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Smoked Mac And Cheese

Smoked mac and cheese with a deeply smoky three-cheese sauce and a golden, bubbling breadcrumb top. Wood-smoked pasta gets cooked low and slow on a pellet grill-style smoker for an outdoor mac and cheese finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Elbow macaroni
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni Cooked al dente and drained.
Roux base
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter For melting in the skillet.
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour Whisk in with the butter to form the roux (cook 1 minute).
Milk and cream
  • 2 cup whole milk Gradually whisk in until smooth.
  • 1 cup heavy cream Gradually whisk in until smooth.
Cheeses
  • 2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded Stir into the hot sauce off the heat.
  • 1 cup smoked gouda, shredded Stir into the hot sauce off the heat.
  • 1 cup Gruyere or Colby jack, shredded Stir into the hot sauce off the heat.
Seasoning and flavor
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp mustard powder
  • 0.25 Salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.
Topping
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs Toss with melted butter for the crust.
  • 2 tbsp melted butter Melted butter for tossing the panko.
Wood smoke
  • 1 Wood chips: hickory or applewood Use for smoking at 225F.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the smoked cheese sauce
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat until fully liquid, about 1 to 2 minutes, with gentle bubbling around the edges.
  2. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the mixture looks slightly thicker and smells toasty.
  3. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream until smooth, 1 minute, scraping the bottom so no flour lumps remain.
  4. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
  5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and Gruyere or Colby jack until fully melted and smooth.
  6. Season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper, stirring until evenly combined and glossy.
  7. Fold the cooked elbow macaroni into the cheese sauce until every noodle is coated.
Smoke the mac and cheese
  1. Top the mixture with panko breadcrumbs tossed with melted butter, spreading into an even layer for a crisp crust.
  2. Preheat your smoker to 225F, using hickory or applewood, until you see steady smoke rolling.
  3. Place the skillet on the smoker grates and smoke for 60 minutes, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges with wispy smoke.

Notes

Pro tip: when you add the cheeses, keep the skillet off the heat so the sauce stays smooth and doesn’t break. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat covered in a 325F oven until hot and bubbling. Freezing is not recommended for the creamiest texture, but if needed, freeze up to 2 months and reheat gently. For a lighter swap, use half-and-half for part of the heavy cream (still add the same cheese amounts) for a slightly less rich sauce.