The best baked gouda mac and cheese is a gourmet side dish or entrée that’s so creamy and full of rich nutty flavor! Gouda macaroni is sure to become a family favorite and is so much better than the boxed stuff.
Preheat oven to 375℉. Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare pasta al dente.
Saute butter, shallots, garlic and ham over medium-low heat.
Add cream and bring to a boil.
Whisk in truffle oil, salt, pepper, and gouda.
Strain pasta, reserving a half cup of pasta water. Stir pasta into sauce using pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.
Optional: If you'd like, add cooked peas at this point.
Add cheddar to the mixture, pour into a 9x13 baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
Notes
Optional: Add strained, cooked peas before baking.
To keep the grocery costs to a minimum, I get the ham and smoked Gouda from the deli counter so I only purchase what I need.
Elbow macaroni is traditional in mac and cheese, but use whatever you’d like! I would avoid spaghetti or linguine for this gouda mac n cheese, but shells or campanelle work beautifully. You want a pasta shape that catches and keeps all of that cheesy goodness!
If you are making the mac and cheese ahead of time and refrigerating before baking, add a touch of cream and increase baking time to 20 minutes to heat all the way through.
Store the truffle oil in a cool, dark place to ensure it stays fresh for longer.