Baked Gouda Mac 'N Cheese

Please make this recipe soon... my sister and I fixed this recently and after we combined the noodles into the cheese sauce we couldn't stop "taste testing"! The blend of cheeses was awesome - of course you can mix and match to use what you have but that Gouda, welsh cheddar and sharp white cheddar combo was absolutely fantastic. Just a few simple seasonings to set off the delicious flavors of the cheese was all that was needed.

This was a delicious creamy baked mac n cheese that I am looking forward to making again - you can mix and match the cheeses, add bacon or leave it out, and use a crumb topping if you like, or not! Lots of options (we used a cheesy chip topping).  I thought it reheated really well too! If you want to make a smaller batch you can follow the link to the original recipe for an 8x8 pan sized version with slightly different recommendations for flour / milk ratio.

Baked Gouda Mac N Cheese adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

6  tablespoons butter
2  teaspoons chicken bouillon
16-oz uncooked elbow macaroni
5  tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
6 cups milk, any (I used a combination of 1%, whole and half and half since that's what I had)
3 cups grated cheddar cheese (I used a combination of Welsh cheddar, sharp white cheddar, and regular cheddar cheese)
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated Gouda cheese
nonstick cooking spray
black pepper, to taste

Optional: 1/4 - 12 cup bacon bits
Optional: crushed cheesy chips or cracker crumbs for topping if desired

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Generously salt the boiling water and add uncooked pasta. Cook according to package directions until just shy of al dente.
3. Pour pasta into a strainer and return empty pot to the stove (wipe out if necessary before using for the sauce). Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in seasonings and flour to form a thick paste. Slowly whisk the milk in until well blended and smooth. Bring sauce to a low boil, reduce heat and add in cheese. Stir just until cheese has blended and sauce is smooth again.
4. Dump the strained noodles back into the pot with the sauce, stir gently to combine and add black pepper to taste. If using bacon bits / pieces, stir into the sauce and noodles.
5. Pour the noodles and sauce carefully into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 15 minutes. If adding crumb topping remove after the first 15 minutes, add topping and return to oven, uncovered, for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling.
6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.