Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 lb package short pasta, penne, elbow macaroni, etc I used large macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
- 5 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 8- oz block sharp or regular white cheddar cheese, grated and divided (about 2 cups)
- 8- oz block smoked Gouda cheese, grated and divided (about 2 cups)
- 4- oz medium cheddar cheese, grated and divided ( about 1 cup)
- 4 oz regular Gouda cheese, grated and divided (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained
Instructions
- Cook the pasta about 7-8 minutes in boiling salted water, remove when pasta is al dente. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Continue whisking and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisking constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in salt, black pepper and most of the cheese, reserving about two cups of cheese. Stir in the fresh spinach and sun dried tomatoes. Remove from heat.
- Pour the pasta in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Spoon the cheese sauce over the pasta.Using a large spoon, evenly distribute the sauce without stirring.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of assorted cheeses.
- Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven, let sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe is easy to half. I halved this recipe, and baked it in a 8 inch casserole. Perfect! -You may use any combo of cheeses in this recipe, I would not suggest using more than 2 cups of smoked Gouda, the flavor is very distinct, and 2 cups of smoked Gouda goes a long way :)