Smoked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Smoked Mac & Cheese Recipe – 2 Tablespoons Butter – 2 Tablespoons Flour – 2 Cups Heavy Cream – 1LB. Extra Sharp Cheddar (shredded) – ½LB. Monterey Jack (shredded) – 1-2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce – 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning – 1 Cup Mayo – 1 Cup Sour Cream – 12oz Elbow Macaroni Noodles – 1/2 Cup Panko – 12oz Thin Sliced Bacon Get your smoker up to 350 degrees and allow to stabilize for 15 – 20 minutes. Or Prepare pasta (al dente) according to package directions and set aside. Grate both cheeses and set aside. smoked mac & cheese Cook bacon until crispy (we suggest placing bacon on a baking sheet and placing in a 400 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes. You want the bacon to be crispy and not limp). Immediately remove bacon from baking sheet and allow to drain on a paper towel. Finely chop bacon with food processor and set aside. In saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour over medium heat. Cook until the roux starts smelling a little nutty. At that point, add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and stir until sauce thickens. Add an additional 1/2 cup of heavy cream and stir for 1-2 minutes and then add final 1 cup of heavy cream and stir until sauce is smooth and thick. Add grated cheese to sauce slowly stirring until the cheese is blended and sauce is smooth and creamy. Add 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce (depending on the heat level you desire) and the All Purpose seasoning. smoked mac & cheese Mix together pasta, sauce, mayo and sour cream and pour into a smoker-safe dish. If possible, use a 13-inch cast iron skillet – and make sure it has been oil, seasoned or sprayed with a good non-stick spray. Be sure not to over-fill. smoked mac & cheese recipe Mix ½ cup of panko with chopped bacon. Top mac & cheese with panko/bacon mixture To smoke the mac & cheese, place the skillet in your 350 degree smoker for 1 hour (or until mac & cheese becomes hot and bubbly). Make sure to check halfway through the cooking time because smokers and grills will vary. If mac & cheese is getting too dark, you can always cover with foil and continue cooking. smoked mac & cheese recipe If a darker crust is desired for mac & cheese, place skillet in oven, under the broiler, 4 inches from the heat, until the top is golden and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately. smoked mac & cheese recipe Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Find me on Google+ Follow me on Instagram Buy Killer Hogs Products Here

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125 responses to “Smoked Mac & Cheese Recipe”

  1. tim says:

    How do you cook a beef roast.
    Do you cook it the same way as a pork roast.

  2. josh says:

    Malcom,
    I love the sight of this recipe and am going to try it this weekend for my family. I’m going to have a bone in turkey breast in at about 300 until done so I wanted to add this as well on my second rack (uds smoker). Do you think it would cook ok at 300 and if so how long? Thanks and keep up the good work.

    • Shaun says:

      I do it with ribs all the time for 2 hours at 225⁰F. I’m sure 300⁰ would be fine. I would allow an extra 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it after the 1 hour mark.

  3. Tim says:

    The bacon Mac and Cheese is ridiculous. Made a pan today with done ribs and brisket done in my MES and everything turned out great but the Mac almost took the whole show!

    • Craig Richmond says:

      Hi Malcom, Just cured some fresh pork steaks and was going smoke them on my BGE. Didn’t know the temp and timing. Going to serve it with your Mac & Cheese for the Patriots game. (everywhere I go its the same thing. Can you bring Mac & Cheese). Was hoping you could help out us northern boys. Thanks, Craig

    • Dave lane says:

      What type of wood did you use when smoking Mac and cheese?

      • Malcom Reed says:

        a mild wood – like a fruit wood

      • Tommy Ray says:

        I can not wait to make this Mac & Cheese. It looks like it will have to be
        really yummy! I love mac & Cheese. As a kid we used to have that on Friday.
        Lean Fridays when there more charges for kerosene than paying customers.
        Also lots of depression food. Both my Mom and Dad lived through it.
        My Dad started his 1 truck oil business in 1935, right smack in the depression.

