Gouda Mac and Cheese
Smoky take on my favorite comfort food. Inspired by Adam Ragusa's recipe (opens in a new tab), using the same food science principles to create a creamy, smoky, and cheesy sauce.
They key is the Sodium Citrate found in the processed American cheese. It's a salt that acts as an emulsifier, allowing the cheese to melt smoothly and evenly into the sauce. It also helps the cheese to stay smooth and creamy as it cools.
Serves 2 as a meal, 8 as a side.
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Elbow Macaroni | 0.5 lbs | |
| Butter | 2 tbsp | |
| Milk | 0.5 cups | |
| Processed American Cheese | 1 cups | This is about 6 slices of cheese. Recommend buying "Deli Deluxe" slices. Store brand is fine. |
| Smoked Shredded Gouda Cheese | 1 cups | Can substitute with any other cheese. I've used cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella. Smoked gouda is my favorite. Do not buy pre-shredded cheese. Pack shredded cheese into measuring cup. |
| Garlic Powder | 2 tsp | Optional. |
| Onion Powder | 1 tsp | Optional. |
Steps
Grate your cheese
Grating your own cheese is important because pre-shredded cheese is coated in a starch to prevent clumping. This starch will prevent the cheese from melting smoothly into the sauce. American Deluxe Deli cheese does not have this starch coating, so it's fine to use pre-sliced.
Boil salted water for noodles
Get a pot of salted water coming to a boil for the noodles.
Cook noodles
Get your noodles cooking in the boiling salted water.
Combine ingredients for cheese sauce
In a cold pot, combine the milk (start with a smaller amount because you can add more later), cheese, sodium citrate (if using), and butter.
Melt cheese sauce
Start melting the cheese sauce on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
Adjust cheese sauce consistency
Once the cheese sauce is totally melted and simmering, consider adding more milk if the sauce looks too thick. Remember, it will thicken as it cools to eating temperature.
Drain noodles
Drain the cooked noodles.
Combine noodles and cheese sauce
Stir the noodles into the cheese sauce.
Add seasonings to taste
Add in any additional seasonings to taste, such as garlic and onion powder.