Baked Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Smoked gouda mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Smoked gouda, white cheddar, and mozzarella make for a creamy, cheesy, baked mac and cheese that works as a delicious side dish for lunch, dinner, and holiday feasts.
Want to try another mac and cheese recipe? Check out The Best Lobster Mac and Cheese next!
Gouda macaroni and cheese is prepared on the stovetop and then transferred to the oven so it can bake until it is golden brown and bubbling over.
This indulgent white cheddar mac and cheese is incredibly rich with sweet, nutty notes that make it even more irresistible!
Ingredients for Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese Recipe
To make baked mac and cheese, you will need elbow pasta and chicken bouillon (the key to super flavorful macaroni). For the roux, use unsalted butter and flour.
The creamy cheese sauce is made with 2 cups of shredded smoked gouda cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of white cheddar cheese, heavy cream, chicken broth (or vegetable broth), and seasonings (black pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic powder).
How to Make Gouda Mac and Cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then add chicken bouillon seasoning and elbow pasta to the boiling water, cooking for 7-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse the cooked pasta, setting it aside.
Meanwhile, shred gouda, mozzarella, and white cheddar cheese.
In the stockpot or a large saucepan, melt butter and mix in all-purpose flour, then add heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring constantly.
Place it on low heat and add smoked gouda and mozzarella, stirring until melted. Season with black pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic powder, adjusting to taste.
Combine the cheese sauce with the drained pasta, transfer to a baking dish, and top with white cheddar.
Bake for 30 minutes, optionally broiling for a golden crust.
Let it rest before serving. Finally, enjoy!
Tips and variations for the Best Gouda Mac and Cheese
- For the best mac n cheese, do not use pre-shredded cheese. Grate blocks of cheese instead because it tastes better and melts better too.
- Baked mac and cheese is great if you want the top to be toasted but it is not a necessary step. Make this recipe in just 15 minutes by preparing smoked gouda mac and cheese on the stovetop.
- If you do not want to use elbow macaroni, for homemade macaroni and cheese try cavatappi instead.
- Swap any of the cheeses in this delicious recipe for gruyere, brie, parmesan, or havarti cheese.
- Instead of cooking the pasta in salted water, add chicken bouillon seasoning for more flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Cheesy Side Dishes You’ll Love
Baked Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Smoked gouda mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Smoked gouda, white cheddar, and mozzarella make for a creamy, cheesy, baked mac and cheese that works as a delicious side dish for lunch, dinner, and holiday feasts.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Elbow pasta
- 1 tablespoon Chicken bouillon
- 2 cups Smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup White cheddar cheese, shredded (to sprinkle on top)
- 1 stick Butter, unsalted
- 4 tablespoons Flour, all purpose
- 2 cups Heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups Chicken broth, sub vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt (more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Paprika, more to sprinkle on top
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Add enough water into a stock pot to submerge the elbow pasta into. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken bouillon seasoning into the water when it begins to boil.
Now gently pour your elbow macaroni into the boiling water and stir it around to ensure the pasta is not sticking together. Boil the macaroni pasta for about 7-10 minutes, just until it is al dente (tender firm). You don’t want to over cook the pasta because it will continue to cook in the oven.
Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop it from cooking, then set it aside.
While the macaroni is cooking, shred your gouda cheese, mozzarella cheese, and white cheddar cheese, and set them aside.
Cheese sauce for Mac and Cheese:
Next, add your butter into the stockpot and heat it up over medium heat. Once the butter is bubbly and melted, slowly sprinkle in the flour. Use a whisk to whisk the flour into the butter until there are no lumps. Cook it, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to cook the flour taste out.
Now drizzle in the heavy cream while stirring it into the roux. Once it is mixed in well, drizzle in the chicken broth- ensuring you are stirring to get it all mixed in.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and sprinkle your smoked gouda cheese and mozzarella cheese into the roux. Use a wooden spoon to stir the sauce until all of the cheese is melted (be sure to stir constantly so the cheese doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot).
Now sprinkle your seasonings into the cheese sauce, including the: black pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Stir it in until everything is fully combined. Taste the cheese sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Prepare the Mac and Cheese:
Add your cooked pasta into a large bowl, and pour the cheese sauce over it. Use a spoon to mix the cheese sauce into the pasta.
Now pour the macaroni and cheese into a cast iron skillet (or a 9x13 baking dish). Sprinkle the shredded white cheddar cheese evenly over the top, and then dust it with a little bit of paprika.
Place the cast iron skillet on a baking sheet to catch any overflow. Put it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Optional (but recommended: broil the mac and cheese for about 3-5 minutes to get the top nice and golden brown.
Remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 7-10 minutes before serving. And Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 995Total Fat 73gSaturated Fat 42gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 25gCholesterol 234mgSodium 1836mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 36g
