Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Nothing says comfort food like homemade Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese! The gouda adds a creamy tang while the bacon adds a nice salty, smoked flavor! Try this at your next family dinner!

This mac and cheese recipe was originally published in March 2013. I updated the recipe notes and images in April 2026.

Aimee’s Recipe Notes

This isn’t your normal mac and cheese. I’ve made more pans of mac and cheese than I can count. Weeknight dinners, holidays, potlucks, you name it.

This recipe came from wanting something a little richer and more “grown up,” but still something my whole family would devour.

The recipe is similar to my Ritz mac and cheese recipe that starts with a classic roux-based cheese sauce. Smoked gouda adds a tangy depth, and the bacon adds smoky flavor too!

Let me know if you try this one down in the comments below!

xo,

Ingredient Notes

This recipe is easy to assemble, and I’ll highlight a few of my favorite ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients with measurements.

• Smoked Gouda Cheese – I prefer to buy blocks of cheese and shred it myself. Freshly shredded cheese melts so much better!
• Bacon – Cook the bacon and crumble it before making your mac and cheese.
• Macaroni Elbow Noodles – Feel free to sub other small pasta noodles like penne, bow tie or shells instead.
• Bread – This is a great way to use leftover homemade bread or store bought bread that’s about the go stale. You could use canned breadcrumbs in a pinch too. Crushed Ritz crackers work great too.
• Dry Mustard- Do not use bottled, liquid mustard. The dry mustard enhances the cheese flavor and does not make the sauce taste mustardy!

How to Make Mac and Cheese

Before making the cheese sauce, boil your macaroni according to package directions, drain and set aside. You can do this while cooking the bacon!

• To make the sauce, melt butter in a large pot on the stove, then stir in milk. Sprinkle in flour and whisk while the mixture becomes thick. Keep whisking while you add heavy cream and the seasonings.
• Shred the cheeses in a food processor and add to the pot with the cream sauce. Stir until the cheese is melted and everything is combined.

• Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese mixture.
• Pour the mixture into a 13×9 baking dish.

• Pulse the bread slices in your food processor to make crumbs, then stir in melted butter. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a baking dish and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top along with the cooked bacon crumbles.
• Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes until the bread crumbs are lightly browned.

Tips and Tricks

• Feel free to toss vegetables in with the pasta before baking! Broccoli, peas and mushrooms would all be delicious additions.
• I used a 13 x 9 glass casserole dish for baking the macaroni.
• This recipe can be used for an unbaked macaroni and cheese too! Just skip the baking and the bread crumbs and serve hot!
• Have a vegetarian in your family? Bake the macaroni without the bacon and let everyone add crumbled bacon to their own bowl of mac if desired. Easy solution!

Serve this favorite side dish up with mom’s meatloaf recipe. Or save it for holidays and enjoy with your Thanksgiving turkey.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Easy Dinner Recipes

• Make my easy and delicious Green Bean Casserole to add some extra veggies to your dinner table!
• Try this Sweet Potato Casserole or if you want it extra sweet, then this Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows instead!
• When I think of ‘comfort food’, I think of this Hashbrown Casserole. filled with creamy, cheesy goodness!
• This juicy and tender Barbacoa recipe is always on rotation at my house!
• One of my daughters’ favorite dinners is this Chicken Tetrazzini! So creamy and delicious, I don’t blame her for loving it!

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Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

5 from 3 votes

By: Aimee Shugarman

Nothing says comfort food like homemade Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese! The gouda adds a creamy tang while the bacon adds a nice salty, smoked flavor! Try this at your next family dinner!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 16 ounce elbow macaroni cooked and drained
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 ¼ cup milk
• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ▢ 2 teaspoons worcestershire
• ▢ 1 pound smoked gouda cheese, shredded
• ▢ ½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

For the Topping

• ▢ 5 slices bread about 2 cups crumbs
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons butter melted
• ▢ ½ pound bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions 

• Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Set aside.
• In a large pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add skim milk and bring to near boiling. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle in flour. Whisk vigorously over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Mixture should be thick and boiling.
• Slowly add cream, while whisking. Add in salt, pepper, mustard and worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir for about 5 minutes.
• In food processor, shred Gouda and Cheddar cheese. Add to pot, stir until thoroughly combined.
• Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture. Pour into a 13×9 baking dish.
• In same food processor bowl (no need to wash it after shredding the cheese), process 5 slices of bread to a fine crumb. Add melted butter. Sprinkle over macaroni. Top with crumbled bacon.
• Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.ENJOY!

Notes

• Feel free to toss vegetables in with the pasta before baking! Broccoli, peas and mushrooms would all be delicious additions.
• You can substitute store bought bread crumbs if preferred. Combine with melted butter before adding to the pan as directed. Or use Ritz crackers.
• This recipe can be used for an unbaked macaroni and cheese too! Just skip the bread crumbs and serve hot!
• Have a vegetarian in your family? Bake the macaroni without the bacon and let everyone add crumbled bacon to their own bowl of mac if desired. Easy solution!
• See blog post for more tips and tricks as well as step-by-step photos.

Nutrition

Calories: 581kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 1116mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Easy Side Dishes

Roasted Corn Salad

Portillo’s Chopped Salad

Layered Chicken Taco Salad

Italian Grinder Salad

I’ve never met a cheese lover who would turn down a helping or two of this Gouda Bacon Macaroni & Cheese! Warning: There’s a good chance this will become YOUR new favorite Mac n Cheese recipe!