Sides

Smoked Cast Iron Mac & Cheese

  • Preparation
    20 minutes
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Serves
    8 people
  • Difficulty
    5/10
Behind the Recipe

Some Dishes Make You Hungry Just Looking at Them

That’s exactly what’s going to happen when you serve this smoked cast iron mac & cheese to your friends and family–hot off your Pellet grill.

This is so much better than your everyday store bought mac & cheese because this recipe adds an undeniable smoky flavor to the mix. 

We recommend you use cherry, apple or peach wood pellets. They’re milder than other smoking woods like hickory, maple and oak–which is a good thing with a recipe like this one. 

Maybe you’ve heard: When exposed to smoke, soft and wet ingredients (like macaroni noodles) can absorb the wafting flavors much quicker than a thick cut of meat. If you really want to infuse more smoky flavor into your mac and cheese, leave it in your Pellet grill at 110°C.

This smoked cast iron mac & cheese is the perfect recipe for bringing everyone together. Share your photos & reactions with us on Facebook and Instagram.


Ingredients

Ingredients

MAC AND CHEESE 

  • 2 cups of elbow macaroni noodles (cooked according to package instructions)
  • ½ cup of butter (1 stick)
  • 4 tablespoons of flour
  • 1 tablespoon of mustard powder
  • 2 cups of half and half
  • 120 grams of cream cheese
  • 3 cups of cheddar, shredded
  • 1½  cups of gouda, shredded

BREAD CRUMB TOPPING

  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup of butter (½ stick), melted
  • 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika

Preparation

  1. First, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and cook your macaroni noodles until al dente (not too hard & not too soft).
  2. Preheat your smoker grill to a low and steady 110°C. using apple or cherry pellets.
  3. On your stovetop, heat a cast iron skillet over medium. Add ½ cup of butter and melt. Then whisk in 4 tbsp flour until you reach a smooth, thin paste-like consistency. After that, whisk in 1 tbsp mustard powder.
  4. Carefully (try not to splash) add 2 cups of half-and-half. Turn up the heat and bring this mixture to a boil, whisking gently while the temperature rises. 
  5. When you see your cream mixture boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, and whisk in 115 grams of cream cheese until smooth.
  6. Next, add 3 cups of cheddar cheese and 1½  cups of gouda cheese, and whisk firmly until melted. 
  7. Turn off your heat and add the cooked macaroni noodles to your cheese mixture, stirring carefully to coat all the noodles well. 
  8. In a small bowl, make the bread crumb topping: Combine 1 cup of panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup (half stick) of melted butter, 1 tsp cracked black pepper, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and 1 cup of panko bread crumbs. 
  9. Cover the top of your mac and cheese this mixture over the top of your mac and cheese.


Cooking Instructions

  1. 1

    On your Nexgrill App set the cooking method to Smoke at 110°C.

  2. 2

    Once ready place the skillet with mac and cheese into your smoker, and cook for 1 hour.

  3. 3

    Pull from the grill and serve hot!

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