    • Roland Levercom says:

      Love to print the recipe but I dont see a print button

    • Russell wilbanks says:

      How many does this recipe serve?

    • Skylar says:

      I made it in the oven and it was sooooo good. I put chipotle sauce in it.

  4. Harley says:

    Followed recipe closely. Was a little too rich for me. Next time less bacon. Maybe cut out some of the cream? Just sayin.

  5. Ted Kaczmarski says:

    Malcom, I want to double this recipe for Thanksgiving using a 7Q Lodge dutch oven. Would you recommend doing that? If so, how long would you cook it for?

    • Malcom Reed says:

      Not sure, but I would guess at least 45 minutes more – you might need to let it go in the smoker and then transfer it to the oven to finish if the smoker isn’t giving you an even cook to finish it out.

  6. ben says:

    What kind of wood do you reco for the mac and cheese? BTW i friggen love your site. ive made about 4 things so far from it. Keep it up. I would love to see more sides on here to make with the smoked meats.

    • Malcom Reed says:

      A mild wood works best – apple or cherry

      • Juan P says:

        Hey Malcom , I’m learning so much from you . I really appreciate all you do for the BBQ enthusiasts. I made your Mac n cheese and a 12hr slow smoked pork should , and your mac n cheese recipe stole the show ! I smoked it with apple wood and it knocked the socks off everyone. I have family members giving me money to by the ingredients to make the food !
        Thanks , Juan

  7. Carolyn E Aspenson says:

    Hi,
    Just discovered you via a friend on Facebook. I am going to try the mac and cheese and was wondering if I could smoke it the same time I do babyback ribs and if so what temp? Keep the good recipes coming. We just started smoking and are loving it!

  8. Pat says:

    How many chunks of wood would you reccomend when smoking the mac & Cheese? Planning on bringing this to my folks house on Christmas day. If I make it a few hours a head of time think it will be ok to re-heat ? Thanks! Love your site!

  9. Jay says:

    Malcom,

    This was a hit with the company I had over. I was asked to make it again this weekend. Have you tried different cheese blends? Also, when you make yours do you find it to be really oily when done?

    Thanks again and keep up the great work!!

  10. Zack says:

    Thanks Malcolm,

    Looking forward to making this for about 40 people next weekend. Would you prepare this differently in an aluminum disposable pan than you would in a cast iron?

  11. Carrie Levesque says:

    Can the mac and cheese be done in the oven? I do not have a smoker.
    Thanks,
    Carrie

  12. Jack says:

    Hey Malcom could I put everything together the night before then throw it on the smoker the next day for the smoked Mac and cheese?

  13. Kasy Allen says:

    This recipe is my heart song! Since we’ve discovered it, we’ve probably shared it with half the community and they’ve all asked for the recipe. Amazing job Malcom, such a great recipe!

  14. John Fogle says:

    can this Recipe be cooked in a Master built electric smoker

  15. Randy says:

    I just brought your Mac and Cheese (added a touch of Gouda as well) to a Christmas party. I was shocked to see two other people bring Mac and Cheese. After tasting mine (yours) they wished they hadn’t brought theirs! The host was gluten intolerant and made an exception anyway, when I was leaving and there was a little left she sheepishly asked if she could have it! A smashing success, Thank YOU Malcom!

    • Richard says:

      I have made your smoked mac and cheese recipe many many times, I will admit I have taken some artistic license with the cheeses and spices but nothing to dramatic. The compliments I’ve gotten are a tribute to you. I’ve made this at our fire station and have been asked repeatedly for the recipe , this mac and cheese is incredible.

  16. mark says:

    hey malcom i gonna try the mac and cheese is there a way to print the recipes on this sight?

  17. Todd Carter says:

    I’ve been making this since you put out this video. It is a request from my family for get togethers. This time I’m going to try making the roux using the bacon fat. Would be great if you had printable recipes. I love the site and send everyone here when they are looking for bbq know how.

