Smoked Mac and Cheese

Mac & Cheese, the food of the Gods.  Even after attending culinary school, I still love the blue box mac and cheese.  On occasion, I like a more grown up version.  Last year, a friend of mine convinced me to enter a BBQ smoke off - I didn't want to do something ordinary.  There were two categories: pork butt and a mystery basket.  I didn't want to do just a pulled pork.  I wanted something that stood out, that set me apart.  I found a recipe for pulled pork, on top of a smoked Mac & Cheese.  I liked how the recipe looked, but I wanted to put my own twist on it, to make it even better.  This is now my “go-to” recipe for parties, pot lucks, pretty much anything I need to bring something yummy to.

To start out, gather your ingredients.  You will need:

• 16 oz medium elbow noodles
• 1/2 c or 1 stick of butter  - real butter margarine will not work
• 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 8 oz package cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 t ground mustard
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 t smoked paprika, you can use regular if you don't have smoked
• 4 c sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3-4 c half and half
• 9 x 13 x 3 (or so) deep foil pan
• 4 cups of a good 4 cheese mix (I like the Kroger Mexican Cheese blend)
• 1 lb of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Once you have all this gathered, and measured out, you are ready to go!

Cook the elbow noodles according the the package directions for al dente.  If you cook them completely, they will end up being mushy and gross after being in the smoker.  Once the noodles are finished, pour into a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process.  Put in a large bowl and set aside.

For the bacon, I cook mine in the oven.  I line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up, and bake at 375 for about 17 minutes.  If you get thick cut bacon, you'll need to bake a few extra minutes, remember you want it crispy enough to crumble easily.  Cool on paper towel, crumble and set aside.

For the cheese sauce, add the butter and cream cheese to a large saucepan on medium heat.  Once the butter and cheese are melted, add flour and seasonings and stir together.  Add the half and half slowly, sometimes you'll need less, sometimes a little more.  Allow to thicken while whisking.  Remove from heat and add the sharp cheddar cheese, stir until melted completely.  Once the cheese is melted, pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and mix well.

Pour 1/2 of the cheesy noodles into the foil pan, and sprinkle 2 cups of the 4 cheese blend over them, pour on the remainder of the noodles.  The mac and cheese is ready for the smoker.

Set up your smoker or grill for indirect cooking at 225 degrees F with Apple or Cherry wood if you have it.  Any smoking wood will work, I just felt that the Apple or Cherry worked best for me.  Place the open pan of mac and cheese on the grate and let it smoke for 2-3 hours until it reaches the desired level of "brown" on top.  The longer you leave it in the smoker, the better the smoke flavor will be.

Add the last 2 cups of cheese to the top, then top with the bacon and let smoke for 15-20 min more.

I like to put pulled pork on the top, and add BBQ sauce on top of that.