Smoked Gouda and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is getting an upgrade with my Smoked Gouda and Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe! This is MY favorite mac and cheese recipe of all time! I LOVE everything about it! The gouda cheese I use is perfectly smoky without it being obnoxious. The bacon adds that salty bite I want without making a breadcrumb topping. The mustard adds a zing to all the creamy-fatty goodness. Every bite is creamy dreamy cheesy heaven.

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Although this recipe does not come together in one pot, It’s pretty close. You do boil the noodles in a separate pot, but other than that, everything is cooked in a 12″ skillet! This Smoked Gouda and Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe does come together quickly even with the process that includes the béchamel sauce technique that everyone seems to dread making. I promise it’s really easy and once you get it, you’ll feel confident in making it for many other things.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

Elbow Macaroni is one of the stars! So make sure it’s a good one! Hop down to Tips for Success for details

Bacon adds smoky flavor, salt, and crunch!

Smoked Gouda Cheese melts beautifully! It creates a rich, creamy texture and subtle smoky flavor

Cheddar cheese is melty and salty. Make sure you use a younger cheddar for this. save that 15-year-old cheddar for you next cheese board.

Reserved bacon fat to make the roux. If you skip the bacon completely, hop down to SUBSTITUTIONS/SUGGESTIONS

All-purpose flour is the thickener.

whole milk is essential for this recipe. It creates that creamy rich texture you want in a good mac and cheese.

Chicken Stock helps add that savory flavor.

Chinese hot mustard adds a slight kick and a perfect tang to cut back on the richness

Sea salt and black pepper add flavor

Pasta water from the pasta you cooked is a must! it helps the sauce adhere to the pasta and loosens the sauce but also adds flavor and will help re-thinking. In other words… it’s pasta sauce’s magic ingredient!

Parsley adds green and freshness

MAKING THE MAC AND CHEESE

STEP 1: COOK THE BACON

You start by Cooking the bacon pieces, then place the cooked bacon pieces on a paper towel, and keep 3 tablespoons of fat in a pan.

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Next, cook the noodles. The idea here is to ensure the sauce finishes about the same time as the noodles are cooked. So immediately after the bacon is cooked, you should start the pasta (before making the sauce.

Now that your pasta is cooking, we move on to the sauce. I’ve read a few recipes in the past that shudder at the idea of a béchamel sauce starting point. But I assure you, it’s not that bad.

STEP 2: MAKE THE SAUCE

This recipe requires a béchamel style cheese sauce, This means it’s made from a white roux (butter and flour) and milk.

For me, making béchamel is seriously just making gravy, but growing up with a Texan mother, gravy is part of our diet. For anyone else, who perhaps isn’t as versed with it, here are the basics on making a béchamel style mac and cheese.

BÉCHAMEL BASICS

Cook the bacon fat and flour together. This makes a roux, a paste-like mixture. Usually with butter and flour, but in this case, it’s bacon fat. You get this by melting butter, whisking in all-purpose flour, and cooking the two together until it becomes a clumpy paste. The bacon fat and flour swell as they are cooked. This will thicken the liquid for this creamy, dreamy, cheesy sauce.

Add the broth while whisking, and cook until thickened. Yes, traditionally, you use milk. But this is my secret to avoiding a curdled sauce. Slow and steady is the key here. Add the broth to the hot roux as you whisk to loosen up the butter-flour mixture. Whisking as well as slowly adding are important. This process helps prevent lumps in the finished product. Once all of the broth is added, whisk, whisk, whisk to combine. Continue to cook the mixture until thick and creamy. Then you’re ready to add the rest!

FINISHING THE SAUCE

Next, you’re going to add the mustard, then shredded cheese. The key to this is to ensure the cheese is completely melted. It will start off thick, and very stringy. As it melts, it will actually become more sauce-like (reminiscent of cheesier alfredo sauce).

STEP 3: ADDING PASTA

Once your sauce is done, you’re going to add the pasta straight into the sauce. To do this, take a spider strainer and quickly add the pasta (water still draining) into the Cheese Sauce. You’ll get a good amount of pasta water with the noodles, which is what you want.

STEP 4: ADD THE REST

So now you’re going to add half the bacon, mix, and then top with parsley (optional) and the rest of the bacon! That’s it! ENJOY!!!

Smoked Gouda and Bacon Mac and Cheese

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This Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese recipe is a gourmet twist to the classic dish. With its rich, smoky flavors and creamy texture, it also features a delightful crunch from bacon, making it perfect for a cozy meal or side dish.

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 people 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

ALL Ingredients should be at Room Temp.

• 8oz Elbow Macaroni (see NOTES 1 for details)
• 4 pieces of bacon (see NOTES 2 for details)
• 7oz smoked Gouda Cheese [shredded]
• 1 oz cheddar cheese [shredded]
• 3 tablespoons reserved bacon fat (see NOTES 3 for substitutions)
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk (see note 4 for substitutions)
• 1 cup Chicken Stock (see NOTES 5 for substitutions)
• 1/4 tsp Chinese hot mustard (see NOTES 6 for substitutions
• sea salt (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper (taste)
• 1/2 cup pasta water (this is from the pasta you cooked.)
• Parsley for topping (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cook the chopped bacon on medium heat in a 3 Quart sauté pan or a well-seasoned 12 inch cast iron skillet until crisp. Take out the bacon pieces and lay them on a paper towel (reserve 3 Tablespoons of bacon fat).
2. Boil the elbow macaroni 2 minutes less than al dente (take a glass measuring cup, I use a 2 cup so I can get a good amount of extra just in case I need it, and set it aside)
3. As the elbow macaroni is cooking, add the all-purpose flour to the heated bacon fat. Whisk and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Slowly add the chicken stock while continuously whisking.
5. Add the Chinese hot mustard and continue whisking.
6. Add all the shredded cheese and continue to whisk until all the cheese is completely melted and becomes a thick sauce (it should be reminiscent of alfredo sauce but stringy from the cheese) about 5 minutes
7. Your elbow macaroni should be done cooking during this, add the noodles, directly from the water into the sauce (this way some of the water from the pasta gets incorporated to the sauce). Stir until completely mixed.
8. add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
9. Add the whole milk and half the bacon. Fold until fairly mixed together. Turn off the heat (If the sauce seems dry, add some of the pasta water to the sauce. Stir until incorporated).
10. Top with remaining bacon and chopped parsley
11. Serve immediately

Equipment

12 inch cast iron skillet

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3 Quart sauté pan

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KitchenAid Universal Bamboo Short Turner, One size, Wood

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Notes

1. Cavatappi, fusilli, casarecce, or a 1:1 ratio of any gluten-free pasta
2. you can omit the bacon if you’re out or don’t want it. If you do, see NOTES 3 for details on replacing the reserved fat.
3. 1:1 ratio of extra virgin olive oil, ghee, or melted butter
4. whole milk can be replaced with the following ratios:
   • ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons skim milk + ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons half and half
   • ⅔ cup 1% (low fat) milk + ⅓ cup half and half
   • ¾ cup 2% milk + ¼ cup half and half
   • ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons skim milk + 1⁄8 cup heavy cream
5. 1:1 ratio of Vegetable stock
6. 1:1 ratio of yellow mustard or dijon mustard.

• Author: Jenn Giam Smith
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American

©Photo, Prop Styling, and Food Styling by Jenn Smith owner of Jenn Giam Smith; Jenn Smith, LLC

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