This is a delicious Smoked Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe that can be made on any smoker (I obviously prefer the Big Green Egg). This recipe started from Hey Grill Hey in which was tweaked to better please my personal taste buds (and hopefully yours).
This creamy Mac and Cheese recipe is topped with Panko breadcrumbs that are spiced with Cow Lick from Dizzy Pig. You just can’t go wrong with it if you are in the mood for a good homemade Mac and Cheese!
Big Green Egg Settings and Temperature for Mac and Cheese?
Before cooking the creamy Mac and Cheese, I find it best to fire up the Big Green Egg. This will allow you to get it fired up and dialed into about 225 degrees. The smoked mac and cheese is a direct cook directly on the grate in a cast iron skillet.
Big Green Egg Daisy Wheel Settings to achieve 225 degrees.
Big Green Egg Draft door setting to achieve 225 degrees.
The Big Green egg is now dialed into about 225 degrees and ready for the Mac and Cheese.
I personally use the Tappecue thermometer for anything I smoke. The biggest selling point for me is that it is Wi-Fi. The temperatures display right on my phone, iPad and even apple watch which allows me to monitor temperatures at the store or even while swimming!
One other thing I love about this device is that you can set min. and max temps for each probe as well. So, if the chamber drops too low or gets too high it will tell you to check your meat.
Same with the internal temperature of the meat. You’ll never overcook anything again. It is highly recommended if you are in the market for one.
How to Make the Breading for the Big Green Egg Smoked Mac and Cheese?
Ingredients for the Big Green Egg Smoked Mac and Cheese
- 4 Tablespoon / Half a stick – Butter
- 1 Cup – Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon – Cow Lick Rub from Dizzy Pig (other equal rubs would probably suffice, this is just preferred).
Take 4 Tablespoons of butter, put it in a bowl and microwave 10-20 seconds until melted.
Once the butter is melted, add one cup of Panko Breadcrumbs.
Followed by 1 Tablespoon of Cow Lick rub from Dizzy Pig.
Mix all the butter, Panko bread crumbs and Cow Lick Seasoning together and set aside for later.
How to Make the Smoked Mac and Cheese for the Big Green Egg?
Smoked Mac and Cheese Ingredients:
- 16 Ounces / 1 LB Elbow Noodles
- 8 Tablespoons / Full Stick – Butter
- 4 Tablespoons – Flour
- 1 Tablespoon – Mustard Powder
- 2 Cups – Half and Half
- 5 Ounces – Cream Cheese
- 16 Ounces / 2 Packages – Mild Cheddar
- 8 Ounce – Muenster Cheese
- 12″ Cast Iron Skillet
Start out by bringing a pot of water to boil. Once boiling add the elbow noodles. The noodles should be cooked 95% of the way with just a little crunch remaining but not quite cooked all the way as they will continue to cook on the Big Green Egg (or smoker of choice).
This will usually take about 7-8 minutes. Once complete pull from the heat and set the noodles aside for later.
In a cast iron skillet, melt a full stick of butter (8 Tablespoons).
I also highly recommend a cast iron skillet for this cook as it does a great job distributing the heat evenly. It also allows you to prep everything in one pan which can be moved right to the Big Green Egg (or any smoker) eliminating dishes.
Add 4 Tablespoons of flour and immediately mix in.
Once the flour is mixed in add the Tablespoon (1) of ground mustard powder and mix in immediately.
You should now have a consistency like this.
Proceed with adding 2 cups of half and half while continuing to stir.
Next add 5 ounces of cream cheese and I’m sure you’ve guessed it…continue to stir it in until you have one consistent sauce.
Now it is time to start adding the cheese.
Start by adding the 16 ounces / 2 bags of mild cheddar cheese.
Followed by 8 ounces of Muenster cheese. This is usually hard to find shredded so I’d recommend picking up a clever cutter which comes in handy all the time for things like blocked cheese, peppers, potatoes, vegetables and even cutting the kids sandwiches.
Stir in cheese until completely melted and everything is blended in together.
Once melted and blended together add the cooked elbows into the cheese sauce.
Gently stir the noodles into the sauce.
Once complete, remove the Mac and Cheese from the heat and prep the Panko breaded mixture for the top. Simply flatten everything down to a level layer.
Evenly sprinkle the Panko breading mixture over the top of the Mac and Cheese in preparation to be smoked on the Big Green Egg.
How to Make Smoked Mac and Cheese on the Big Green Egg?
Your egg should already be dialed into about 225 degrees. At this point I recommend adding a couple chunks of apple wood to give it more of a lightly smoked flavor.
Place the cast iron skillet with the Mac and Cheese directly on the grate for a direct cook. Cook for 45 mins to an hour and a half. At this point you are just trying to get the smoke into the cook and finish the noodles off.
Once the noodles are cooked all the way simply pull the Mac and Cheese and enjoy!
Plated Smoked Mac and Cheese on the Big Green Egg!
Smoked Mac and Cheese
This is a delicious Smoked Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe that can be made on any smoker (I obviously prefer the Big Green Egg). This recipe started from Hey Grill Hey in which was tweaked to better please my personal taste buds (and hopefully yours).
This creamy Mac and Cheese recipe is topped with Panko bread crumbs that are spiced with Cow Lick from Dizzy Pig. You just can't go wrong with it if you are in the mood for a good home made Mac and Cheese!
Ingredients
- Toppings:
- 4 Tablespoon / Half a stick - Butter
- 1 Cup - Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon - Cow Lick Rub from Dizzy Pig (other equal rubs would probably suffice, this is just preferred).
- Mac and Cheese:
- 16 Ounces / 1 LB Elbow Noodles
- 8 Tablespoons / Full Stick - Butter
- 4 Tablespoons - Flour
- 1 Tablespoon - Mustard Powder
- 2 Cups - Half and Half
- 5 Ounces - Cream Cheese
- 16 Ounces / 2 Packages - Mild Cheddar
- 8 Ounce - Muenster Cheese
- 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Instructions
Topping
- Take 4 Tablespoons of butter and melt in the microwave for 10-12 seconds (until melted).
- Add one cup of Panko bread crumbs followed by 1 Tablespoon of Cow Lick rub from Dizzy Pig.
- Mix together well and set aside for later.
Mac and Cheese
- In a pot, boil water and cook the noodles in which they should be about 95% done. Ideally you'll want them to still have just a little bit of a crunch (roughly 7-8 minutes). Remove, drain and set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet melt a full stick of butter over low heat.
- Mix in the flour, then ground mustard.
- Mix in the half and half and continue to stir.
- Mix in the cream cheese and continue to stir until you have one consistent sauce.
- Add and mix in all the cheese, one at a time.
- Add the macaroni elbows and stir into the cheese mixture.
- Level off the top of the Mac and Cheese and add the Panko mixture creating an even layer on the top.
- Get the BGE dialed into 225 degrees for an indirect cook. Place the mac and cheese on the grate and cook for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Pull and enjoy!
Notes
Looking for a little more smoke? Try adding apple wood to give it a little more flavor.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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