Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

I make this macaroni and cheese for family or special occassions. The cheeses can be expensive so it's not something I tend to make just because, but everyone always really loves it so I make it for things like family gatherings or work potlucks. Gotta share the love of gouda.

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. shredded smoked Gouda
3/4 c. grated fresh Parmesan
5 c. coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 c. hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 c. uncooked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in food processor to make coarse crumbs. Melt butter in a large saucepan and add garlic. Cook for a minute or two. Add flour and cook another minute or two, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil, cook until thick (just a few minutes). Add Gouda and Parmesan cheeses, stir until melted. Add spinach and cooked macaroni, stirring until well-blended. Put into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly.

The key to this recipe is to be generous with cheese - I've actually doubled the cheeses from the original recipe because it just didn't taste right. I usually just eyeball the cheeses until the sauce is good and thick and cheesy. I've also omitted green onions because it didn't taste good with the rest of the ingredients.

You can also mix everything up ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake it. Enjoy!