Quick and easy stovetop Gouda mac and cheese features tender cavatappi pasta tossed with a subtly sweet and nutty Gouda and cheddar cheese sauce and topped with pan toasted smoky breadcrumbs. This rich and creamy mac and cheese comes together in just 25 minutes and is sure to be a favorite Thanksgiving or holiday side dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, creamy consistency without any heavy cream.
- Unique sweet and nutty flavor from Gouda cheese with a touch of sharpness from cheddar cheese.
- Topped with smoky, herby toasted breadcrumbs for a light crunch.
- Super quick and easy to make, taking just 25 minutes from start to finish!
Ingredients
- Pasta – cavatappi, shells, elbows, or other small pasta are perfect for capturing the cheese sauce.
- Cheese – a mixture of lightly sweet and nutty young Gouda and sharp cheddar cheese blend together in a rich, creamy sauce. Note that young Gouda is much creamier and easier to melt than aged Gouda and works better in this recipe. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese elevates the crunchy pan-toasted breadcrumb topping.
- Milk – 2% or whole milk add the perfect amount of richness without weighing this mac and cheese down. We do not like using half and half or heavy whipping cream, as it is much too heavy.
- Butter – butter adds depth to the base of the sauce, but we try to keep it a little lighter by using plant-based or reduced fat varieties, like these Country Crock or Land O Lakes options (not sponsored!).
- Dijon mustard – for a touch of piquancy and to help stabilize the cheese sauce.
- Flour – thickening agent.
- Seasonings – the cheese sauce is lightly seasoned with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to enhance the subtly nutty and smoky flavors. The breadcrumb topping uses garlic powder, thyme, and smoked paprika to add extra depth.
- Panko breadcrumbs – pan toasted panko breadcrumbs add the perfect amount of crunch and saltiness to the finished mac and cheese. We prefer Kikkoman brand.
Tips for Making Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will absorb the liquid from the cheese sauce, causing the noodles to soften. If you start with firmer (al dente) pasta, you will have less mushy mac and cheese. Cook pasta until it is just tender and has no white in the center.
- Thin the cheese sauce with reserved pasta water if it is too thick. The starch in the pasta water helps the sauce coat the noodles and yields a more cohesive sauce than using plain water or chicken broth. However, chicken broth or milk are pretty good options if you forgot to reserve your pasta water.
- Shred fresh cheese from a block for a smoother, creamier texture. Don’t use pre-shredded cheeses since they contain powder coating (for “anti clumping” purposes) that makes the sauce gritty instead of smooth.
- Whisk the flour into the milk before heating to eliminate clumps in the cheese sauce.
- Stir the cheese sauce regularly to keep the milk from forming a filmy “skim” or from burning.
How to Make Gouda Mac and Cheese
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ยฝ cup of pasta water (for thinning, if needed). Drain pasta and set aside.
In the same pasta pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk the flour into the milk until dissolved. Add the milk-flour mixture, Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper to the pot and whisk thoroughly to incorporate.
Bring the milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce to medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent burning. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the sauce from heat. Stir in the cheeses until melted and well incorporated. Add more salt and pepper, as needed. If the cheese sauce is too thick, thin it with a little bit of the reserved pasta water, until you achieve the desired consistency. Add the pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated.
Lightly mist a frying pan with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Add the breadcrumb ingredients and toss to coat with the oil. Toast on medium heat until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the mac and cheese to a serving dish and top with toasted breadcrumbs. Serve and enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftover Gouda mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, add the desired amount of mac and cheese to a pan. Add a few tablespoons of milk or chicken broth and warm over medium heat. Stir regularly to incorporate the added liquid, break up the cheese sauce, and prevent burning. Serve once warmed throughout. Top with additional breadcrumbs, if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Cheese – while this recipe calls for a mixture of Gouda and sharp cheddar cheese, you can also try classic sharp or white cheddar, Manchego, Gruyรจre, fontina, and even smoked Gouda, or any other variety of cheese to switch things up.
