Gouda grief.
 

So, I made this recipe from Cooking Light that would have been awesome... except that the gouda wouldn't melt.
Not for anything.
Oh, I did add some roasted garlic and herb chicken sausage and extra oregano, garlic and basil if anyone wants to try it. The flavors are awesome.
But WHY won't smoked gouda melt?
It drives me crazy. And freaked my boyfriend out. He liked it, but was fixated on the Cheese That Will Not Melt. And insists that it's because I got the "processed cheese product" smoked gouda. Despite the fact that ALL smoked gouda is processed including the slices I got one time that he loved. I asked the Cheese People at Fresh Market.
It's the Cheese That Will Not Melt. ALL cheese melts. :(
Not the portion mixed into the casserole, which rules out the "not enough liquid" question.
Not the part on top, which answered my heat/temperature question.
But, one of our favorite mexican fusion restaurant makes a killer smoked gouda dip.
WHY can't I do it at home?

Is there anyone that has mastered smoked gouda recipes at home?
I LOVE this cheese.

OH wow... my favorite cheese. I've never tried to melt it. I'd be interested in learning the answer to this one.

I'm having trouble figuring out which part didn't melt. I would assume if the whole casserole is heated through, the cheese wouldn't stand a chance. Do you have any pics?

Maybe you can premelt the gouda into a cheesy sauce before adding it to the casserole? easiest way would be to heat some cream or beer or any kind of liquid, add the shredded gouda and mix til it's completely incorporated. It may end up adding too much moisture to the casserole, though.

Well it's interesting that happened to you because if you check on the recipe page in the comments section, you're not the only one that has happened to.

The thing is, Gouda does melt. Only not always as fast as you want it to or how you want it to. I've used it and it melts. Some other people in the comments have mentioned that different brands melt better. They also suggest substituting the smoked Gouda for smoked Cheddar.

Right, I checked out the reviews before I made the recipe.
It did not melt inside the casserole nor on top.
At the end of simmering the sauce, you add the pasta and the cheese.
I added the cheese first then pasta and let it remain on the heat for just a bit, then had it in the 380 degree oven for 20 minutes.
The shredded pieces remained intact and got rubbery on top.
I'm wondering if it may have something to do with lower fat content?
It almost behaved like fat-free cheese.
I tried to make a grilled cheese a few weeks ago with slices and it didn't really melt either.
I was just curious about the smoked gouda because as much as I like smoked cheddar and the like, I was seriously in the mood for some Italian food and the gouda sounded the best.
Oh and I went with the highest quality I could get from the Cheese Counter with all the swank cheeses. :)

From what I've cobbled together from online sources, the lower-fat gouda cheeses require 400 degrees + to melt.

An article I read about fondue in the NYTimes a few weeks back addressed a similar problem with regular Gouda. The author found that using an aged Gouda resulted in the fondue seizing and clumping, whereas Goudas that had not been aged as much melted. I believe the problem Gouda was a cheese that had been aged for 3 years, and the one that worked had been aged less than 2. I wonder how old the smoked Gouda you used was, and if smoked Gouda has the same problem as regular Gouda.

here's a trick:

If it says "cheese food" or "cheese product," it is not real cheese.

Ok, I think i found something relevant. From: http://www.cheesetique.com/Newslette...Newsletter.htm

"Gouda when it's young is an ideal melting cheese. When extra-aged (like out 4-year Beemster) it is intense in flavor and quite crumbly....A harder gouda might not melt as well - better to stick with a mid-aged one."

So it's possible that your gouda was smoked and aged as well, or the smoking process hardens it like aging does. ::shrugs::