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How to smoke a creamy, cheesy, and bacon....y mac and cheese. Let's be honest, this dish goes well with EVERYTHING! I love pairing this smoked mac and cheese pasta with a good burger. Let's boil some water and roll some smoke...
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Video - Step by step
This recipe is the BEST
The extra flavor you get from this smoked mac and cheese is next level stuff guys. The smoked bacon crumbled on top also gives this cheesy goodness a nice smoky bite.
The combination of freshly shredded cheddar cheese and gouda mixes perfectly together is packed with great flavor!
Smokers
This smoked mac and cheese can be made in either a pellet smoker or a traditional stick burner (offset smoker).
- I have a Recteq 590 pellet smoker and really like the ease of use. Load these with wood pellets and the temperature is held consistent with an electric auger feeding the fire.
- Some die hard smoking guys would never part from their traditional offset smokers. Oklahoma Joe's makes a great smoker.
Both smokers produce great smoke and will take this mac and cheese to perfection. When it comes to wood/pellets, a hickory wood or competition blend would go great with this macaroni and cheese. Both can normally be found at your local hardware store.
Grill
Don't have a smoker yet but still want that extra flavor to your mac n cheese? This can totally be made in a charcoal grill or propane grill. Make sure if using a charcoal grill that it is big enough to fit the cast iron pan WITH the grill lid on.
The Cheese
What makes this macaroni and cheese the best is the cheese. If you want great mac, you need GREAT cheese. This is why I use a blend of mild cheddar cheese and gouda cheese at a 2:1 ratio.
Buy blocks of cheddar and gouda, do not buy pre-shredded cheese as it contains additives that will prevent it from melting together as well. Using a cheese grater, grate the cheese on the small holes of the grater.
*Note - Make sure to cut the rind off of the gouda cheese before shredding.
Once you have 3 cups of mild cheddar cheese and 1.5 cups of gouda cheese, you can eat any remaining cheese. It's almost impossible not to eat some chunks of cheese while doing this!
Making the mac and cheese
Making this mac and cheese recipe in a 12" cast iron pan makes it an easy cleanup and less dishes. The pasta will need to be boiled separately, but there is something satisfying about making everything else on the smoker.
- Boil the water in the kitchen, cook elbow macaroni 1 minute less than the package recommends and drain. You don't want to cook it all the way, it will finish cooking in the smoker.
- Smoke the bacon directly on the grill racks at 425°F for 10-15 minutes until done. Turn off smoker (if using a pellet smoker or lower temp to 225°F if using an offset smoker) Let the bacon cool and crumble into small pieces. Make sure the cast iron pan is in the smoker while cooking the bacon so it can pre-heat.
- Add butter to cast iron skillet and heat several minutes until melted.
- Stir flour and seasoning in to the melted butter.
- Pour in milk and sour cream; stir until thickened and bubbling.
- Add shredded cheese to the mixture and stir until it's a thick creamy cheese sauce.
- Mix in the pre-cooked pasta and mix thoroughly.
- Turn on smoker to 225°F and top pan with crumbled bacon.
- Smoke for 45 minutes and serve.
- ***CAUTION*** Make sure to use a pot holder when handling the cast iron pan!
This Mac N' Cheese pairs great with:
FAQ
A mild cheddar, gouda, gruyere, pepper jack, & colby jack are the most popular
Yes & No. You can, but it won't turn out as well. Those cheeses have additives that prevent them from melting together very well. It's better to just shred your own. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Yes! You can totally mix everything together in the kitchen in pans and then transfer to a baking pan for smoking.
Old pro tips
- Use a thick cut bacon like Wrights. It gives a great bite with the soft macaroni.
- Don't wash your cast iron pan with dish soap when cleaning up. Simply use hot water and a sponge.
- You can substitute half and half instead of sour cream if needed.
- Add 2 diced jalapenos for a little spice!
- Turning off the pellet smoker instead of just lowering the temperature while mixing the ingredients in the cast iron will stop the smoker from trying to maintain temp with the top open. This will prevent a temperature spike when smoking for the final 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow pasta
- 3 cups mild cheddar
- 1.5 cups gouda cheese
- 3 cups milk (whole)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup butter
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 3 strips bacon (cooked and crumbled)
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook pasta 1 minute less than recommended time on package. Strain and set aside
- Pre-heat smoker to 425°F and cook bacon for 10-15 minutes until done directly on smoker grate. Make sure cast iron pan is in smoker to pre-heat as well.
- Turn off pellet smoker or lower temperature to 225°F in offset smoker.
- Add butter to the pan and allow to melt. Once melted, stir in flour and whisk around until no clumps.
- Pour in milk, garlic powder, and sour cream and mix until thickened and bubbling.
- Add cheese and mix until a thick cheesy sauce is achieved.
- Mix in cooked pasta and cook thoroughly.
- Turn on smoker to 225°F and top the pan of mac and cheese with the crumbled bacon.
- Smoke for 45 minutes and serve.
Pro Tips
- Use a thick cut bacon like Wrights. It gives a great bite with the soft macaroni.
- Don't wash your cast iron pan with dish soap when cleaning up. Simply use hot water and a sponge.
- You can substitute half and half instead of sour cream if needed.
- Add 2 diced jalapenos for a little spice!
- Turning off the pellet smoker instead of just lowering the temperature while mixing the ingredients in the cast iron will stop the smoker from trying to maintain temp with the top open. This will prevent a temperature spike when smoking for the final 45 minutes.
Nutrition
Wow! I love this idea of smoking a family favorite of mac 'n cheese. I can tell it would totally rock. And I totally agree with you about shredded cheese. It'll work, but will never be as good!!
I can't get enough of this smoked mac and cheese! It is so delicious and so creamy! That smoke flavor is out of this world.
This is heaven.
Creamy, yummy cheese pasta with bacon. What not to like? Fabulous recipe and look forward to making it for my family
This Smoked Mac and Cheese surely made me satisfied!
Creamy cheese pasta and bacon for a fantastic recipe! Sure to be a favorite!
This is definitely a recipe I am saving to make asap. It sounds and looks divine and since I have a smoker I must give this beauty a try! I am drooling already.