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One key thing I was missing in my diet was a sufficient amount of carbs. I thought, well, I'll just cut the fats and carbs out of my diet, up the protein, and boom, I should see great results...wrong. Didn't gain a single pound of fat/muscle in 2 months. Now I go on mini bulking sessions (high fats, high carbs, high protein) followed by mini cutting sessions (no fats, medium carbs, high protein). Gained 18 pounds (of mostly muscle) in two months, from 168 to 186 (I'm 6'5"). Personally, I have an extremely fast metabolism, so I can take in the extra fats and burn them right off while weight training. Only downside of being so tall is that a pound of muscle doesn't look the same on me as it would on a 5'6" guy.
Gaining weight, like others have said, is simple. Eat a surplus of calories. But, that is only part of the equation. You'll simply get fat if you eat a surplus of uncontrolled calories. My recommendation is to up the fats you normally take in by just a bit (maybe throw in a peanut butter sandwich or two a day), up the carbs a pretty good amount (I'd say about 10-15% more than protein of your total macronutrients that day--good carb sources are rice, pasta, veggies, etc.), and get about 1g of protein/1# of body weight.
For me personally, I take in 50g of fat a day, 250g of carbs (300g on workout days), and 240g of protein (high because of the meals I take in). This is giving me the best results, without gaining a huge gut.
It takes time to gain weight and muscle. No doubt about it. Like others have said, stick to compound exercises. Focus on accessory muscles if you see a muscle group lagging behind. Compound exercises should be the foundation of your workout plans. Give your body the best chance possible to gain (maximize your potential for growth) by shocking the hell out of it through high intensity, low rep exercises (5x5 is a good plan), and eat right. Figure out your macronutrients for workout/non-workout days (i.e., fat, carb, and protein intake) and make sure you are hitting them. The body can only metabolize ~30-35g of protein per every couple of hours. Split up your meals. Rest days are KEY. Prepare your body for the work ahead. You starve yourself at night while sleeping, so get complex carbs in the morning (oatmeal). Simple carbs after your workout (rice) to replace the glycogen lost in the body from a workout. Protein before and after.
MOST IMPORTANT THING- Don't complicate things! This isn't rocket science. Eat more to gain weight, eat less to lose weight. If your body craves certain foods occasionally, eat them (as long as it isn't like a packet of Skittles).
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