Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
On May 06, 2025
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This Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese is a quick and easy recipe you cook on your stove top in cast iron, making it a great weekday dinner option!
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is nearly perfect as-is, so how do you improve on this classic? You add a healthy dose of home-smoked gouda cheese to the melting pot for a Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese you can make right on your stovetop. That’s right, you get that signature smoky flavor, but you don’t even have to preheat the oven.
This mac and cheese recipe with smoked gouda is one of our family favorites. Once you see the people you love enjoying this smoky, creamy mac you made yourself, it will become a favorite at your house, too. Let’s get started.
Smoked Gouda and Cheddar Mac and Cheese
If you’re a fan of mac and cheese, you won’t be able to resist my delicious recipe for smoked Gouda and cheddar mac and cheese. The secret to this recipe is in the cheese. This recipe is best when made with smoked Gouda that you smoke at home.
Click on this link for a full tutorial and instructions on how to make your own Smoked Gouda. The great thing about smoking your own Gouda at home is you can control the smokiness in your cheese. For a milder smoky flavor, smoke your Gouda for around 30 minutes. If you want some Gouda that’ll really pack a punch and make for an extremely flavorful mac and cheese, leave your Gouda in the smoker for up to an hour.
Now, I understand that not everyone has the time or ability to smoke your own cheese. If you’re looking for a quick mac and cheese dinner, you can always purchase smoked Gouda at the store for this recipe. Just know that homemade smoked Gouda tastes quite a bit better!
Gouda for Mac and Cheese
If you plan of cooking your mac and cheese on your smoker (like in my Smoked Mac and Cheese recipe), I don’t recommend using smoked Gouda. Just use regular Gouda instead. You don’t want to overpower the flavor of the mac and cheese with too much smokiness.
How to Make Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese recipe is cooked on your stove top in a cast iron skillet. It’ll be ready in under 30 minutes, and it’s pretty foolproof. Best to ditch the boxed stuff, and make your own mac and cheese from scratch instead! Full instructions and ingredients are available in the printable recipe card below.
- Begin by cooking your noodles. Prepare your elbow pasta noodles according to the instructions on the package. I recommend cooking the noodles al dente, so they can continue to soften in the cheese sauce. Make sure to add a healthy amount of Kosher salt (or sea salt) to the water before adding the noodles. Drain the cooked pasta with a colander, then set aside.
- Make the sauce. Using a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat on your stove top. Add the flour and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Next, whisk in the mustard powder. Carefully pour in the half and half, whisking frequently until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add in the cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Finally, add in the cheddar and smoked Gouda cheeses and stir until you have a cheesy sauce with a creamy texture.
- Combine the macaroni and cheese sauce. Turn off the heat and pour the cooked macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce. Stir gently until the macaroni is well coated. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Will it Chili Mac?
Who doesn’t love Chili Mac? There’s nothing like a heaping helping of hearty homemade chili topped with a scoop of creamy, mac and cheese. This combo ranks among the all-time great dynamic duos.
So, let’s get down to what everyone really wants to know: will this recipe Chili Mac? And if so, which chili match will take your Chili Mac to the chili max?
- Will it Chili Mac: Not only does this recipe work great as a Chili Mac topper, the smoked gouda adds a whole new layer of nutty, almost-caramel flavor.
- Chili match: A mac this fancy demands a chili that holds up its end of the bargain. That’s why I love pairing it with my Chili Con Carne.
- Why it’s perfect: This Texas-style chili is loaded with tender chunks of fall-apart, smoky beef just begging for a hug from this Gouda Mac. Plus, not having beans allows the beef and gouda to shine.
If you want to see all the best chili recipes and the best mac and cheese recipes for Chili Mac, check out the recipe that started it all.
Tips for Making Gouda Mac and Cheese
Before you jump into making your own mac and cheese, check out a few of these tips to help you get your dinner to ooey-gooey perfection:
- Cook your noodles to just softened. This mac and cheese tastes best with noodles that have barely softened. You don’t want any crunch in your noodles, but don’t let them overcook until they become too soft or soggy.
- Make it creamy! For an even creamier sauce, add in an additional ½ cup of half and half or whole milk to the cast iron pan when making the sauce. This will add some additional moisture and extra sauce for your noodles.
- Add some mix-ins. If you want some extra flavor or crunch in your mac and cheese, I recommend you sprinkle your mac with bread crumbs, crumbled bacon, or sausage. You can’t go wrong with pickled jalapeños, green chiles, or even some minced herbs.
- Heat it up! For added spice, stir in 2 Tablespoons of Frank’s RedHot Buffalo sauce or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the noodles and the sauce.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
I just love mac and cheese. It’s a tasty, comforting dish that is perfect for lunch or dinner any day of the week. I also love the way homemade mac and cheese tastes when cooked on the smoker with other awesome ingredients. For more great mac and cheese recipes, check out a few of my favorites below:
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese Recipe
This recipe was created for you, backyard griller! Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re in the business of helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a Backyard BBQ Hero.
You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes here on my website (browse the Recipe Library for inspiration) on Instagram, YouTube or our Facebook Page.
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni noodles cooked according to package instructions
- ½ cup butter
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground mustard powder
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cups smoked Gouda cheese
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni noodles according to package directions and drain.1 pound elbow macaroni noodles
- Make the sauce. Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and whisk in the flour until a smooth, thin paste forms. Then whisk in the mustard powder.
Carefully pour in the half and half and bring the mixture up to a boil while whisking. Reduce the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese and stir until melted.½ cup butter, 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon ground mustard powder, 2 cups half and half, 4 ounces cream cheese, 3 cups smoked Gouda cheese, 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese - Combine the noodles and sauce. Turn off the heat and pour in the cooked macaroni noodles. Stir gently until the noodles are coated by the cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in February 2020, but recently updated it with new photos, more information, and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
LOVE this recipe. The best! Curious if anyone has tried making it then transferring to a crockpot to keep warm for an event. If so did it keep okay?
Good recipe but you fail to mention what type of cheddar. There are many kinds including, sharp and mild.
Which do you use?
I used sharp for this recipe, but you can use any kind you prefer.
Susie,
I just printed your Smoked Mac and Cheese recipe and found an anomaly in the recipe. On the computer the recipe says: 3 cups of smoked gouda cheese
1.5 cups of cheddar cheese
When you print the recipe it says: 3 cups of cheddar cheese
1.5 cups of gouda cheese
Which one is it supposed to be???
It should be 3 cups gouda and 1 ½ cups cheddar. It looks right both ways on this side, but sorry for the confusion.
Only change, add in 1TBL of smoked paprika to sauce! Yumm!!!
Delicious, very thick and sticky cheese, lots of flavor.
Made this for dinner tonight, with carrots on the side. Yummy!
A quick and easy to follow recipe for any busy mothers to prepare for their kids.