Cheddar and gouda combine to make this ultra creamy and rich stovetop mac and cheese! Ready in under 30 minutes and perfect as a holiday side.
Macaroni and cheese might be my definition of comfort food. I’m not sure why it took me so long to share a traditional mac recipe (I do have the less traditional vegan macaroni and cheese and butternut squash mac and cheese, though!).
It’s surprisingly really easy to make homemade gouda mac and cheese. You might never want to go back to the boxed kind after making this recipe because it’s just so creamy, velvety and delicious.
All you need is 30 minutes and a handful of ingredients like Gouda and sharp cheddar to make the rich mac and cheese sauce.
Gouda adds such an awesome flavor that sets this mac and cheese apart from your traditional cheddar-based recipe.
Ingredients
- Cheddar cheese: I always use farmstyle cheddar but regular shredded cheddar works too. Sharp or mild are preferred over very sharp so that the flavor isn't overpowering.
- Gouda: I buy a block of gouda and shred it on a grater. You can also roughly slice it if you don’t have a grater because it will just melt into the sauce. Gouda is a great alternative for gruyere cheese.
- Whole milk: Because we need ultimate creaminess in this recipe. However, for a lighter option you can go for skim, 1%, etc. – even unsweetened, unflavored nondairy milk like soy or oat will work!
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is my go-to for macaroni and cheese. Any short grain pasta is best but in a pinch you can really make anything work.
- Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour: Combine to make the base of the béchamel style sauce. Salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, but you will need to taste for salt at the end instead of adding the recipe amount.
- Salt, pepper, old Bay: Old Bay adds that extra “something” to the recipe.
How to make stove top mac and cheese
Making stovetop mac and cheese is all about the sauce. Here is how you make the creamy béchamel style sauce with cheddar and gouda:
- In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high until melted. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes, moving frequently, until flour is lightly browned.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and old bay seasoning.
- Stir in the shredded cheeses. Whisk until cheese is completely melted.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce heat down to low. Let simmer over low heat until thickened. The sauce is ready when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without sliding off.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce. Stir together and enjoy!
How to bake
If you prefer baked mac and cheese you can actually throw this mac and cheese in the oven.
Add the mac and cheese to a 2 quart dish and cover with an extra half cup of shredded cheddar. Adding toasted panko or breadcrumbs is also recommended.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Baked mac and cheese is much less saucey but still delicious.
Serving and storage
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: To reheat, add a splash of milk and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of milk over low heat.
- Make it a meal with a side of roasted root vegetables, sweet potato dinner rolls and crispy baked tofu nuggets.
Looking for more comfort food favorites? You might like cheesy vegetarian taco pasta or vegetarian spaghetti casserole as dinner options. Vegan broccoli mac and cheese is another favorite!
Recipe
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Stovetop Gouda Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 and ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more for topping
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces gouda shredded
- paprika for topping
Instructions
- Cook elbow macaroni to al dente in well salted water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high until melted. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently with a silicon whisk, until flour is lightly browned.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and old bay seasoning. Add in the shredded cheddar and gouda. Stir until cheese is completely melted.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce heat down to low. Let simmer over low heat until thickened. The sauce is ready when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without sliding off.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve topped with paprika and additional black pepper.
Jax says
Regarding step 4 - do not let the cheese mixture boil or it will turn into separated meal. The mixture should be hot enough before you add the cheese that you should be able to essentially fold in the cheese and it will melt nicely.
Susan Owens says
I am preparing frozen foods for an upcoming surgery, and had some gouda and cheddar and have been wanting some mac and cheese 🙂 This recipe looks perfect! If your dish is tasting like flour, remember to let your flour and milk sauce come to a light boil for a couple of minutes. Also, as the pictures above show, the sauce needs to be removed from heat before adding your cheese to prevent it from becoming too hot resulting of bits of cheese appearing and not blending in. As this will be frozen and then baked in foil containers, I did loosen the sauce up with additional milk. I am looking forward to eating, as the sauce tastes divine!!
Rangdrol says
Cassidy, thanks for sharing. I made the mistake of selecting white cheddar, but even so it was great. the white sauce is fine, it’s a normal white sauce and the addition of the Panko (I just got a real bad of Panko from Japan and it was super crunchy!!) to the top was great. I think the white cheddar was milder than the orange, but the Gouda Cheddar was great and I will use this combo in the future. I thought the Bay Seasoning addition was a charm. thanks!!
Cassidy Reeser says
I wish I could try that panko! Yum. Thanks for the review!
Mary Davis says
So easy and delicious. This is our third time making it. Kids and Hasbeen love it
S. says
2 cups of 2% no need to let it reduce.
Chedder + jack blend, kept the 2.5 cups
No old bay, used a pinch of steak seasoning.
Came out well.
Grayson says
This was...inedible. The flour content is way too high. Came out mealy. And the old bay gives it a sour aroma. Use your instincts and your own seasonings.
Cassidy Reeser says
Hi Grayson, it sounds like this might just not be the recipe and flavor combinations for you, but thanks for trying my recipe out! The mealy texture might be coming from the cheese separating during cooking, my guess is it got too hot. A standard flour to fat ratio is 1:1, and if the flour is toasted the flavor shouldn't be noticeable.
Jodie says
Came together well and wasn’t too “solid” like many roux based recipes. Made as written but omitted salt (doing baby led weaning, my one year old loved this) and added a sprinkle of salt free seasoning mix.
Cassidy Reeser says
That's great to hear! Thanks for the review 🙂
Louise says
Sounds to me like you cooked it at too high a temp or too long. Recipes are great, but you have to understand your stove. I know that my kitchen electric burners at medium-high are too hot. I followed the recipe, but trusted my gut … burner at medium, and as soon as the sauce started to thicken I turned it right down. My result is an awesome creaming sauce. It’s in the oven now. Counting down to yummy!
Jenny says
The old bay didn't taste right with Mac and cheese
Samie says
The recipe was very good
Deb Nockerts says
I added bacon, onions, and cubed chicken to this recipe to make it more gourmet and it was amazing. Will definitely make again!
Buffy Morales says
This is my new go to Mac and Cheese recipe. So easy and so delicious!
Makayla Annee says
Delicious, quick, and so simple! I added 1/1-3/4tsp of Old Bay instead of 1/4tsp but I LOVE Old Bay 🖤
Great recipe!
Cassidy Reeser says
Extra Old Bay is always a good way to go!! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