Stovetop Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

Welcome to the outset always Crazy Cooking Challenge! I'm thrilled to travel participating inwards this challenge, hosted yesteryear as well as the brain-child of Tina at Mom's Crazy Cooking.

What's the Challenge, you lot ask? Well, allow me tell ya.

Crazy Cooking Challenge is a grouping of nutrient bloggers getting together once a month to convey you one featured nutrient item for each month. We volition all brand this ane item, but, of course, we will each acquire far inwards our ain exceptional way. Because that's what nosotros exercise best! - nosotros set our ain personal spin on the materials nosotros make. Sound fun? I intend so!

So await for us to ship service our Challenge on the seventh of each month. And outset upwardly - which you lot in all probability already figured out yesteryear the photograph at the start of this ship service - is macaroni and cheese! Ahhhhhh, ane of my favorites.

Now, the rules of The Challenge are that we can't merely brand our ain personal recipe favorite, or a recipe that we have posted before. We are to make a new-to-us recipe, or to purpose a new-to-us method, found somewhere out in blog-land.

When I learned that our outset challenge was macaroni as well as cheese, I straight off idea of a macaroni and cheese recipe posted yesteryear ane of my favorite bloggers, Nicole at Simple Stovetop Macaroni as well as Cheese.

I was drawn to this item recipe for 3 reasons:

1. It was made yesteryear Nicole. I beloved reading her blog.
2. It was made on the stovetop instead of baked, similar I unremarkably do.
3. Nicole used Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, made yesteryear Cabot Creamery inwards Cabot, Vermont. I grew upwardly twenty minutes from Cabot Creamery as well as am a loyal fan. After moving to North Carolina, I initially had Cabot cheese shipped to me. Fortunately, it is at nowadays readily available throughout the expanse therefore I no longer conduct to ship. Yay!

Given my beloved of Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, you lot volition uncovering it real ironic, then, that ane of the modifications I made to this recipe is to purpose Smoked Gouda instead of the cheddar. That doesn't hateful I don't beloved the original! I do beloved it!!! And highly recommend it. I merely wanted to effort a dissimilar twist. And the Smoked Gouda version is fab, also ... If I exercise nation therefore myself.

The other change I made to the master copy recipe is to purpose cavatappi pasta instead of elbow macaroni. Cavatappi is a fun twisty-shaped pasta. See inwards the film below? Doesn't it await fun?

Fun & twisty cavatappi

So, whether you lot select to acquire amongst the original cheddar-based recipe or this Smoked Gouda version, I intend you're inwards for a treat! I know I sure enjoyed both versions!

(By the means ... I made this bowl dorsum inwards my pottery-throwing days. I'll acquire dorsum to pottery someday... someday.)

Stovetop Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

Source: Adapted from Heat Oven to 350

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients

xiv oz. cavatappi pasta (or elbow macaroni)

1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. flour
ii c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
iv oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
iv oz. shredded smoked gouda cheese

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, convey H2O to a boil as well as develop pasta according to bundle directions.

2. While H2O is coming to a boil for the pasta, melt butter inwards a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour as well as whisk together. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Slowly add together milk, merely a chip at a time, whisking good later on each add-on until the milk is incorporated. Cook as well as stir mixture until it thickens, most 4-5 minutes. Remove milk mixture from oestrus as well as stir inwards cheeses until melted.

4. Drain pasta as well as toss amongst cheese sauce. Season to gustation amongst additional salt, if needed.

Enjoy!