Smoked Mac and Cheese
Super cheesy and extra creamy with the perfect amount of smokey flavor and a crispy cheese top! This smoked mac and cheese is ridiculously good, and made with a combination of cheeses to create the ultimate cheese sauce. It's super easy to make, and the perfect side dish for summer BBQs or holiday dinners.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 649kcal
Ingredients
- ½ pound elbow pasta
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese freshly grated
- 2 cups cheddar cheese freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F using a mild hardwood, such as cherry, apple or maple.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and salt. Cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and let cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk and half and half while whisking until smooth. Simmer, while continuing to whisk often, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the Monterey Jack, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg until combined and smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cast iron skillet with the cheese sauce and mix to combine. Sprinkle the top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Place the skillet on the smoker and close the lid. While keeping the smoker at a steady 225 degrees F, smoke the mac and cheese for 1 hour or up to 2 hours for a stronger smoke flavor.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top.
- Note: transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish if your skillet isn't oven safe.
Notes
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use any pot to make the cheese sauce, then transfer the cheese sauce and pasta to a disposable aluminum baking dish for smoking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 649kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 1495mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1201IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 644mg | Iron: 1mg