  18. Clinton says:

    This dish is outstanding,my family requests this on all holidays,great job!

  19. Rob says:

    I made this for the first time today. Made it then put it in the oven (off) covered in foil and dug in about 2 hours later. It was still warm but the noodles were kinda hard. Think this is due to letting it cool in the oven or maybe the type of noodles?

  20. Malcolm

    Thank you for the recipe!!!
    I made this two weeks ago. I altered the recipe to my taste since I don’t care for sharp cheddar. I used Colby, cream cheese, and Monterey Jack! My wife said smoked mac and cheese don’t even sound good! We had some company over, my wife and friends tore my spare ribs up. They were amazed by the mac and cheese. Needless to say, all the mac and cheese was gone! I wrote down the recipe as was altered for myself and my friends! I gave them some of the water that was used with the ribs to be used as liquid smoke to add sparingly in the mac and cheese becase they don’t have a smoker and told them to just bake it in their oven! Thanks again!!! I have another tray of it in the fridge till the morning, it goes in the smoker with cherry and hickory pellets. I made up enough for 4 trays and froze the other three. Greatest mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten!

  21. J. says:

    Made this yesterday on y BGE. Forgot to add the sour cream & mayo, still turned out great! But I’ll won’t be forgetting those again.

  22. Adrian says:

    Made this twice, used gluten free noodles and smoked it for 4 hours stirring every 20-30 minutes and then added the toppings. Killer!!! … Love the pork belly burnt ends btw

  23. Seth says:

    I know liquid smoke doesn’t hit the spot quite the same, but since I don’t have a smoker and will be doing this in the oven can I use some, if so which would you recommend Malcolm

  24. Smitty says:

    Brought this mac and cheese to Thanksgiving with 20+ people and every side dish you could imagine fighting for plate space. The cast iron pan was cleaned out!

  25. Eddie Nutt says:

    I have made several of your recipes so far, this is my favorite! It is the best Mac and cheese that I have ever made or eaten. Everyone in my family ate it but some of them don’t like sour cream or mayo. I am planning on making it again over Christmas, if I leave the sour cream and mayo out, do you recommend adding anything in their place to keep it creamy? Thanks for the awesome website. It is my go to site for all things BBQ.

  26. Claudia says:

    How many does this feed?

  27. Jenn says:

    Have been making this recipe for over a year now and haven’t changed anything! This recipe is now a must for all family party’s!! Everyone absolutely loves it… I am going to be adding lobster and Gruyere to it this time around and am sure it will turn out amazing! Thanks so much for this recipe it is the best smoked Mac and cheese that we have ever had!!

  28. Ben says:

    Just as everyone else is saying, this is amazing! Gave it a try today and it was the star of the meal. Thanks for sharing and I have now added your site to my list for great BBQ recipes.

  29. Greg Quinn says:

    Malcolm, the problem I have with this recipe, is that it’s so damn good it gets more compliments than my BBQ does. I guess I’m just gonna have to up my BBQ game then.

  30. Cathy says:

    Great recipe that we have made several times and have shared of course. My question is if I make it the evening before and smoke the following day, how would you store it in the frig overnight? Seems the cast iron may make it taste like metal if I store it in the skillet overnight. Your thoughts?

    • Malcom Reed says:

      I wouldn’t use cast iron for storage – it can ruin your cast iron as well. But you can mix it up and store it in anything, then add it to a cast iron pot for cooking.

  31. Ryan Lewis says:

    How many does this feed?

  32. Brian says:

    Did you on smoke indirect heat or direct heat on smoker? Doing it on a gas grill

  33. corinne rayne says:

    This is so amazingly good. Thanks for another outstanding recipe.

  34. Brian Wiggs says:

    Made this again. This time added a little smoked Gouda. It was the Bomb. Thanks Malcom and keep up the good work

  35. Brian Wiggs says:

    Made this again but added some smoked Gouda. It is the Bomb. Thanks Malcom and keep up the good work.

