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This smoked Gouda mac and cheese recipe is full of flavor, incredibly creamy, and kid-friendly. Even better, it can be made in one pot – no muss, no fuss, no draining, and no roux.
This incredibly easy smoked gouda mac and cheese is a true one-pot recipe, which means you’re not making the sauce in one pot and boiling the noodles in another—it all cooks together.
Just like our Broccoli Mac and Cheese, this recipe is made on the stovetop, but if you’re looking for a pressure cooker version, check out our Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe.
Ingredients
This recipe has:
- Shell or elbow noodles – or another pasta you like. Rotini works well too.
- Butter -salted or unsalted; chef’s choice.
- Evaporated milk* – Not to be confused with condensed milk! They’re often sold side-by-side, so it’s easy to pick up the wrong can, but evaporated milk is unsweetened.
- Nutmeg and dry mustard – Two optional ingredients to enhance the flavor of the sauce.
- Cheese – I recommend a blend of smoked gouda and extra sharp cheddar. Sharp cheddar cuts through the ultra-creamy profile of the smoked gouda.
- Shredded Parmesan
- Salt
*Looking for additional recipes that use evaporated milk? Check out fantasy fudge, Instant Pot mac and cheese, ham and potato casserole, old-fashioned fudge, crock pot hot chocolate, and gluten-free scalloped potatoes.
Step by Step Instructions
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Bring 4 & 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan (I used my enameled cast iron Dutch oven). Stir the pasta, salt, and butter into the boiling water.
Reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until almost all of the water has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the evaporated milk, dry mustard, nutmeg, and delicious cheeses. Keep stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth and ridiculously creamy. Seriously, get ready.
That’s it! You did it, and you’re about the enjoy the most delicious homemade mac and cheese ever.
Recipe Variations Optional Add-Ins
If you can’t find smoked gouda, look for “double-cream” gouda for a super creamy mac and cheese.
You can use whole wheat pasta if you’d like, but I don’t recommend other alternative kinds of pasta, like the ones made with bean flour. They have a tendency to foam and fall apart. And because they cook so differently than wheat pasta, they’ll produce different results for this recipe.
Top with crispy smoky bacon cooked in a skillet or bacon baked in the oven.
The appeal of this recipe is that you’re not baking it in the oven, but if you have a soft spot for that buttery breadcrumb topping, you can melt a little bit of butter in a small skillet, add panko, salt, and pepper, and toast the breadcrumbs until they’re nicely browned. Sprinkle them over each portion of the mac and cheese after plating.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Storing Leftovers: Allow the gouda mac and cheese to fully cool before storing it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s uber-creamy with zero sauce separation upon reheating. Heaven!
Reheating Leftovers: You can reheat the mac and cheese in the microwave or in a saucepan until it’s warmed through ~1-2 minutes depending on portion size.
Freezing Leftovers: Freeze fully cooled leftovers in an air-tight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. I love to use my 1-cup or 2-cup Souper Cubes and then transfer to reusable silicone bags.
Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.
The sauce in mac and cheese that has been frozen will likely separate upon reheating. It may look curdled or lumpy, but it’s still totally safe to eat.
What to Serve With Mac and Cheese
Pair mac and cheese with a simple protein like Dry Brine Chicken, Instant Pot Ham, Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs, or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Keep it kid-pleasing with Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken, or go all in on carbs and serve your mac with No-Knead Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Shred your own cheese! It’s totally worth the extra 5 minutes. Store-bought shredded cheese has an anti-caking agent added to it (AKA the white powdery stuff) that affects the way it melts. While it will melt, it’s just not quite as smooth as freshly shredded cheese.
- If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can sub in regular milk, half-and-half, or cream. Just make sure you heat it before adding it to the hot pasta. This prevents the milk from curdling, resulting in a grainy cheese sauce.
More Weeknight Recipes You’ll Love
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb shell or elbow noodles {feel free to use any preferred pasta}
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup butter {1 stick}{cut into cubes}
- 12 oz evaporated milk {1 can}
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg {optional}
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard {optional}
- 2 cups smoked gouda, shredded
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring 4 1/4 cups of water to a boil.1 lb shell or elbow noodles
- Add pasta, salt, and butter to the saucepan. Stir to combine.4 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 tsp salt
- Reduce the stove temp to medium-high, and occasionally stir the mixture, until almost all of the water has been absorbed by the pasta (~8 minutes).
- Add the evaporated milk, (optional) dry mustard, (optional) nutmeg, and cheeses, and stir gently until all the cheese has melted.12 oz evaporated milk, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 2 cups smoked gouda, shredded, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, 2 cups extra sharp cheddar
Notes
- Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are NOT the same thing. Only evaporated milk will work in this recipe.
- If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can sub in regular milk, half-and-half, or cream. Just make sure you heat it before adding it to the hot pasta. This prevents the milk from curdling, resulting in a grainy cheese sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks GOOD!!!!!! (or maybe I should have gone for the bad pun and said that this looks GOUDA)
Funny, this is the second mac & cheese post I have seen in a short time span that cooks it in a way that needs no draining. (the first one looked awful though). I think this is a sign that I have to try it.
Total missed opportunity for a good pun. 🙂
I have another no drain mac and cheese recipe, but it uses different cheese and contains (optional) broccoli. It’s truly a life-changing hack to cook everything at once.