
Gouda mac and cheese recipe makes ultra rich and creamy macaroni and cheese! This quick recipe lets you make homemade mac and cheese in just 30 minutes.

Gouda mac and cheese is an easy, super cheesy homemade mac and cheese. Gouda melts really well, so it's the perfect choice to give mac and cheese plenty of cheesy goodness.
You can use either regular gouda or smoked gouda in this recipe. Feel free to use a combination of the two for just a touch of smoky flavor.
This recipe uses a bit of cheddar in combination with the gouda so that you get the meltiness of gouda with a bit of bite and flavor from the cheddar for the ultimate comfort food dinner!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Onion: The onion is optional. If omitting the onion, reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons.
- Cheddar cheese: Gouda is a fairly mild cheese. Using mild cheddar will help more of the flavor to come through. If you use sharp cheddar, you won't get as much of the gouda flavor.
How to make gouda mac and cheese
Here you'll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Add salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
Step 2: Cook macaroni until al dente (according to package directions) and drain.
Step 3: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Step 4: Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the flour, mustard powder, pepper, and salt. Let the flour cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
Step 6: Slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously, and cook until thickened.
Step 7: Add in the shredded cheeses, and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
Step 8: Stir in the drained pasta. Serve warm.
Tips
- Salting the water: Salting the water helps to flavor the pasta as it cooks.
- Seasoning: The mustard adds a bit of bite to the pasta. Feel free to add any other seasonings, like hot sauce or garlic, that you like.
Serving suggestions
Gouda mac and cheese is rich and creamy. It goes well with steamed green vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or spinach.
This mac and cheese can also be served as a side dish for holiday meals and goes well with ham or barbecue.
Storage
Store any leftover mac and cheese in airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More dinner recipes!
If you’ve tried this gouda mac and cheese recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
You can follow me on Pinterest for even more delicious food!
Gouda Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 12 ounces dry macaroni noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 8 ounces gouda cheese shredded (smoked or regular)
- 2 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
- Cook macaroni until al dente (according to package directions) and drain.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, mustard powder, pepper, and salt.
- Let the flour cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously, and cook until thickened.
- Add in the shredded cheeses, and stir until melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in the drained pasta.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Onion: The onion is optional. If omitting the onion, reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons.
- Cheddar cheese: Gouda is a fairly mild cheese. Using mild cheddar will help more of the flavor to come through. If you use sharp cheddar, you won't get as much of the gouda flavor.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Leave a Reply