Smoked Mac And Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is one of the world’s great dishes that is loved by young and old (especially my son Jaxon). But not everyone knows how amazing smoked mac and cheese is. If you try this recipe, I promise you’ll be one of the believers.

It makes sense when you think about it. Smoked cheese is everywhere. Heck, even smoked cream cheese is a viral sensation. What we need though, is the ooey gooey comfort factor. That’s where this dish shines.

How To Make The Best Smoked Mac And Cheese

If you’ve never made a cheese sauce from scratch, it can seem a bit daunting at first, but it’s actually a lot of fun!

Making a roux? Eek! And what the heck is a bechamel?

Relax, we’re talking 3 ingredients here….butter, flour, and milk. See? Easy cheesy.

There’s a few things we need to consider if we want the absolute best smoked macaroni and cheese, and they are equally important.

Flavor

It’s all about the cheese here and we’ve got an all-star lineup in this recipe including cheddar, gruyere, and American. American cheese is our wild card, but there’s a reason why many famous chefs declare it to be the only acceptable option for a classic cheeseburger.

It melts better than any other cheese, it’s delicious, and it screams comfort…which is exactly what we’re after. Pro tip…it also contains sodium citrate which will help all the cheeses get nice and melty.

You’ll want to get this from the deli counter. White or yellow are both fine. You’ll need about 1/2 a pound.

Rounding out the flavors are some key additions like mustard powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, hot sauce, and a touch of nutmeg.

Texture

There’s a good chance you’ve had baked mac and cheese that tasted ok, but it was rubbery, tough, and unpleasant to eat.

That is NOT what you’ll get here.

We’re going creamy all the way…except for an amazing crispy topping for more flavor and a bit of crunch.

Smoke

A little smoke adds an amazing depth of flavor to an already stellar dish. On the other hand, too much smoke can easily ruin your meal. For this dish I use a very small amount of mild wood like apple, cherry, or pecan.

Tips For Making Smoked Mac And Cheese

• Since we are going for a creamy style mac and cheese, we’ll want to cook at a relatively low temperature. Anything between 250 °F and 300 °F is fine.
• Grate your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese in a bag is ok sometimes, but not when the cheese is the star of the show. The bagged stuff has anti-caking agents that affect the meltiness.
• To make sure our pasta is perfectly done, we will under cook it by one minute per the directions and then it will finish cooking on the smoker. We’ll also rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Our mac and cheese will seem a little too saucy at first, but this is so it doesn’t dry out on the smoker. If all goes to plan, the final result will be perfectly melty and the noodles will be just right.
• This recipe can be customized with any number of add-ins if you like. Some options are lobster, bacon, or smoked brisket to name a few. Feel free to get creative!

My family loves mac and cheese on Thanksgiving alongside my smoked turkey and when we’re doing traditional BBQ like ultimate party ribs.

Can I Make This Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! To make ahead, prepare the recipe per the instructions but don’t put it on the smoker.

If you’re going to transport it, you may want to use a half-size disposable foil pan instead of cast iron just for convenience.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the fridge for up to two days. Before smoking, let it sit out for 30-60 minutes.

Note: this recipe is designed to cook and eat right away. Making ahead could cause the dish to lose a bit of it’s creamy texture. If you think that is happening, stir in a bit of extra milk or half and half during cooking.

Smoked Mac And Cheese

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: The Kettle Guy
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

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Description

This smoked mac and cheese is creamy, cheesy, and delicious with a hint of smoke and a little crunch factor. I use three cheeses including one that might surprise you. You’ve GOT to try this. 

This recipe (minus the smoke) works GREAT in the oven also, but check out the step by step video below to see how I make it on my Weber Kettle Grill. Let me know if you have any questions.

Important: If using a smoker or adding wood smoke on the grill, please see the notes below. If you need help with using indirect heat, check out my guide here https://www.thekettleguy.com/5-methods-for-two-zone-grilling-on-a-weber-kettle/

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
• 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, divided (1.5 sticks)
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 2 cups Half and Half, warmed to room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk, warmed to room temperature
• 3 cups Medium Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated (or sharp if you prefer)
• 2 cups Gruyere Cheese, freshly grated
• 2 cups Yellow or White American Cheese, freshly grated (1/2 lb) see note 1
• 2 Teaspoons Mustard Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Table Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce (Frank’s, Texas Pete, etc.)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 20 Ritz Style Crackers, lightly crushed
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

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Instructions

Preheat your grill, smoker, or oven to 275 °F. See note 2

1. Cook the pasta per the package directions, but boil for one less minute than called for. It will finish cooking in the pan. When finished, drain well and rinse with cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Set the pasta aside for later
2. To make the topping, melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and crushed Ritz crackers. Stir frequently and toast until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the hot pan to avoid burning from residual heat. Set aside.
3. In a large frying pan, melt 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) on medium high heat. Once melted, begin whisking in 1/2 cup flour a little at a time, until all the flour has been incorporated. It should have the consistency of a thin pancake batter
4. Begin whisking in the half and half and milk a little at a time until all the dairy has been well incorporated
5. Begin whisking in the cheddar, American, and gruyere cheese a little at a time until all the cheese is melted and well incorporated. The sauce will get thicker as more cheese gets melted in
6. Whisk in the mustard powder, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, nutmeg, and hot sauce
7. Give the macaroni a light mixing to get it unstuck and then add it to the cheese sauce. Mix well. See note 3 
8. Add the mac and cheese to a 12 inch cast iron pan or other oven-safe dish. (a disposable foil pan works also). Cook at 275 °F for 15 minutes on the indirect heat side. See note 4 (important)
9. Stir and cook for 15 more minutes
10. After the mac and cheese has been cooking for 30 minutes, stir one last time and spread the topping evenly over the top. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Notes

1. You’ll want to get the American cheese from the deli counter. You can have them cut you a half pound block or slices work too.
2. Any temperature between 250 and 300 is fine, but I think 275 is perfect. If using a smoker, or adding wood smoke, please see note 4
3. After adding the cheese sauce to the pasta, it will seem too saucy. Don’t worry, it will tighten up during cooking. The end result is super creamy and not runny. 
4. About the smoke– I can’t stress enough how important it is to not over smoke this dish, which is easy to do because wet, sticky foods, attract the most smoke. A little is great…but if you’re not careful it could easily get out of hand. On my Weber Kettle, I only add a small chunk of wood about the size of one or two fingers. 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Appetizers
• Method: Smoking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: varies
• Calories: 745
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 467mg
• Fat: 46g
• Saturated Fat: 32g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 26g
• Cholesterol: 135mg