Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese is a delicious twist on the classic comfort food that is sure to satisfy your cheesy cravings. The smoky flavor of the gouda pairs perfectly with the creamy, rich sauce, making this dish a true delight for the taste buds.
🛒 Ingredients
- Pasta
- Butter
- Flour
- Whole Milk
- Smoked Gouda
- Parmesan
- Sour Cream
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
📖 Instructions
The base of our sauce is technically a bechamel. Also known as a white sauce. It's a basic sauce made from a roux of butter and flour cooked in milk. The sauce is one of the "mother sauces" in French cuisine and is used as a base for many other sauces and dishes, such as macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and chicken pot pie.
By adding a little heavy cream, sour cream, and of course our smoked gouda, we take our classic bechamel and turn it into something completely new.
🍝 The Pasta
I am a big fan of using fun-shaped noodles. The days are gone of the standard spaghetti & elbow macaroni in my house. People eat with their eyes and this Cavatappi is not only beautiful, but it also has ribs which makes it perfect for holding onto our cheese sauce.
🧀 Smoked Gouda
You might struggle to find smoked gouda already shredded in your local grocery store. This is exactly the brand I used, which I shredded at home using my grater attachment on my KitchenAid.
When you grate your own cheese at home, so many more options for flavors come available.
👩🏼🍳 Chef Tip
One of the hardest parts about making your own bechamel is the sauce turning out gritty. This can be for a few reasons like not cooking your roux long enough, or adding the milk too quickly.
As long as you cook the roux for more than 2-3 minutes, that should solve that problem. When adding the milk I like to add about ⅓ of my milk to start. It will get thick quickly, but give you a chance to really mix everything together. After adding the remaining milk, you will be left with a nice smooth sauce.
🍽 Serving
While you can absolutely eat this mac & cheese all on its own, smoked vegetables or a seared protein of your choice would be a perfect accompaniment. If you are interested in recreating the plate below check out our Smoked Vegetables & Smoked Pork Tenderloin recipes!
📖 Recipe
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 2 Pot
- Spider or collander
- KitchenAid Slicer & Shredder or cheese grater
Ingredients
Mac & Cheese
- 1 Pound Pasta - any ribbed variety
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 2 Cups Milk
- 8 oz Smoked Gouda
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- tt Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch White Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta, and cook for the recommended time.
- While your pasta is cooking, add your butter to a saucepot over medium heat.
- Once melted add your flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes or until you smell a light sightly nutty aroma coming from your pan.
- Next, you will add about ½ cup of the milk while whisking quickly. Once thickened, add your remaining milk and whisk again until smooth
- Your smoked gouda is up next, and we will also add about ½ of the cheese and mix until incorporated, and then the other ½.
- Once it's smooth, add your heavy cream and sour cream, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- When your pasta is done, add it to your cheese sauce and mix. I like to add slowly so if I've made too much pasta I don't throw off my sauce to noodle ratio.
Nutrition
Handy Tools
Want to take your cooking game to the next level? Here's a list of some of the tools I use every time I make this recipe that help make this a breeze!
