One of my favorite things to make and eat is homemade macaroni and cheese. I’m not talking about the stuff by Kraft or anything that comes in the box. Over the years that I have been making this for myself I have altered the way I make macaroni and cheese.
Why? I’m not really sure if there is an exact reason but a lot of it has to do with discovering new cheeses. I also alter the amount of ingredients and seasoning. Sometimes I just decide to add some meat to it or even diced tomatoes.
But one of my favorite ways to make homemade macaroni and cheese is to add some gouda to the recipe. Gouda is one of the worlds most popular cheeses and it goes with a lot of different things and the actual taste can vary depending on the exact age of the cheese. I wanted to share a few recipes I found online for some people to try.
Smoked Gouda Cheese Macaroni (6 servings)
Food Network: Emeril Lagasse
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ditalini or small elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/4 pound smoked Gouda cheese, grated
- Parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the water, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the white pepper and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove the white sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts.
Lightly grease a 6 1/2 by 10-inch casserole dish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Combine the cheese sauce and macaroni in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into the prepared casserole and bake until lightly golden on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Garnish with parsley.
Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese (10-12 Servings)
ShugarySweets.com
Ingredients
- 16oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 1/4 cup skim milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp worcestershire
- 1lb smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 5 slices bread (about 2cups crumbs)
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
Directions
Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Set aside.
In large pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add skim milk and bring to near boiling. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle in flour. Whisk vigorously over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Mixture should be thick and boiling. Slowly add cream, while whisking. Add in salt, pepper, mustard and worcestershire sauce.
Reduce heat to low and continue to stir for about 5 minutes.
In food processor, shred Gouda and Cheddar cheese. Add to pot, stir until thoroughly combined. Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture. Pour into a 13×9 dish.
In same food processor bowl (no need to wash it after shredding the cheese), process 5 slices of bread to a fine crumb. Add melted butter. Sprinkle over macaroni. Top with crumbled bacon.
Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
Lighter Gouda Macaroni and Cheese (2-4 Servings)
SpicieFoodie.com: Nancy Lopez-McHugh
Ingredients
- 1 bag (400 g) macaroni noodles
- 100 gm Gouda, shredded
- 1¼ cup or 300 ml whole milk
- 40 g or 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- pinch of salt, extra if desired
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp flour
Directions
Cook the macaroni noodles according to package instructions.
While the noodles are boiling start the sauce. In a large pot melt the butter, once melted saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir until it forms a roux (thick paste). Pour half a cup of milk into the pot and stir until well combined. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and the ground black pepper into the pot, stir well.
Add the shredded cheese and a little more of the milk. Continue stirring as the cheese begins to melt. Pour the rest of the milk and continue stirring until the cheese completely melts and the cheese sauce forms. Taste again and adjust salt if necessary.
Mix the cooked and drained macaroni into the pot, be careful not to overspill. Continue mixing until all the noodles are well coated with the sauce. Serve right away.
Now that you have a few recipes go give them a try, I am! Let us know which one is your favorite. When preparing these recipes add some Jake’s Gouda Cheese, you can see where our cheese carried by clicking here or you can order our cheese online by heading over to the shop.