There are so many many ways to make a fantastic mac & cheese. You can use different types of cheese, different types of pasta and different methods of cooking. To make this Smoked Mac & Cheese, we will use the classic style of mac and cheese and then put it in the smoker to take it up a few notches.
The basic steps for making this mac & cheese are simple. Make rue into a creamy cheese sauce, then add it to cooked pasta. Then you transfer it to a foil 8×8 pan, add more cheese on top and cover with foil. When you place the tray into the smoker and let the cheesy sauce soak up all that smokey flavor, you are going to be thrilled with the final result. This is an excellent side dish for a long smoked meat – like a pork butt, ribs or even a tri-tip. It is so easy to just add the pan to the smoker in the last hours of the cook time.
For this recipe, I kept it basic with medium and sharp cheddar cheese. If you want to take things a step further you can us some gouda, or provolone or mozzarella. Once important thing to note when smoking cheeses is to stay away from funky or stinky cheese. When you smoke those sorts of cheese, they can turn rather bitter or take on an acrid quality that can make the smoky quality overpowering. Using milder cheeses will allow for a smooth smoke flavor.
You will notice in the recipe, it is listed to let the pan rest with the foil on it for several minutes. The purpose for this is to allow the cheese that may have attached to the foil to fall back onto the pasta. This way you don’t lose those extra cheesy bits that really make this side dish. When it comes to what to serve this with, there are lots of things that it will be so good with Most recently, I made this as the side for Smoked Meatloaf and it was such a great combo.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Smoked Mac & Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Smoker
Ingredients
- 1 lb Small Shells Pastas
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
For the Cheese Sauce
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 4 tbsp Flour
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Mustard
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Start water boiling for the pasta. Preheat Smoker to 250degF.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on the package. Drain in a colander and return to pot away from heat.
- In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add butter, onion powder and garlic powder. Once melted whisk in flour. Let cook for two minutes then whisk in milk and let cook for two minutes then whisk in seasonings and cook another two minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and cook another two minutes. Then add in sharp cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, whisking until it's melted in.
- Add cheese sauce to pasta. and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Transfer mac & cheese to a 9×9 smoker safe dish (foil) and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover with a sheet of foil. Place in preheated smoker. Let smoke for 3 hours. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before removing the foil to serve.
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I’ve never thought about smoking Mac and Cheese! I bet that is delicious!! I just posted my husband’s macaroni and cheese recipe yesterday. I bet smoking it would really take it to the next level! The meatloaf sounds amazing too!
That looks incredible!
It tastes incredible too! You gotta try it
This looks and sounds incredible. What a smart idea to put it in the smoker. Pinned. Visiting from SSPS.
This is a must have for sure!