- Toppings – simple seasoned and toasted breadcrumbs are great for a light crunch, but feel free to top with anything you like. Crumbled bacon, French fried onions, fresh herbs, or even crushed oyster or saltine crackers are excellent options.
- Method – cooking over the stove is the easiest option for this recipe, but you can give baking a try. Just note, we have NOT tried this recipe baked, but you can adapt it to your favorite baked recipe and give it a try!
What to Pair with Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Chicken – grilled chicken or chicken skewers are a quick and easy option. Try chicken burgers, Italian herb chicken, garlic Parmesan chicken skewers, honey garlic chicken skewers, or honey mustard chicken.
- Beef or bison – top with ground hamburger or bison, grilled sirloin, flank steak, smoked brisket or ribs. Try our bison meatballs or air fryer hamburgers.
- Turkey – pair with ground turkey, turkey meatballs, or turkey burgers.
- Pork – pork chops or pulled pork go well with this mac and cheese. Try our smoky air fryer pork chops or Nashville hot honey glazed pork chops.
- Veggies – top with in-season produce. Some of our favorites are grilled or sauted zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, asparagus, and roasted butternut squash.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
2% milk or whole milk are perfect for creamy and flavorful mac and cheese. Lower fat milks, like skim or 1% milk, or plant-based milks tend to result in much thinner sauces and many plant milks have a sweeter taste, so you may need to adjust the other ingredients to compensate.
Gouda cheese has a sweeter, nuttier flavor, while smoked Gouda has a smoky, woodsy flavor due to smoking in a smokehouse or from adding liquid smoke flavor to the cheese curds prior to pressing.
You can add reserved pasta water, chicken broth, or a little extra milk to thin out the cheese sauce to the desired consistency.
Try out our other pasta dishes
- Stovetop white cheddar mac and cheese
- Avocado pesto pasta
- Lemon pesto pasta
- Creamy Cajun pasta
- Creamy pesto pasta primavera
Let us know what you think about our recipe for stovetop Gouda mac and cheese by dropping a comment, star rating, and/or sharing on Pinterest/social media! We really appreciate your help in sharing and rating our recipes, as it allows us to continue to bring delicious and healthy recipes to our community!
Stovetop Gouda Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Gouda Mac and Cheese
- 16 oz small shell, cavatappi, or elbow pasta (or sub other small pasta)
- 3 Tbsp reduced-fat butter (we use Country Crock olive oil plant butter or Land O Lakes olive oil butter)
- ยผ c all-purpose flour
- 2ยฝ c 2% or whole milk (or sub other milk)
- 1 tsp Dijon or stone ground mustard
- ยฝ tsp smoked paprika
- ยฝ-1 tsp sea salt, adjust to taste
- ยฝ tsp cracked black pepper, adjust to taste
- 8 oz freshly shredded young Gouda cheese
- 4 oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar or white cheddar cheese
Toasted Parmesan Breadcrumbs
- cooking spray or drizzle of olive oil
- ยฝ c panko breadcrumbs (we prefer Kikkoman brand)
- ยฝ tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ยฝ tsp dried thyme
- ยผ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ยฝ cup of pasta water (for thinning, if needed). Drain pasta and set aside.
- In the same pasta pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk the flour into the milk until dissolved. Add the milk-flour mixture, Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper to the pot and whisk thoroughly to incorporate.
- Bring the milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce to medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent burning. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from heat. Stir in the cheeses until melted and well incorporated. Add more salt and pepper, as needed. If the cheese sauce is too thick, thin it with a little bit of the reserved pasta water, until you achieve the desired consistency. Add the pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated.
- Lightly mist a frying pan with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Add the breadcrumb ingredients and toss to coat with the oil. Toast on medium heat until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the mac and cheese to a serving dish and top with toasted breadcrumbs. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I prefer to use vegan or plant-based butters when cooking, rather than classic butter. Vegan/plant-based butters are lower in fat (total and saturated). We use Country Crock olive oil plant butter or Land O Lakes olive oil butter.
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