Easy One-Pan Smoked Mac And Cheese
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Mac and cheese is one of my go-to barbecue sides.
It’s warm, gooey, and just so satisfying I think we can agree it’s the ultimate comfort food.
But I don’t want to spend all that time fussing around making a traditional bechamel sauce. This is my easy one pan twist that’s all done on the smoker to take the flavor to another level.
Easy Smoked Mac and Cheese
Most mac and cheese recipes require you to make a white sauce (also known as a bechamel sauce), but not this one. This is a one-tray beauty.
I used a foil tray because I like minimal cleanup, but you can use a baking tray or even a cast iron pan if you prefer.
And then you basically just add everything to it. Colby cheese, uncooked pasta, cheddar cheese, butter, and cream cheese.Â
Sprinkle on a liberal coating of your favorite rub, I used Lanes Signature rub, it’s a good all-rounder, but if you want to make your own, check out our recipes here.
Add 6 cups of full cream milk to the tray and you are ready for the smoker, no need to stir it just yet it’s best to wait until the heat softens up all of that cheese.
We’ve got a slightly more in-depth smoked mac and cheese recipe where you smoke the cheese sauce first to develop even more smoke flavor. Definitely check that one out as well.
Smoking the mac and cheese
I used my Traeger Timberline for this cook. Any hooded smoker will do the job so long as you can get the temp up to 300-320°F to melt the cheese.
I used a milder scented wood to smoke with, Bear Mountain Pecan pellets. Cherry would be a good choice as well. Fruit and nut varieties of smoking wood tend to have a milder taste and are not so overbearing and one thing with this recipe is you don’t want to overdo the smoke flavor.
Once you know your temperature is stable, you can add the tray of mac and cheese and leave it alone for 30 minutes. This first 30 minutes is when the cheese will start to soften, and the pasta will absorb the milk.Â
Once the 30 minutes are up, give it a good stir. It should start resembling mac and cheese by now, but it should still be a little runny.
Sprinkle the panko crumbs evenly over the top and pop it back in the smoker for another 30 minutes or until the top is nice and crispy.
Once this is finished cooking, you will have the perfect gooey cheesy consistency that you would expect with any mac and cheese and a nice crunchy crust on top.
Being a classic BBQ side dish, this is what we would serve it with:
Easy Smoked Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 24 oz pasta - macaroni style
- 16 oz Colby cheese - shredded
- 16 oz Cheddar cheese - shredded
- 8 oz cream cheese - cubed
- 4 oz salted butter - cubed
- 6 cups full fat milk
- 3 tbsp BBQ rub - Our sweet and spicy bbq rub would work great
- 7 oz panko crumbs
Instructions
- Get your BBQ up to temp of 300°F to 320°F
- Add the cheeses, pasta, butter, bbq rub and milk to a baking tray. Do not stir at this stage
- Put the tray into the smoker for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, give the mac and cheese a good stir to combine and sprinkle the panko crumbs over the top, smoke for a further 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.
About Your Pitmaster
Joe Clements is the founder and editor-in-chief of Smoked BBQ Source, a leading barbecue resource that has helped tens of millions master grilling and smoking. Growing up in a vegetarian household, his love for barbecue was unexpected. Determined to master the craft, he launched Smoked BBQ Source in 2016 to document his journey from amateur to pitmaster.
Joe leads a team of expert barbecue creators and oversees the largest collection of in-depth grill reviews and a library of tested, foolproof recipes. Whether he’s firing up a pellet grill or charcoal kettle, he’s passionate about making barbecue approachable and enjoyable for all.