Mac and cheese is one of everyone’s favorite comfort foods. Add a bit of smoke to your mac and cheese recipe and it will be the most popular dish at your next cookout! That’s creamy and smooth flavor with rich sharp cheddar cheese sauce…works so well with that smokey flavor! It’s one of our favorite dishes to make our on Pit Boss Smoker. Here are a few tips to ensure your mac and cheese comes out perfectly! Table of contents Add in Some Extras (& Amp UP The Flavor!) Cooking Time for Smoked Mac and Cheese What Temperature Should Your Smoker Be? What Should You Cook It In? What to Serve It With Choosing the Wood Pellets What You’ll Need 11 Simple Steps to EPIC Mac and Cheese! Smoked Macaroni And Cheese on a Pit Boss Ingredients Instructions What to Spritz Brisket With (8 Delicious Liquids to Try) How To Smoke Brisket Using a Barrel Smoker. (8 Simple Steps) Pit Boss Smoked Turkey (Just 6 Simple Steps for Juicy Smoked Turkey) What is Oyster Blade Steak? Where it Comes from And How to Cook it Add in Some Extras (& Amp UP The Flavor!) Your favorite mac & cheese recipe can be taken to the NEXT LEVEL by selecting a few add-ins. Some of our favorites include ham, bacon, smoked brisket, pulled chicken, green onions, crispy onions, pulled pork, and chorizo. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Before we added in the green onion, bacon and topped with breadcrumbs Cooking Time for Smoked Mac and Cheese The secret to infusing the mac & cheese with the glorious smoky flavor is to smoke low and slow. Set the pit boss smoker to 220°F, and cook uncovered for about 40-45 minutes or until the crispy panko breadcrumb topping and cheese browns on top. What Temperature Should Your Smoker Be? Keep the smoker temperatures and smoke setting low, as anything over 225 degrees F will overcook the pasta and result in dry mac & cheese. my pit boss vertical pellet smoker in the shed ready for the 4th july party Getting the smoker up to temp! What Should You Cook It In? Use a cast-iron skillet or casserole dish coated with cooking spray rather than disposable aluminum. Not only does it enhance the flavor, but it’s also much more convenient to transfer between stovetop and pellet smoker. Plus, it makes the perfect serving dish. Before we added the breadcrumbs What to Serve It With Serve with roasted tomatoes, zucchini, or eggplant to mix it up from a basic side dish into a hearty vegetarian weeknight meal. Choosing the Wood Pellets Choosing the flavor of wood pellets has a big impact on the end result. The choice of flavor is quite extensive and you can blend your favorite flavor combinations or buy pre-mixed blends to enhance your cook. Flavors like oak or hickory are a great complement for cheese recipes as they have a strong rich flavor, similar to a bacon-type flavor. If you are after something a little more subtle and sweet the delicate flavor of the chips of apple, cherry, or maple wood are a great choice. Added more cheese on top. Now to just add the breadcrumbs and Nearly done, just need to brown the top! What You’ll Need Use your favorite mac and cheese recipe as a base: but here’s what you need to make the cheese sauce: Butter Flour– An all-purpose white flour is good, or a gluten-free flour works just as well Milk– Whole milk is the best as the high fat makes a creamier sauce. Cheese and block of Cream Cheese – a couple of different cheeses enhance the dish. Hot sauce or Dijon mustard Breadcrumb mixture or panko crumbs 11 Simple Steps to EPIC Mac and Cheese! Finished! Step 1: In a pot boil pasta in salted water per package directions. Any type of pasta, such as elbow macaroni noodles or shells, can be used. Drain and mix through a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the cooked pasta from sticking. Set aside. Step 2: Fresh grate the cheese mixture. Freshly grated cheese is preferable to store-bought shredded cheeses, as that tends to clump and be flavorless. Use different cheeses such as cheddar, gouda, Colby jack, mozzarella cheeses for depth of flavor experience. Step 3: Preheat the smoker to 225°F, using your wood chip of choice. Preheating gives a more consistent cook and starts the smoky flavor of wood pellets. Step 4: In a medium saucepan or cast-iron pot, add the cup of butter and melt over medium heat. Combine the flour into butter and cook for a couple of minutes to blend to a smooth thin paste. Slowly add a cup milk, a bit at a time until all added, taking care not to burn. Mix in the dry mustard powder, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste, until completely smooth paste forms. Lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Step 5: Remove the pot from the direct heat and add in the cubed cream cheese, stirring until it melts. Repeat for the shredded cheese blend, until the sauce is a creamy and smooth cheese sauce mixture.Add the cooked macaroni noodles and mix gently, until the pasta is covered in cream cheese sauce mixture. Pour cream sauce over cooked pasta and stir to mix in completely. T Step 6: Top with panko bread crumb mixture, cornflake crumbs, or bread crumbs, and top with an extra cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Place the cast iron pan to the smoker and close it. Cook for 45 minutes at 220° or until the top is browning. Print Recipe Smoked Macaroni And Cheese on a Pit Boss Want to master the gooey, cheesy delight that is smoked mac and cheese? Prep Time10 mins Cook Time55 mins Total Time1 hr 5 mins Course: Appetizer, main, Side Dish Cuisine: American, Barbecue, bbq, dinner, grill, lunch Servings: 6 servings Calories: 485kcal Author: Charlie Cost: 8 Ingredients 8 oz Dry Macaroni Sauce 1/2 cup Butter ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 3 cups Milk 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated 1 1/2 Cup shredded smoked mozzarella 7 Ounce cream cheese cut in cubes Topping (optional) 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs ½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese Green onions Instructions In a pot boil pasta in salted water per package directions. Any type of pasta, such as elbow macaroni noodles or shells, can be used. Drain and mix through a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the cooked pasta from sticking. Set aside. Fresh grate the cheese mixture. Freshly grated cheese is preferable to store-bought shredded cheeses, as that tends to clump and be flavorless. Use different cheeses such as cheddar, gouda, Colby jack, mozzarella cheeses for depth of flavor experience. Preheat the smoker to 225°F, using your wood chip of choice. Preheating gives a more consistent cook and starts the smoky flavor of wood pellets. In a medium saucepan or cast-iron pot, add the cup of butter and melt over medium heat. Combine the flour into butter and cook for a couple of minutes to blend to a smooth thin paste. Slowly add a cup milk, a bit at a time until all added, taking care not to burn. Mix in the dry mustard powder, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste, until completely smooth paste forms. Lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Remove the pot from the direct heat and add in the cubed cream cheese, stirring until it melts. Repeat for the shredded cheese blend, until the sauce is a creamy and smooth cheese sauce mixture.Add the cooked macaroni noodles and mix gently, until the pasta is covered in cream cheese sauce mixture.Pour cream sauce over cooked pasta and stir to mix in completely. Top with panko bread crumb mixture, cornflake crumbs, or bread crumbs, and top with an extra cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Place the cast iron pan to the smoker and close it. Cook for 45 minutes at 220° or until the top is browning. What’s your favorite add-in for mac and cheese? My kids love green onions and pulled pork! Smoke On! Charlie