Smoked Mac and Cheese
Ultra creamy with smoky flavor, this Smoked Mac and Cheese has a crispy, buttery crumb topping and is a hit with everyone! It's the ultimate comfort food and easy to make as well. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make smoked mac and cheese even better. These simple tricks ensure a super creamy sauce, balanced smoke flavor, and perfectly cooked pasta.
Servings: 10
Calories: 659kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta or 12 ounces 100% brown rice gluten free elbows
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp flour or Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free blend
- 4 cups half and half
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic granules or unsalted garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups cheese grated, I use 2 cups sharp white cheddar and 2 cups smoked Gouda
Breadcrumb Topping:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs Panko or gluten-free panko
- 4 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 210ºF and lightly grease a 9"x13" baking dish. Next, on the stovetop make the sauce, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour.
- Pour in half-and-half while whisking. Add the garlic powder, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and pepper. Then bring the mixture to a boil while whisking constantly. The sauce will be much thinner than normal stovetop mac and cheese.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta for about half of the time as the package directions call for. Just before the pasta is done, remove the sauce from the heat and add the cream cheese in small bits. Stir, then let sit 2-3 minutes and stir again to combine.
- When the pasta is done but still very firm, drain it, and pour it immediately into your sauce along with the grated cheese.
- Stir to combine and pour the mac & cheese mixture into your prepared baking dish.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter. Top the mac & cheese with the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan to form the crispy topping. Or top with 1 cup grated cheese as a topping if desired.
- Place the mac & cheese on the smoker away from direct heat. I like to place mine in the portion of the smoker that has medium heat. Don't place it directly over the fire pot unless you are trying to increase the temperature right at the end of the cooking time.
- Smoke the mac and cheese for about 1 hour. Rotate the mac & cheese halfway through the smoking time. When it is beginning to bubble on the edges and the topping is crispy, it's done.
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Notes
If you're struggling to find gluten-free breadcrumbs, you can also top the mac and cheese with 1 cup grated smoked Gouda instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 659kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 894mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1271IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 445mg | Iron: 2mg