Smoked Mac & Cheese

This ultimate comfort food takes creamy homemade macaroni and cheese to the next level with sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and a crisp BBQ-seasoned panko crust. Everything comes together in a cast iron skillet and finishes low and slow on the smoker for incredible flavor.

COOK TEMP

225°F

COOK TIME

1–2 hours

Ingredients

1 lbelbow macaroni noodles

½ cupbutter

4 tbspall-purpose flour

2 cupshalf-and-half

4 ozcream cheese

3 cupssharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated)

1 ½ cupssmoked gouda cheese (freshly grated)

1 cuppanko breadcrumbs

¼ cupbutter, melted

2 tbspyour favorite BBQ rub (I traditionally use Ash Kickin' Honey Chipotle)

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the macaroni noodles al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

Cooking al dente prevents the noodles from turning mushy during the smoking process.

Fire up your pellet or offset smoker to 225°F.

Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet directly over medium heat, melt the ½ cup of butter, then continuously whisk in the all-purpose flour until a smooth, thin paste forms.

Slowly pour in the half-and-half while whisking to avoid lumps, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat. Whisk in the cream cheese until completely smooth, then stir in the sharp cheddar and smoked gouda a handful at a time until fully melted into a rich, creamy sauce.

Turn off the heat and add the cooked macaroni noodles straight into the skillet's cheese sauce, stirring gently until every noodle is thoroughly coated.

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the melted butter, BBQ rub, and panko breadcrumbs, then evenly sprinkle this mixture across the top of the mac and cheese.

Transfer the cast iron skillet into your preheated smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 1 hour.

You can smoke up to 2 hours if you prefer a deeper, heavier wood-fire taste, but 1 hour works best.

Carefully remove the skillet from the smoker and let it rest for 1 to 2 minutes so the sauce settles slightly, then serve warm.

KPC ORIGINAL · KPC