One-Pot Gouda Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is supposed to be cheesy, easy and the epitome of comfort food. And yes, boxed mac and cheese does all that…but I truly believe that a good homemade mac and cheese is ALWAYS better. The Cheddar cheese and gouda cheese are combined to make this easy weeknight dinner ultra creamy! This easy gouda mac and cheese is ready in under 30 minutes and perfect as a holiday side or a weeknight main dish. This is a gluten free mac and cheese since I used gluten free pasta and gluten free breadcrumbs.

If you love this Gouda Mac and Cheese for an easy weeknight dinner recipe, you’ll also love my gluten free mac and cheese with béchamel sauce and my one pan gluten free pasta bake.

why you’ll love this gluten free Gouda Mac and Cheese

• Cleanup is SUPER simple. I use a pot to boil the noodles and then use the same pot make the creamy cheese sauce!
• The best part of this recipe is that there is no need for super expensive cheese! I just buy the ones that I like the best, or honesty the ones that are on sale!
• It’s surprisingly easy to make gouda mac and cheese from scratch. I know the boxed mix sounds easier but this doesn’t take much longer! Honestly, after making this I never want to go back to the boxed kind again!
• This Gouda Mac and Cheese makes for the perfect comfort food dinner, and also makes for a great side dish! I love bringing this to a holiday party or potluck because no one ever knows it is actually gluten free! So basically I get to safely enjoy it!
• The best part about this recipe is that it is a one pan meal…which means only one pan to make it and only one pan to clean up! My ideal situation since I absolutely hate doing dishes.
• This recipe is allergy friendly. You can use gluten free pasta like I did for gluten free mac and cheese. You can use dairy free cheese, butter and milk for an easy dairy free recipe!
• This Gouda Mac and Cheese an easy freezer friendly meal, which means it is a great option for a meal prep lunches or dinners! I love to have it ready to go when I need to just pull a dinner out of the freezer and heat it up quick.

ingredients & substitutions

Gluten free pasta: I use gluten free pasta to make this a gluten free mac and cheese. I love using brown rice or a rice based pasta. To me they hold up better with the cheese sauce! That being said, if you have another pasta at home you like that woud work just as well! I most often buy the jovial brand or the brown rice pasta from trader joes!

Cheese: I used cheddar cheese and gouda cheese in this Gouda Mac and Cheese recipe. I like to use shredded cheese because it melts faster. You can buy shredded cheese or buy a cheese block and shred it yourself. You can dice it up into cubes as well, it will just take longer to melt. Any cheese that melts well works in this recipe so honestly if another cheese is on sale, use that! For a dairy free recipe use dairy free cheese.

Breadcrumbs: I used gluten free breadcrumbs on top to make sure this was a gluten free mac and cheese.

Milk: I used oat milk here because it is what I keep stocked in my pantry. Any milk will work in this Gouda Mac and Cheese. The creamier the better! If you are making the dairy free recipe make sure to use dairy free milk.

directions

Step 1

Cook the pasta according to box directions. Remove and set aside.

Step 2

Add pumpkin and milk to the same pan.

Step 3

Whisk together the gluten free flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Step 4

Add to milk mixture. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until flour starts to clump a bit.

Step 5

Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Step 6

Remove the pot from heat and gradually add the shredded cheeses, whisking in between additions until the cheese melts each time.

Step 7

Pour over pasta. Top with breadcrumbs and extra cheese.

Step 8

Add the Gouda Mac and Cheese to the oven for 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are browned.

expert tips & tricks

I love adding protein to this gluten free mac and cheese! Crispy buffalo chicken or savory chicken sausage work so well in this recipe! I love apple maple flavor chicken sausage and that would make a perfect fall inspired gouda mac and cheese!

You can add any vegetables you want to this mac and cheese. I love adding broccoli! That is my favorite, but peas, peppers or onions work great too! Caramelized french onions would be so delicious in this recipe!

serving, storing and meal prepping the Gouda Mac and Cheese

This Gouda Mac and Cheese can be served as a side dish at a holiday meal, it can also be an easy weeknigh dinner or a meal prep and frozen for when you need an easy freeer meal. I like to serve it hot right out of the oven for the freshest taste, but it is easy to warm up leftovers too!

To store, I let the gluten free mac and cheese cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to four days.

For longer storage, I love to portion the Gouda Mac and Cheese into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months.

To meal prep into individual portions, divide the gluten free mac and cheese into separate containers. These individual portions are my favorite for great grab-and-go lunches or quick dinners during the week.

Looking for more allergy friendly easy recipe?

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