Traeger Smoked Mac & Cheese

21 INGREDIENTS • 10 STEPS • 1HR 30MINS

Traeger Smoked Mac & Cheese

With a burst of triple cheddar flavor and all the right spices, Smoked Macaroni & Cheese is perfect for family barbecues, weeknight meals, or packed up to take to a potluck dinner. Tender noodles covered with a velvety rich cheese sauce and a buttery crumb topping is classic comfort food in a cast iron skillet!
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With a burst of triple cheddar flavor and all the right spices, Smoked Macaroni & Cheese is perfect for family barbecues, weeknight meals, or packed up to take to a potluck dinner. Tender noodles covered with a velvety rich cheese sauce and a buttery crumb topping is classic comfort food in a cast iron skillet!
author_avatar
Snowflakes & Coffeecakes
I'm Diane, but you can call me Mama V! I love to create and make family-friendly food for my family and friends, and I love sharing my favorite tried-and-true recipes.
https://www.snowflakesandcoffeecakes.com/

1HR 30MINS

Total Time

Ingredients

Servings
12
us / metric
Elbow Macaroni
1 lb
Elbow Macaroni
Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese Blend
3 cups
Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese Blend
Shredded Gouda Cheese
1 1/2 cups
Shredded Gouda Cheese
Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup
Unsalted Butter
All-Purpose Flour
4 Tbsp
All-Purpose Flour
Dry Mustard
1 Tbsp
Dry Mustard
Half and Half
3 cups
Half and Half
Cream Cheese
1 cup
Cream Cheese, cubed
Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp
Smoked Paprika
Barbecue Sauce
to taste
Barbecue Sauce
for serving
Crumb Topping
Panko Breadcrumbs
1 cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
or Ritz Cracker Crumbs or Crushed Cornflakes
Butter
4 Tbsp
Butter, melted
Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp
Smoked Paprika
Barbecue Sweet Rub
Dark Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp
Dark Brown Sugar
Coarse Sea Salt
1 Tbsp
Coarse Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
2 tsp
Cracked Black Pepper
Smoked Paprika
2 tsp
Smoked Paprika
Garlic Powder
2 tsp
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
2 tsp
Onion Powder
Dry Mustard
1 tsp
Dry Mustard
Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp
Cayenne Pepper
plus more to taste

Nutrition Per Serving

VIEW ALL
Calories
600
Fat
39.0 g
Protein
18.5 g
Carbs
44.2 g
Love This Recipe?
author_avatar
Snowflakes & Coffeecakes
I'm Diane, but you can call me Mama V! I love to create and make family-friendly food for my family and friends, and I love sharing my favorite tried-and-true recipes.
https://www.snowflakesandcoffeecakes.com/

Author's Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator; best served within 5 days. Any leftovers reheat really well. Just add a little milk or half & half and stir occasionally while reheating in the microwave on 50% power, or on the stove over low heat.

For Barbecue Smoked Mac & Cheese, stir in 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, or serve with barbecue sauces on the side – if you’ve never tried drizzling macaroni and cheese with barbecue sauce, you are in for a treat!

For Smoked Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese, stir in 2 cups of Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip or Buffalo Chicken Dip. Top with blue cheese crumbles before serving. Delightful!

For Tex-Mex, add 1 diced green or red sweet pepper and 1/2 yellow onion (both sauteed in butter or olive oil until tender), 2 cups cooked taco meat, and replace barbecue seasoning with taco seasoning and chili powder to taste.

Cooking Instructions

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step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook Elbow Macaroni (1 lb) until they are al dente.
step 2
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F (105 degrees C) using mild hardwood. Grease a grill-safe baking dish or medium foil grill pan. You can also use a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
step 3
To make the Barbecue Sweet Rub, mix together Dark Brown Sugar (4 Tbsp), Coarse Sea Salt (1 Tbsp), Cracked Black Pepper (2 tsp), Smoked Paprika (2 tsp), Garlic Powder (2 tsp), Onion Powder (2 tsp), Dry Mustard (1 tsp), and Cayenne Pepper (1/2 tsp). Store in an air-tight container, until ready to use.
step 4
To make the topping, melt Butter (4 Tbsp) in a microwave-safe bowl. Add Panko Breadcrumbs (1 cup), 1 Tbsp Barbecue Sweet Rub, and Smoked Paprika (1 Tbsp), stir until combined. Set aside.
step 5
Prepare the sauce. In a large Dutch oven, melt the Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup) over medium-low heat. When melted, whisk in the All-Purpose Flour (4 Tbsp) and Dry Mustard (1 Tbsp).
step 6
Slowly add Half and Half (3 cups) and increase heat to medium, whisking frequently until it just starts to simmer and bubbles form. Reduce heat to low and add Cream Cheese (1 cup), whisk until melted and well blended.
step 7
Whisk in the Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese Blend (3 cups), Shredded Gouda Cheese (1 1/2 cups), 1 Tbsp barbecue seasoning, and Smoked Paprika (1 Tbsp), whisk until melted and smooth.
step 8
Turn off the heat and pour in the cooked noodles. Stir gently until the noodles are evenly coated with cheese sauce. Pour macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over top.
step 9
Place the pan or skillet in the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The noodles will take on quite a bit of smoke flavor fairly quickly, so you don’t want to overcook.
step 10
After one hour, cover the pan with foil and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve warm with Barbecue Sauce (to taste) on the side, or drizzle on top for an amazing treat!
step 10 After one hour, cover the pan with foil and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve warm with Barbecue Sauce (to taste) on the side, or drizzle on top for an amazing treat!

Tags

American
4th of July
Comfort Food
Lunch
Microwave
Shellfish-Free
Dinner
Vegetarian
Game Day
Pasta
Labor Day
Memorial Day
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