Smoked Mac and Cheese
intro
Velvety, cheese-packed elbow pasta infused with warm applewood smoke, topped with crispy paprika breadcrumbs—an iconic, crowd-pleasing Southern American BBQ side.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pasta and smoker
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook 225g dry elbow macaroni for 6 minutes (2 minutes shorter than package al dente directions), then drain and toss with 14g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter to prevent sticking. Preheat your smoker to 107°C (225°F), drain pre-soaked applewood chips, and add them to the smoker’s wood chip box to generate thin, wispy blue smoke.
Make the roux base
Melt 42g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter in a 5.5L cast iron Dutch oven over medium stovetop heat (163°C/325°F). Whisk in 32g all-purpose flour, and cook for 2 full minutes, stirring constantly, until the roux is pale golden and smells nutty, with no raw flour aroma. Gradually whisk in 480ml whole milk, adding 60ml at a time to avoid lumps, then stir in 2g dry mustard powder, 3g garlic powder, 7g kosher salt, and 1g ground black pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.
Combine cheese and pasta
Reduce stovetop heat to low (93°C/200°F). Stir in the softened 113g cream cheese until fully melted and completely smooth, then add 280g (2.5 packed cups) of the shredded sharp cheddar and all 113g shredded smoked gouda. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until all cheese is melted and no lumps remain. Fold in the drained, partially cooked macaroni until every noodle is evenly coated in glossy cheese sauce, then spread the mixture into a flat, even layer in the Dutch oven.
Smoke the mac and cheese
Carefully place the uncovered Dutch oven directly on the preheated 107°C (225°F) smoker grates. Close the smoker lid and smoke for 30 minutes, maintaining a consistent internal smoker temperature, until the edges of the mac and cheese are gently bubbling and the top has a light, smoke-kissed tan hue. Avoid opening the smoker lid unnecessarily to prevent heat and smoke loss.
Add crispy crumb topping
While the mac smokes, melt the remaining 14g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter in a small skillet over low heat, then toss with 60g panko breadcrumbs and 2g smoked paprika until crumbs are evenly coated. After the mac has smoked for 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining 60g (0.5 packed cups) shredded sharp cheddar evenly over the top, followed by the buttered paprika panko mixture. Close the smoker lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the breadcrumb topping is deep golden and crispy, and the cheese layer is fully melted.
Rest and serve warm
Use heat-resistant oven mitts to remove the Dutch oven from the smoker, then let the mac and cheese rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the cheese sauce to set, so portions hold their shape when scooped. Serve warm.
Tips
2.Do not fully cook the pasta before smoking—noodles will continue to cook and absorb cheese sauce during the 45-minute smoke time, so undercooking by 2 minutes prevents mushy, oversoft macaroni.
3.If you do not have a dedicated smoker, you can replicate the smoke flavor using a charcoal grill set up for indirect heat, with drained applewood chips placed directly on the hot coals, maintaining the same 107°C (225°F) cooking temperature.
OMG this smoked mac and cheese was the star of our weekend backyard cookout! I made it for my husband’s birthday BBQ and every single person asked for the recipe. The smoky flavor is so much deeper than regular stovetop mac, and the creamy sauce didn’t separate at all even when I kept it warm in the crockpot for an hour. My kids went back for thirds! Total game changer, will be making this for every potluck from now on.
Really solid recipe! The only hiccup I had was my smoke tube went out halfway through the cook, so I didn’t get as much smoke flavor as I wanted. Also, I used sharp cheddar and a little gouda because that’s what I had in the fridge. Tasted amazing regardless, just wish I’d nailed the smoke part. Any tips for keeping a consistent smoke temp on a smaller charcoal grill?
I made a big batch of this for my weekly meal prep and it held up SO good all week! I was worried the creamy sauce would get grainy when I reheated it in the office microwave, but it was just as smooth as day one. I added a little crispy panko topping on mine before baking for extra crunch, 10/10. Does anyone know if this freezes well? I want to stock a few pans for busy school nights.
Was looking for a fancy-ish mac and cheese to make for my first date night at my apartment, and this knocked it out of the park. My date said it was better than the fancy restaurant mac we got on our first date out lmao. I didn’t have a smoker so I used a little liquid smoke (like 1/4 tsp, don’t overdo it!) and baked it, and it still hit so hard. 10/10, no notes, will make again even when I’m not trying to impress someone.
Tasted great, but the cook time was way longer than I expected for a weeknight dinner! I prepped everything right after work and didn’t end up eating until almost 8, which was way past my toddler’s bedtime. I think next time I’ll pre-make the cheese sauce the night before to cut down on time. Flavor was on point though, that smoky gouda and cheddar mix is unreal.
As someone who smokes meat every weekend, I was skeptical a smoked mac could hold up next to my brisket, but this recipe delivered. I threw it on the smoker for the last 45 minutes of my brisket cook at 225, and it picked up the perfect amount of hickory smoke without getting bitter. My only note is I wish there was a little more sauce — I ended up adding an extra 1/2 cup of half and half because I like my mac extra creamy. Anyone else tweak the sauce ratio?