Cheesy, creamy, and packed with bold smoky flavor, our Smoked Mac and Cheese is guaranteed to become a family favorite. It pairs perfectly with pulled pork or beef ribs and disappears faster than you can say “pass the spoon.”
It’s the kind of mac n cheese that will elevate your status to grill master at your next cookout!
Imagine transforming a simple bowl of macaroni into a smoky, bubbling dish of pure comfort food, with the creamy cheese sauce and a deep smoke flavor hugging every bite.
Macaroni and cheese has been a staple in American kitchens for generations, but the smoked version takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness!
With a golden, toasty topping and layers of creamy cheese underneath, it’s comfort food with a barbecue twist.
Whether it’s a summer cookout or a chilly fall evening, it’s the kind of dish that brings people back for seconds… and thirds.
Ingredients to Make Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
Gather the ingredients needed to make our Smoked Macaroni and Cheese recipe. Culinary professionals call this the Mise en Place, which means “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients helps speed up the cooking process and ensures you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely! We made the recipe with smoked Gouda and sharp cheddar, but you can use Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or even pepper Jack if you want a little kick.
For a creamier sauce, replace some of the shredded cheese with cream cheese or sour cream. It adds richness without much effort.
If you like heat, add a dash or two of hot sauce to the dish, and to amp up the smoky flavor, try a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
How to Make Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F and set it up for indirect heat.
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package until just al dente – don’t overcook, they’ll finish in the smoker.
- Drain the pasta and set it aside until needed.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter.
- Add the all-purpose flour to the pan.
- Stir the mixture to form a roux, cooking it for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste (don’t let it brown).
- Whisk in the room temperature whole milk and heavy cream slowly, making sure the mixture is smooth.
- Add garlic powder, dry mustard, table salt, and black pepper.
- Stir well and bring it just to the edge of a boil.
- Lower the heat and begin adding the cheese. Start with the Velveeta, then stir in the shredded sharp cheddar, Gouda, and Havarti.
- Stir until everything is fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
*Add cherry wood chips (or your preferred wood) to the smoke tube or tray.
- Add the cooked macaroni to a foil pan or a large cast-iron skillet. Then pour half the cheese sauce over the pasta. Stir gently to coat.
- Pour the remaining cheese sauce evenly over the top – no need to mix it in.
- Place the pan of mac and cheese in the preheated smoker and smoke uncovered for 1 hour.
- Remove the pan, stir the mac n cheese gently, and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.
- If you want a bolder smoke flavor, add more wood chips now and return it to the smoker for another 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the smoker and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
If you’re planning your next grill event, add our Smoked Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Homemade Coleslaw for a full-on feast.
Or keep it simple with a big spoon and a smile. Our smoked mac’ n cheese never disappoints.
After one bite of that creamy, smoky, bubbling cheese sauce, you’ll be wondering why you ever settled for stovetop mac’ n cheese. It’s the kind of dish that earns applause at family dinners and gets devoured at backyard cookouts.
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container or well-sealed with plastic wrap for 3-4 days.
To reheat, add a splash of milk and gently warm it in a saucepan over low heat, or microwave in short bursts, stirring between each burst.
It does freeze well, either in individual portions or the whole pan. Freeze without the breadcrumbs, adding them before reheating.
When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat at 300°F until warmed through.
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until bubbly, then broil the top for a little extra crisp. You’ll miss the smoke flavor, but it’ll still be ridiculously good.
While elbow macaroni is the classic, other shapes like cavatappi, shells, or rotini work great too. Just stick with something that holds sauce well and cooks to al dente.
Yes! Assemble it all the way up to the smoking step, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to a day. When cooking from cold, just add a few extra minutes to the smoker.
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Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 8 oz gouda -shredded or colby
- 8 oz Havarti -shredded or Monterey Jack
- 8 oz sharp cheddar -shredded
- 8 oz velveeta -cut into cubes or American cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1 ½ cups whole milk room temperature
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon table salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta to al dente per instructions on the box. Don't overcook the pasta, they will continue to cook in the smoker.
- Drain the pasta and set aside until needed.
- Add the unsalted butter to a saucepan over medium heat until it has melted.
- Add the all-purpose flour to the melted butter. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes to cook the raw taste out of the flour. This is the roux, don’t let it get dark.
- Add the room temperature milk and heavy cream to the roux, whisk to combine.
- Add the seasonings to the pan. Stir to combine, then heat the sauce until it’s almost boiling.
- Slowly add the cheese to the sauce, starting with the Velveeta and then the rest of the cheese. Continue stirring until all the cheese has melted.
- Place the cooked elbows in a foil pan or large cast iron skillet and pour half of the cheese sauce over the pasta.
- Stir the cheese sauce into the pasta, then pour the remaining cheese sauce over the elbows.
- Place your favorite wood chips into the smoke tube. For this recipe we used cherry wood chips.
- Place the pan of mac and cheese in the preheated smoker and cook for one hour.
- Remove the pan from the smoker, stir the mac and cheese, and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.*For extra smoke flavor add more wood chips to the smoker tube at this time.
- Remove from the smoker and serve.
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