Watch: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Smoked Mac and Cheese

For those who prefer a visual walkthrough, our detailed video guide will walk you through every stage of making this incredible smoked mac and cheese. From preparing your ingredients to the final smoke, follow along to ensure flawless results every time. It’s perfect for both beginner smokers and seasoned pitmasters!

Why This Smoked Mac and Cheese Recipe is the BEST

What truly sets this smoked mac and cheese recipe apart is the depth of flavor you achieve through the smoking process. This isn’t just about melting cheese; it’s about infusing every creamy bite with an unparalleled smoky essence that elevates ordinary mac and cheese into something extraordinary. The slow infusion of smoke, combined with a meticulously chosen blend of cheeses, creates a complex profile that is both comforting and sophisticated. We take it a step further by crumbling savory, freshly smoked bacon right on top, adding a delightful textural contrast and another layer of irresistible smoky flavor. The magic lies in the carefully selected combination of freshly shredded mild cheddar and creamy gouda, which melt together flawlessly to create a rich, smooth, and intensely flavorful cheese sauce. This harmonious blend prevents any graininess, ensuring a truly decadent experience. While it makes an exceptional standalone dish, this smoked mac and cheese is also the perfect companion for heartier meals, particularly a juicy smoked burger, completing a truly memorable barbecue spread.

Essential Ingredients for Smoky Perfection

The foundation of any outstanding mac and cheese lies in its ingredients, and this smoked version is no exception. While the smoking process adds incredible depth, the quality of your components, especially the cheese, is paramount. We’ve hand-picked a selection of ingredients that promise a luxurious texture and a flavor profile that sings with every forkful. Here’s what you’ll need to create this epic smoked mac and cheese, ensuring a memorable dish that stands out from typical recipes:

• Elbow pasta
• Mild cheddar cheese
• Gouda cheese
• Milk (whole milk for best creaminess)
• Sour cream
• Garlic powder
• Butter (unsalted)
• All-purpose flour
• Bacon (thick-cut recommended)

Each ingredient plays a crucial role, from the pasta that soaks up all the cheesy goodness to the bacon that provides that perfect salty, smoky crunch. Don’t skimp on quality – it truly makes a difference in the final product.

The Cheese: Your Secret to Ultimate Creaminess

The cheese is undeniably the star of any mac and cheese, and in our smoked macaroni and cheese, it’s where we truly elevate the game. For the absolute best results, we insist on using a blend of high-quality cheeses. Our preferred combination is a 2:1 ratio of mild cheddar cheese to creamy gouda. This particular pairing offers a fantastic balance: the mild cheddar provides that classic, familiar tang and excellent melt, while the gouda introduces a rich, nutty, and slightly sweet complexity that makes the sauce incredibly smooth and flavorful. If you’re a fan of a stronger, sharper bite, feel free to substitute sharp cheddar for the mild. However, the most critical tip for an unctuous, silky cheese sauce is this: DO NOT use pre-shredded cheese. Pre-packaged shredded cheeses often contain anti-caking agents like cellulose or potato starch, which can prevent them from melting smoothly, resulting in a grainy or clumpy sauce. Taking a few extra minutes to grate fresh blocks of cheese will make an enormous difference in the texture and overall quality of your smoked mac and cheese. For an even deeper smoky profile, consider incorporating blocks of smoked cheeses directly into your blend. Smoked gouda, for instance, can add an incredible layer of flavor that complements the smoke from your grill perfectly. When preparing your cheese, grab a quality cheese grater and grate the cheese using the smaller holes. This allows the cheese to melt faster and more evenly into your béchamel base. Remember, for gouda, always make sure to cut off the rind before shredding to ensure a pure, smooth cheese sauce.

How to Make The Best Smoked Mac and Cheese

Crafting this smoked mac and cheese is an incredibly rewarding process, and utilizing a 12-inch cast iron pan makes the entire experience even better. Cast iron retains heat beautifully and transitions seamlessly from stovetop (or smoker) to table, simplifying cleanup and minimizing the number of dishes you’ll use. While the elbow pasta gets its initial boil indoors, the true magic happens when the rest of the ingredients come together, infused with smoky goodness on your smoker. Follow these detailed steps to create a rich, creamy, and undeniably smoky mac and cheese that will become a staple in your outdoor cooking repertoire.

