Learn how to make Smoked Mac and Cheese with these easy to follow instructions. This classic comfort food is creamy, cheesy, and only takes 30 minutes on the grill! It’s the perfect side dish for your next cookout.
When I think of comfort food, I think of mac and cheese. Between the pasta, cream, and cheese, what’s not to love? There are many variations of mac and cheese but this homemade recipe is perfectly balanced and elevated to an entirely new level on the grill. It’s my go to side dish for almost every cookout. Plus, cooking this on the grill keeps my oven from heating the entire house in the summertime!
I know some people don’t have a grill or smoker but don’t worry, I have a couple of tricks you can use to cook this recipe in the oven and still get that smoked taste. By using liquid smoke and smoked cheese, you can add just the right amount of smoky flavor you are looking for. Also, try customizing this recipe by adding in some chopped cooked bacon, pulled pork, or jalapeños.
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Elbow macaroni – other small and similar noodles can be used but this classic is my favorite.
- Unsalted butter – I use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe.
- Cream cheese – Use block style cream cheese and cut it into chunks.
- Cheddar cheese & Gouda cheese – Make sure to use freshly grated cheese. Pre-packaged cheeses are coated with a waxy coating to keep it from sticking together and won’t melt as good.
- Half and half – This is what makes your mac and cheese so incredibly creamy.
- Sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder – These common spices are used in combination to perfectly season the dish.
- Liquid smoke – This is optional. I use this only when I cook the macaroni in the oven instead of on the grill.
- Panko breadcrumbs – Mixed with butter, salt and pepper, this topping adds a great texture to the dish.
What Type of Cheese to Use For Mac and Cheese
For this smoked mac and cheese, I wanted something that is creamy, with a smooth texture but also compliments a smoke flavor really well. After trying a few combinations, cheddar and gouda are the two I decided worked best. Both of these cheeses melt really well and you can usually find smoked variations if you are wanting even more smoke flavor. Another great option to try would be gruyere because it also melts really well.
No matter what type of cheese you use, I can’t emphasize enough that you should use freshly grated cheese over the prepackaged cheeses. They have a coating on the cheese that keeps them from sticking in the bag and won’t melt nearly as good.
Preparing the Mac and Cheese
Before we can smoke our mac and cheese, we must first assemble the pasta, cheese sauce, and bread crumb topping. Start by taking a large pot of water and adding 1 tablespoon of salt to it. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then add the pasta and cook it for about 7 minutes. Once the noodles are al-dente, strain the pasta and set aside.
Next, we will make the cheese sauce in the same pot used for the noodles. Add the butter, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded gouda, half and half, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder to the pan. If you plan to cook this dish in the oven and wish to achieve a smoky flavor, add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke to the pan at this time as well. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and taste the sauce, adding more salt if desired. Mix the pasta into the cheese sauce until it’s well combined. Transfer the mac and cheese into a cast iron skillet that is lightly greased and spread into an even layer.
Lastly, we will prepare a breadcrumb topping to sprinkle over the mac and cheese. In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, panko breadcrumbs, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper. After the ingredients are well combined, sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mac and cheese.
How To Smoke Mac and Cheese
Preheat your grill to 350°F. I prefer using natural lump charcoal but any charcoal, such as briquettes, can be used. Next, I like to add a few pieces of wood to add a little more smoke flavor. I recommend a wood with a light smoke flavor such as pecan or a fruit wood but if you like a strong smoke flavor, hickory would be a great choice. Finally, place the cast iron skillet on the grill and close the lid. Since the pasta and sauce are already prepared, it only takes 30 minutes to cook the mac and cheese.
This is the perfect amount of time for the dish to absorb the smoke flavor and become hot and bubbly. Once the bread crumb topping is golden brown, remove the skillet from the grill and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cooking Tips
- If you want to bake this mac and cheese in the oven, simply follow the grilling instructions and instead of putting it on the grill, place it in an oven preheated to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to add the 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke to get the smoky flavor. I recommend placing a piece of foil under the skillet just in case it bubbles over to make cleanup easier.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a 9 inch square baking dish in your oven.
- If you don’t have any breadcrumbs or prefer not to use them, feel free to leave the breadcrumb topping off.
- If using liquid smoke, be sure to only add 1 teaspoon at a time so you don’t overpower all of the other flavors.
- Try adding in some chopped cooked bacon, pulled pork, or jalapeños to make the smoked mac and cheese even heartier.
- If you want to make this on your smoker, simply heat it to 225°F and let it smoke for 40-45 minutes.
Smoked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
For the Macaroni and Cheese:
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese block style, cut into small chunks
- 16 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 ounces gouda cheese shredded or broken into small chunks
- 2 cups half and half (1 pint; 480 ml)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus extra for salting pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
For the Bread Crumb Topping:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs (70 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the mac and cheese: Preheat the grill to 350°F and grease a 10.25” cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Fill a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the pasta and cook for about 7 minutes, until al-dente. Strain the pasta and set aside.
- To the empty large pot, add the butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, gouda, half and half, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and liquid smoke (if using). Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly thickened.
- Turn off the heat, and mix the pasta into the creamy cheese sauce. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Transfer to the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer.
- To make the breadcrumb topping: Mix the melted butter, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese.
- Place the cast iron skillet on the grill and bake using indirect heat for 30 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Baking in the oven: preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the cast iron skillet on top of a rimmed baking sheet to prevent cheese from bubbling over and burning your oven. Bake the mac and cheese for 30 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Most containers of pasta come in a 16 oz package. That much pasta will be too much for a 10.25” cast iron skillet. If you are not able to purchase a 12 oz portion of noodles, just use ¾ of the contents of a 16 oz container and save the rest for later.
- If you want that smoky flavor in your mac and cheese but are not able to cook it in a smoker, simply add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke to the dish before placing it in the oven.
- Try adding chopped bacon bits, pulled pork, or jalapeños to your recipe for a more hearty meal.