 2 cups of pasta
- 2 tablespoons of butter & flour
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 cups of cheese
In this case I topped the finished dish with even more of that smokey Gouda and ran it under the broiler. What’s not to love?
This warmed my daughter right up, and it’ll do the same for your crew, but it’s rich stuff, I would dole it out in small portions and serve with a salad. Now I’ve got to tackle that wheel of Brie and boulder sized wedge of cheddar…I have no self control at Costco!
more macaroni and cheese
- Pimento Macaroni and Cheese
- Cacio e Pepe Macaroni and Cheese
- How to Make Mac and Cheese without a recipe!
- Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Macaroni and Cheese
- Instant Microwave Macaroni and Cheese
Smokey Gouda Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups (heaped) dry macaroni, cooked in well salted water until just al dente, and drained
- 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Whisk to combine, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
- Add the milk and whisk to combine, continuing to heat until the milk comes to a simmer and is thickened.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheese, stir until all of the cheese is incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Mix the macaroni with the sauce, and pour into a baking dish or individual dishes. Bake for about 30 minutes until bubbling throughout.
- Sprinkle more cheese on top and put under the broiler until the cheese is browned.
Notes
- Try other smoked cheese in this recipe like mozzarella, cheddar, or Gruyere.
Nutrition
Hands down the best thing I’ve made in quarantine so far! I added white pepper, smoked paprika and breadcrumbs. Delish!
It’s that smokey cheese 🙂
This recipe a looks delicious. I don’t have any small baking dishes like the one in the photo, would a 8 by 8 pan work.
Yes, absolutely.
This looks really delicious I’ve never tried a making homemade Mac and cheese before. Let’s see how this turns out
This was great. Very creamy. I used half smoked Gouda and half white sharp cheddar, but next time…and there will be a next time…I will try all Gouda since the flavor was not too strong. The recipe of ”2’s” makes this an easy one to remember. Thanks.
Thanks Sue, I bet all smoked Gouda will make a really flavorful mac and cheese.
Hello~ can you substitute milk for heavy whipping cream?
Hi Sandy, yes, you could use cream, but be aware that it would be quite rich. It would be better if you used half milk and half cream.
I NEVER leave responses but after making this recipe I had to! OMG! This is amazing! I had Gouda mac n cheese at a restaurant about a year ago & I have been wanting to go back ever since but now I don’t have to! This recipe is perfect!
It’s that smoked cheese, makes all the difference 😉 Glad you loved it Katlyn!
Hi there! This recipe looks great! Out of curiosity where did you buy the serving dishes?
This is an older recipe Emily, but I’m pretty sure I got those enameled cast iron pots at Marshalls. I love Marshalls 😉
What size baking dish would you use? I have a family of 5 healthy eaters. Would you double the recipe? Planning on serving as a main course with a salad!
Thanks!
Hi Audrey ~ I usually make this in a medium sized casserole, my oval is 10 inches long. I think if you doubled it, it would go in a 9×13 rectangle pan pretty well.
And yes, I would double it for your family.
Sue, can you use 2 percent milk instead of whole?
Yes, you can Brandy.
How would prepare in a crock pot? Needing this for a work pot luck, not keen on spending a lot of time preparing at the job.
I think to make mac and cheese in a crock pot you need a special recipe that’s formulated for that, Jennifer, I’m pretty sure this one won’t work. You could try it if you’re up for experimenting, using raw pasta, and evaporated milk in place of the milk, but I can’t guarantee anything. Maybe you can look up a crock pot recipe and substitute the smoked Gouda for a similar effect?
Is it possible to make this ahead to step 4, and refrigerate for a day or two?
I haven’t done it that way myself, Mac, but I assume you could.