1. **Prep the Pasta:** In your kitchen, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook for exactly one minute less than the package directions recommend. This crucial step ensures the pasta is al dente and won’t turn mushy during the smoking process, as it will continue to cook and absorb the cheesy sauce in the smoker. Drain the pasta thoroughly and set it aside.
2. **Smoke the Bacon:** Preheat your smoker to 425°F. Lay the bacon strips (we recommend a thick-cut bacon like Wright’s for a better bite and flavor, 3 strips are usually sufficient for crumbling) directly on the grill grates. Smoke for 10-15 minutes, or until the bacon is perfectly crispy to your liking. While the bacon cooks, place your cast iron pan in the smoker to pre-heat. This will help maintain temperature consistency when you start building the sauce. Once cooked, remove the bacon, let it cool slightly, then crumble it into small, enticing pieces. **Important Note for Pellet Smokers:** After cooking the bacon, turn off your pellet smoker completely. If you’re using an offset smoker, lower the temperature to 225°F. Turning off a pellet smoker when the lid is open for mixing prevents drastic temperature spikes when you close it later for the main smoke.
3. **Begin the Roux:** With the cast iron pan still in the smoker (or carefully brought to a stovetop if preferred for better heat control, though keeping it in the smoker is part of the experience!), add the butter and allow it to melt completely. Once melted, stir in the flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes until a smooth paste, or roux, forms and cooks slightly. This roux will thicken your cheese sauce.
4. **Create the Velvety Sauce Base:** Gradually pour in the milk, along with the garlic powder and sour cream (or half-and-half if you’re substituting). Whisk constantly to prevent lumps and ensure a smooth, creamy base. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble gently.
5. **Melt the Cheese:** Add your freshly shredded mild cheddar and gouda cheeses to the thickened milk mixture in the cast iron pan. Stir gently and consistently until all the cheese has melted into a rich, luscious, and thick creamy cheese sauce. Ensure there are no unmelted clumps.
6. **Combine Pasta and Sauce:** Incorporate the pre-cooked elbow pasta into the cheesy sauce. Stir thoroughly, ensuring every piece of pasta is evenly coated with the decadent sauce. The pasta will absorb the flavors beautifully during the final smoke.
7. **Final Smoke:** Turn your smoker temperature to 225°F. Spread the mac and cheese evenly in the cast iron pan. Sprinkle the crumbled smoked bacon generously over the top. Return the pan to the smoker. Smoke for an additional 45 minutes. This low and slow smoke allows the flavors to meld, the sauce to thicken slightly, and the pasta to finish cooking to perfection, all while absorbing that irresistible smoky aroma.
8. **Serve with Caution:** Once smoked, carefully remove the cast iron pan from the smoker. ***CAUTION: Cast iron gets extremely hot! Always use a thick pot holder or heat-resistant gloves when handling.*** Allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. Get ready to indulge in the most ridiculously great-tasting, creamy, and flavorful smoked mac and cheese you’ve ever had. You’ll truly never look at boxed mac and cheese the same way again!

Choosing Your Smoker: Pellet vs. Offset

Achieving that signature smoky flavor for your mac and cheese requires the right equipment. Fortunately, this recipe is versatile and can be prepared successfully on various types of smokers, whether you prefer the convenience of a pellet smoker or the traditional experience of a stick burner (offset smoker).

• **Pellet Smokers:** For ease of use and consistent temperature control, a pellet smoker like the Recteq 590, which I personally enjoy, is an excellent choice. These smokers utilize an electric auger to feed wood pellets into a fire pot, maintaining a precise temperature with minimal effort. They’re fantastic for beginners or anyone looking for a “set it and forget it” smoking experience, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your meal while your mac and cheese slowly absorbs that beautiful smoky aroma.
• **Offset Smokers:** For the purists and seasoned pitmasters, a traditional offset smoker offers a more hands-on approach. Brands like Oklahoma Joe’s are renowned for producing high-quality offset smokers that deliver deep, rich smoky flavors. While they require more attention to maintain consistent temperatures and feed wood, the reward is an unparalleled smoky depth that many find superior. Whichever smoker you choose, both are capable of transforming your mac and cheese into a smoky sensation.

Both smokers produce great smoke and will take this mac and cheese to perfection.

When it comes to wood/pellets, the type you choose will also impact the final flavor profile. For this creamy, cheesy dish, a hickory wood is a classic choice, offering a strong, savory smoke that pairs wonderfully with rich cheese and bacon. Alternatively, a “competition blend” of pellets (often a mix of hickory, maple, and cherry) provides a balanced, versatile smoke that enhances the flavors without overpowering them. Avoid overly strong woods like mesquite unless you’re aiming for a very intense smoke flavor, as it can sometimes be too assertive for the delicate cheese sauce. Experiment with different woods to find your favorite combination for this ultimate smoked macaroni and cheese.

Perfect Pairings: What to Serve with Smoked Mac and Cheese

This incredible smoked mac and cheese is so versatile, it can easily stand alone as a main course or perfectly complement a wide array of BBQ favorites and comfort foods. Its rich, smoky, and creamy profile makes it an ideal side dish for almost any protein-heavy meal. Here are some of our top recommendations for what to serve alongside this ultimate comfort food:

• Juicy Smoked Burgers
• Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
• Smoked Baby Back Ribs
• Coney Island Hot Dogs
• Smoked Baked Beans

Whether you’re planning a full outdoor feast or just a cozy family dinner, this smoked mac and cheese is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser and the perfect accompaniment to your chosen main.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Smoked Mac and Cheese