2Mix all of your spices (garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper) together in a small bowl and set it aside.
3Grate all of your cheeses (smoked or regular Gouda, Monterey or Colby Jack, mozzarella, and sharp white cheddar) and set them aside.
4In a large pot, melt the butter.
5Add in half of the seasoning mixture.
6Add in the minced garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant.
7Make a roux by mixing in the flour a little bit at a time.
8Slowly add in the evaporated milk and heavy cream to the pot.
9Continue to cook until the mixture is thick.
10Add in the remaining seasonings: salt, ground pepper, and Dijon mustard.
11Stir in the cream cheese.
12Add only half of the freshly grated cheeses.
13Keep stirring everything together until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and thick.
14Add in your cooked al dente noodles into the cheese sauce and mix everything together.
15Pour half of the pasta into your casserole dish.
16Layer in the remaining half of the grated cheeses.
17Top it off with the rest of the pasta.
18Sprinkle the rest of the cheeses right on top.
19Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
20Broil for the last 5 minutes to get a golden crust.
Ingredients
1 lb corkscrew or shell pasta
3 tbsp unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp flour
12 oz evaporated milk
0.5 cup half and half
2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp cream cheese, softened
0.5 lb smoked or regular Gouda, freshly shredded
0.5 lb Monterey or Colby Jack, freshly shredded
1 lb mozzarella, freshly shredded
7 oz sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
0.5 tbsp dijon mustard
Salt
pepper
Equipment
small bowlgraterlarge potwhiskspatulacasserole dishoven
Tips
For the cheese, grating them fresh will yield a better result.
You can use soy sauce instead of Dijon mustard for an umami taste.