      • Lisa says:

        I don’t have a smoker. I want to take this recipe and change it a tad by using a smoked cheese to add the “smoke” flavor I live in Md so I would like to add some Maryland blue crab meat and old bay. Is there a particular cheese/cheese combo you could suggest to help me add that “smoke” I’m looking for but would also pair well with the crab and old bay? I’m thinking I can replace the all purpose seasoning w the old bay. I’m going to do this for New Years. I need a smoker! Maybe suggest a smoker for a beginner? Thanks!!!

  36. Mike says:

    Does this recipe double easy and can I cook it in aluminum tray with same result?

  37. Karen Pennings says:

    First smoked Mac and Cheese recipe I’ve attempted at home. Best I’ve ever had. No need to try others. Anyone wondering about altering this recipe is nuts. It is perfect just the way it is. Great Job and thanks so much for putting it out there.

    • Greg Quinn says:

      I agree Karen, I’ve played around with the cheese ratios, and this has got it just right.

      The only thing I change from time to time is the type and amount of hot sauce I put in.
      Generally one needs to keep it subtle so the smoke in the cheese sauce can stand out.

  38. Jacob Silacci says:

    How much does it serve?

  39. William Downs says:

    I cooked this mac and cheese on my Shirley stick burner and it was outstanding. I will definitely do again. Thanks for the great recipe, Malcolm and Happy Holidays.

  40. DL says:

    All I have to say is Trust the Recipe. I thought there was too much sauce and not enough macaroni when I was mixing the two together. Boy, was I wrong… Follow the recipe. Malcolm hit a home run with this one!

  41. DL says:

    All I have to say is Trust the Recipe. I thought there was too much sauce and not enough macaroni when I was mixing the two together. Boy, was I wrong… Follow the recipe. Malcolm hit a home run with this one!!

  42. Sarah says:

    When do you add the all purpose seasoning? I made the recipe and realized I still had one ingredient left on my counter. The all purpose seasoning. At what point do you add that in?

  43. Ken says:

    Malcom,

    Thanks for this great recipe. I love Mac-n-cheese but never made one anywhere near as tasty as this on. While not wanting to sound ungrateful, could you please update this recipe with the option to print. My whole family wants it.

    Thanks

  44. Jerry says:

    I have made the Mac and cheese several times and the cheese sauce is like a cheese ball and I have to thin it out not sure why?
    Thoughts?

  45. Patrick says:

    It’s good but waaaaay too oily. Not sure what happened.

  46. Bill Stevens says:

    Malcom, This smoked macaroni and cheese recipe is the best, were making it for the second time today. Thank you!

  47. Richard Duvall says:

    Malcom,

    Do you think it would be overkill on flavor if you used smoked cheese in the recipe? I saw your cold smoked cheese video. Thought these could be combined. Just worried about over smoked flavor!

  48. Beau says:

    Dumb question… do you boil the noodles first? Or do they just cook in the sauce on the smoker?

  49. Graham says:

    I’ve seen a few comments up above that making the roux wrong will cause the sauce to break.

    Does this mean it breaks BEFORE adding the macaroni, or if the roux is not done perfect it will break in the smoker?

    We had it in an amazing creamy consistency. It felt pretty close to perfect. Added the mayo, sour cream, noodles and got it smoking. When we took it off the sauce had broke.

    Is that from the roux and sauce not being cooked enough prior to going on the smoker, despite them feeling smooth?

  50. Jeff Thorne says:

    Great recipe! My family loves this every time we do a pork butt we make it !

  51. Janene says:

    Could you please tell me what the All Pupose Seasoning is?

  52. Jaci Brown says:

    Dude! Here in 2020. Someone made this recipe at a party. I HARRASSED them until they forked it over. Made it tonight for the family in the oven bc we don’t have a smoker. Dude! It’s amazing. Keep cooking!

  53. chris says:

    can i use the already grated cheese in packages or should i get the block cheese and grate it?

  54. Kevin says:

    Can’t wait to try this recipe. This may be a stupid question but why is the smokestack turned down on your pellet grill?

