This mac and cheese recipe is a little over the top! It combines rich ingredients and some smoky flair to make it unforgettable. We make this at least a few times during the holiday season, and I never leave an event we’ve brought it to without a few requests for the recipe!
The big stars that make this dish stand out are the smoked gouda in the sauce, and the chipotle chili powder in the bread crumb topping. The smoked gouda gives a little more depth and complexity to the noodles, and the spice in the topping gives it a surprising kick!
Tips for Better Macaroni & Cheese
1. Cold boil your noodles
We’ve been trying out this method from Alton Brown, and we love it! Especially in pasta recipes that will use some of the pasta water it has been a pretty good change to our process.
2. Get better pasta
We try to keep our pasta intake limited to special occasions, so quality is a focus for these special splurges. Spending just a little more on your pasta actually makes a really big difference in the final product, both in flavor and texture. Getting a pasta that has a little rougher surface like bronze-cut pastas will allow your sauce to cling to the noodle a little easier, making your recipe feel more cohesive and fancy.
3. Shred your own cheese
Shredding your own cheese can seem tedious and the pre-shredded bags are easy to pick up. I can’t stress enough how much of a difference shredding your own cheese will make for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese has additives that will cause it to melt differently, and will generally just produce a lower quality flavor and texture for the sauce. For the holidays when we know cheese will be on the menu, we usually head to Sam’s Club and pick up the large bricks of cheese that are a) a great deal and b) really great quality! We then use a food processor with a shred attachment to make quick work of shredding even several cups of cheese. Don’t skip this – it’s worth it!
Forgot the bread crumbs? Crackers will work in a pinch!
I got started assembling all the ingredients to create this beautiful recipe, and I realized I had completely forgotten to get bread crumbs – probably my favorite part! We had some bread that we could have used, but searching the pantry we spotted something else – a sleeve of Carr’s crackers. We decided to try crunched up crackers instead of bread crumbs, as you can see in the photo – and it worked out just great!
This is one of the basic values we want to promote on this blog – cooking is for all of us, and we’re all humans. Just because you don’t have an ingredient doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t create something delicious. Don’t be afraid to improvise!
Show Stopping Smoky Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta (cavatappi or other spiral noodle, we used fusili this time!)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 stick butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 – 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3⁄4 lb smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 1⁄4 lb sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 3/4 cups panko bread crumbs or crushed crackers
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot, cook your pasta to a little less than al dente (a minute or two less than indicated on the package), the pasta will continue cooking a little in the oven.
- Drain pasta and cool under cold running water. Pasta should be slightly firm. Toss drained pasta in oil and reserve.
- Melt one stick butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add your chopped onion and saute for 4 – 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and start to smell really good.
- Add flour and whisk or stir to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flavor, but do not let it brown.
- Add cream, milk, salt and white pepper. Don’t over salt at this point, we’ll taste for salt and adjust when we add the cheese!
- Bring pot to a simmer. Cook until sauce is thick, about 5 – 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and gradually add the shredded cheese to the pot, stirring and allowing to melt before adding more.
- At this point, taste for salt – if more is needed add a 1/4 – 1/2 tsp at a time until it suits your fancy.
- Pour pasta and sauce into a 9 x 12″ baking dish and make sure all noodles are coated with sauce.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the final two tablespoons butter and melt in the microwave. Pour over breadcrumbs and add the chipotle chili powder, mixing until combined.
- Spread breadcrumbs over the pasta and bake for 15 – 20 minute until it begins to brown the breadcrumbs and the mac is bubbly.
Enjoy! Let us know if you try this out!