Creamy Bacon & Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese Minis

We can all use comfort food right about now, and what is more comforting than homemade Mac & Cheese? I’m using my usual base recipe but upped the flavour by 1000 by adding in bacon and smoked Gouda. The rich nuttiness of the Gouda feels right at this time of year, I wouldn’t do a winter cheese board without it. Now add salty bacon to that smokey cheese… it seems like heaven to me. If bacon isn’t your thing, roasted red peppers, roasted cauliflower or even sautéed garlicky mushrooms would all be amazing substitutions.
Why minis? First of all they are FUN. 90% of my clients choose menus where their guests are able to enjoy single servings.
With COVID still a huge factor and gathering being limited, or even when we can be together again, individually portioned food is also a safe way to serve even if there’s only 4 of you 🙂
Don’t have ramekins? Or maybe you just want a big pan of Mac & Cheese? No worries grab a 9 x 13 pan or your favourite Dutch oven instead.
Check out my article on tips for socially distant entertaining

Creamy Bacon &
Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese Ingredients

The cheese. The nutty flavour of smoked Gouda marries so well with the salty bacon, but you could really use any smoked cheese like a mozzarella or cheddar.

Bacon. You can find lovely double smoked bacon (Side bacon not back bacon) at the deli counter which has a deeper smoked flavour. If you can’t find it go ahead and use regular bacon. I prefer to cook my bacon in the oven because it’s less messy, doesn’t curl up (which makes it easier to chop) and cooks more evenly.

The pasta. Any short cut pasta will work. I love pennette (mini penne) , you could go classic with elbows, shells or ditali.

How to make Creamy Bacon & Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese

This recipe is made up of 3 components:

The pasta. Always slightly undercook your pasta by knocking off a few minutes of the boiling time when making baked pasta dishes.

The cheese sauce. The base of any great Mac & Cheese is béchamel sauce.

The mix ins. In this case, the bacon.

Make it ahead. Each of these components can be made a day in advance. Reheat the sauce and follow recipe for baking instructions.

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Creamy Bacon & Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese Minis

Course Main Course, party appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizers, bacon recipes, baked pasta, casserole, cheese, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, party food

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Bake Time 30

Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

8-10 1 cup Ramekins OR 9 x 13 pan OR 3-4 quart Dutch oven
Parchment Paper
Large Baking Sheet

Ingredients

1 pound (454 gr) short cut pasta (macaroni or pennette)
1 pound bacon
1 shallot finely diced
2 tbsp bacon fat (reserved from bacon)
3 tbsp butter
½ cup flour
4 cups milk
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan
4 cups Smoked Gouda shredded

Instructions

Cook pasta following package directions but cut cooking time by about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

For the Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large pan lined with parchment paper lay all the bacon strips and bake for about 20 minutes, turning the slices over at the ten minute mark. If you prefer the bacon crispier adjust the time to your preference. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel lined tray to absorb the grease. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pan grease.
Chop all of the bacon. Set aside.

For the Cheese Sauce

Sauté shallot in 1 tbsp of butter for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add reserved bacon grease and remaining butter. Once melted add flour and whisk to incorporate with the butter and bacon fat. About 30 seconds
Gradually add milk while whisking until it’s all incorporated. Keep whisking until it starts to bubble around the sides, about 5 minutes. If your sauce isnt really thick don’t worry. Once you add the cheeses it will thicken up. Turn off the heat and add all seasonings, bacon, Parmesan and 3 cups of the shredded Gouda and mix well.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce and combine well.
Grease ramekins or pans with cooking spray and transfer pasta and top with remaining shredded cheese*. If using ramekins, place them on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes*
Let Mac & Cheese rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. If ramekins are too hot to handle place each one on a small plate to serve.