  55. Kirk Olson says:

    Cooking dilemma – I am making this for thanksgiving along with your Turkey- since they are cooked at 2 diff temperatures (275 and 350) can I fudge on the Mac and Cook it at 275 for 90 minutes instead of 60 or do you feel it will be to Smokey from the extended time? Thank you

    • Malcom Reed says:

      You could do it that way – you can always cover the Mac and cheese with foil if it starts getting too dark or smokey. Or You can cook the turkey and pull it off to let it rest for 30 minutes – and crank your cooker up to get the Mac and cheese done.

  56. Dennis Thompson says:

    I make this at every holiday and then some. Finally had to tell my three grown boys where I get most of my recipes. Making mac and cheese any your turkey breast today. Keep it up

  57. William Hampton says:

    This mac and cheese recipe has become a Thanksgiving tradition at our house. I’d be in trouble if I didn’t make it. I’m thankful for your expertise, Malcolm. So glad you give away your awesome recipes for free! Happy Thanksgiving

  58. Bob Kircher says:

    Malcom
    I have used several of your recopies and also use your products. I know I won’t get the answer by tomorrow so I’m winning it but. If I’m smoking your pork but at 250 and the baked mac and cheese calls for 350, can I just cook the mac longer at 250 in the same smoker?
    Thanks
    Bob

    • Bob Kircher says:

      Same question. This time want to do the smoked mac and cheese (350) for about and hour and this time your smoked prime rib at 275 for about 3 hours. Any suggestions?

  59. Brad says:

    Made your smoked Mac n cheese with leftover brisket instead of bacon…..best Mac n cheese I’ve ever made hands down and I’ve been trying for a long time to get that one perfect bite…..thanks bub

  60. Justin says:

    The flavor was amazing, but it was an oily mess on the bottom. Any ideas how to avoid that? 

    Thanks!

  61. Jim says:

    Love the mac & cheese recipe, its a hit everywhere I take it but, wondering if there is a way to drain or cut down on the oil that it creates?

  62. Evelyn says:

    Wow! This was a fantastic recipe. I wasn’t sure what to expect based on the Mayo and sour cream. But man, best creamy rich Mac and cheese we have made to date. The family demolished the pan.

  63. Jacob Neves says:

    Hey Malcolm. I absolutely love this recipe I’ve used it at least a dozen times already. I have substituted bacon for Chourico or Chourizo (ground). I smoke half the chourico and mix it into the Mac and cheese. Then I put more on top with panko. SO AWESOME! Thanks for all the wisdom you share!

  64. TIMOTHY MCGLASHON says:

    I done the recipe 1/2 dozen times and EVERYONE loves it. Once I found Malcolm I look no where else for smoking and BBQ recipes. He explains the recipe and process very well.

  65. Jonathan says:

    Making this tonight along with your pork belly burnt ends. Also was excited to find a local place to grab your, the bbq rub, the bbq sauce and vinegar sauce.

    Got my first smoker 3 years ago and pretty much just learned how to do stuff right from watching your videos and trying your recipes. The Korean barbecue ribs are one of our family favorites!

  66. Just says:

    Need to make a printable version of this recipe! Love it!

  67. Justin creamer says:

    If I wanted to put this Macandcheese
    I with rubs at 250 would that be ok and if so how long. I’m assuming till Bubbly thanks for the help

  68. Melissa says:

    I don’t have a smoker ???? what would be the oven temp and time to cook in the oven?

  69. Shawn says:

    Would it be possible to make it ahead of time and smoke the next day?

  70. Russell says:

    The only thing I have changed since my first cook in 2018, is adding 4 to 5 jalapeños. It also reheats in a microwave really good.

    Since I started using this recipe I haven’t cooked a box of kraft mac & cheese in 4 years

    It great for my fantasy football drafts. One of my friends will smoke a brisket.

    Also try his spicy jalapeño skillet dip, & fireball pineapple.

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