Easy Smoked Mac and Cheese
One of my new favorite ways of making Mac and Cheese is on the smoker. If you have a smoker, smoked Mac and Cheese is the way to go!
After a few successes on my smoker recently, I decided to make this Smoked Mac and Cheese on my Pit Boss Smoker. My family loves my Mac and Cheese recipes so I just had to give this one a shot.
Unlike some of my other mac & cheese recipes, this one doesn’t require making a roux, cook the noodles and melting the cheese ahead of time. Basically you put everything in a disposable aluminum pan and let it smoke for a couple of hours.
The big debate is whether you need to pre-cook the noodles or not. Given the amount of liquid used in this easy-to-make recipe, there is no need to pre-cook the noodles.
I like my noodles to still have a bit of chew to them so this is how the recipe is written. If you prefer a much softer noodle then you could always pre-boil them for about 5 minutes. You may need to experiment a bit with this to get the desired doneness.
For the pasta noodles, you can use whatever kind you want like a classic elbow macaroni but rotini is also a good option as the cheese likes to get into all the nooks & crannies of the noodles.
The same goes for the cheese. I used some of my favorite (and what I had on hand) but you can essentially use whatever kind of cheese you want as long as it melts well.
Velveeta is always an option yet some people really can’t stand the taste of it. To each their own!
I often get asked why add ground mustard to the cheese sauce. Basically the ground mustard makes the cheese “cheesier”.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Smoked Mac and Cheese recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Macaroni, Unsalted Butter, Whole Milk, Heavy Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Colby Jack Cheese, Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup, Ground Dry Mustard, Salt and Pepper.
How to Make Smoked Mac and Cheese
- In a disposable 9 x 13 aluminum pan, add all the ingredients and stir till combined.
- Smoke for 2 hours at 250°F, stirring every 30 minutes or so.
- Check the noodles for doneness after 1.5 hours.
Easy Smoked Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Smoker
- Disposable Aluminum Pan
Ingredients
- 16 oz Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, cubed
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 1 ½ Cups Half and Half
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 8 oz Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
- 10.5 oz Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
- 1 Tbsp Ground Dry Mustard
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a disposable 9 x 13 aluminum pan, add all the ingredients and stir till combined.
- Smoke for 2 hours at 250°F, stirring every 30 minutes or so.
- Check the noodles for doneness after 1.5 hours.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
I just purchased a smoker so decided to make this recipe. It was the best I have ever made. It was so tasty and delicious.