Homemade smoker mac and cheese is full of cheesy goodness and sharp flavors from the combination of cheeses. It’s smoked to perfection, with a crunchy panko topping, making it a simple side dish for any main course meal. and is on the dinner table in one hour.
My favorite thing when it comes to smoker recipes is how extremely easy they are to tend to. The cooking process is low and slow, so you can almost think of it as an outdoor crock pot, just set it and forget it. This smoker mac and cheese is on the table in one hour. The first time I made this easy smoked turkey recipe, I couldn’t believe how juicy it was with the perfect smokey flavor.
Pair smoked macaroni with smoked chicken leg quarters, instant pot corn on the cob, and pull apart garlic bread for a full meal that is pure comfort food and simple to put together.
Jump to:
🧀 Ingredients:
- small elbow macaroni – needs to be cooked before assembling the mac and cheese and smoking.
- salted butter – if using unsalted butter, you will want to add a pinch of salt when you stir in the spices.
- all-purpose flour – our base for making a roux so we can thicken the cheese mixture.
- Spices: smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground mustard powder, black pepper
- evaporated milk – makes the sauce rich and creamy.
- freshly grated cheese – we like to use a half and half blend of white and sharp cheddar cheese.
- Panko bread crumbs – for our crunchy topping.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
Garnish homemade mac and cheese with a dash of paprika and freshly chopped parsley to add some color or sprinkle on some crispy bacon.
Substitutions and Variations
- Types of cheeses – Feel free to use different types of cheese such as Monterey jack, fontina and/or Gruyere, gouda cheese, or Colby Jack.
- Oven baked – if you want to skip out on the pellet smoker, bake for 20-30 minutes at 325 degrees.
- Add Ins – a great option to make a one pan meal is adding in pulled pork shoulder, chicken, or shrimp once the smoke time is up.
- Spicier – add more cayenne pepper or stir in your favorite hot sauce when serving. Pepper jack cheese can also add quite a bit of heat.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the smoker or pellet grill to 225 degrees. Cook the elbow macaroni noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions or until al dente.
Step 1: In a large cast iron skillet or saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the spices and flour for a couple of minutes until it’s slightly golden brown and bubbly.
Step 2: Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk a little bit at a time until the mixture thickens.
Step 3: Add the shredded cheese, stir until melted.
Step 4: Pour in the cooked pasta and give it a good stir so all of the ingredients are coated evenly.
Pro Tip: Mild wood such as apple, cherry, or maple makes the best smoked mac and cheese because it adds smoky flavor without overpowering the dish.
Step 5: Stir the breadcrumbs and the remaining melted butter together in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the mac n cheese.
Step 6: Place the large skillet into the smoker, and smoke for 1 hour.
SERVE: Remove from the smoker, and serve immediately with your main course or add in protein like chicken or shrimp.
Recipe Tips for Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Avoid using pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t melt as well and freshly shredded adds better flavor.
- If you don’t have a cast iron pan, use a disposable foil pan instead.
- For best results do not cook at higher temperatures. This smoker recipe is best at a low temperature for about an hour so the creamy cheese sauce doesn’t dry out.
- Cook longer for a stronger smoke flavor, however, 60 minutes made the perfect side dish for us.
Fun Fact
The process of smoking was first used long ago to make meat safe to eat and store. -Burn Pit BBQ
Recipe FAQs
When stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, you can enjoy it 4-5 days later.
Never turn the heat up past 225 degrees. Low and slow is what keeps mac and cheese creamy. You can also add a water pan next to the dish inside the smoker. Using melty cheeses will help the sauce from getting dry as well; we do not recommend using parmesan.
You can reheat smoked macaroni and cheese just as you would any other kind (microwave, stovetop, or covered with aluminum foil in the oven. Before reheating, I recommend adding a little milk or heavy cream to bring the cream sauce back to life.
More Smoker and Grilling Recipes
If you tried this Smoked Mac and Cheese Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Smoker Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound small elbow macaroni cooked and drained
- 6 tablespoons salted butter divided
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 12- oz. cans evaporated milk
- 16 ounces freshly grated cheese we used 8 oz. white cheddar and 8 oz. sharp cheddar
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F.
- Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. We like using a cast iron skillet that can go directly from the stovetop to the smoker.
- Add the flour and spices.. Stir and cook with a rubber spatula for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and beginning to brown slightly.
- Adding just a little at a time, slowly whisk in the evaporated milk and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Whisk in the cheeses and stir until melted.
- Stir in the cooked macaroni noodles.
- In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (melted). Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the macaroni and cheese.
- Transfer the skillet to the smoker and smoke for 60 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Make this recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @girlinspired1 and follow on Pinterest for more!
Leave A Reply!