Smoker Baked Mac and Cheese

One dish that we like around here is baked Macaroni and Cheese.  Baking it on the smoker only makes it that much better.  Here is how we make ours.

Boil 2 cups of elbow macaroni.  Boil for 8 minutes, drain, and set aside.

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan.  Then, add 2 heaping tbsp of flour.  Raise the heat to medium and incorporate the flour with the butter, stirring constantly.  Once the flour is brown, your roux is complete.

Slowly add 2 cups of milk to your roux while stirring with a whisk.  Whisk until the lumps are gone.  Then, cook on medium low heat until the mixture thickens slightly.

Turn off the heat and add 2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted.  Then, you can season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add in the cooked macaroni and stir until incorporated.  Then, pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover mixture with 1 cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

While this was going on, I heated the smoker up to 350 F.  Once at temp, I add one hickory split into the ash pan for smoke flavor.  Then, the dish goes into the smoker on the middle rack.  Bake until brown and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes.

For cheese choices, we mix it up.  Sometimes we use co-jack.  Sometimes we use cheddar.  I even add caramelized onion and jalapeno on top for a little kick.  

We love the addition of a little hickory smoke to this dish.  And who doesn't like baked mac and cheese?  Crispy on the top, gooey on the inside.  This is the perfect accompaniment to a pot of beans. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill