Our Ultimate Smoked Mac and Cheese

My wife and I recently tested 5 of the most popular recipes for smoked mac and cheese ( • We Tested the Internet... ). This recipe combines our favorite ingredients and techniques to make what we feel is the best smoked mac and cheese we've ever had.
We wanted our smoked macaroni and cheese to have an extra crispy topping made with panko breadcrumbs and a creamy cheese sauce that stayed creamy throughout the cook. Many of the recipes we tested resembled a macaroni casserole instead of creamy mac and cheese. And we also wanted it to be an easy recipe that didn't require cooking the macaroni beforehand or making a cheese sauce with a roux.
I think we ticked all those boxes! Here's everything you need to make the mac and cheese:
1 pound Pasta Elbows
8 oz Cream Cheese
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 oz Colby Jack or Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
4 oz Gouda or Gruyere, freshly grated
1 Tablespoon BBQ Rub (we used Killer Hogs AP Seasoning)
2 cups Whole Milk
4 cups Half and Half
For the topping:
4 oz Pancetta or Bacon
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Mix all the mac and cheese ingredients together in a grill pan or baking dish and smoke at 225ºF for 90 minutes, stirring halfway through. (We used a Traeger Ironwood and Traeger signature pellets.)
In the final 15-20 minutes of the cook, make the topping by cooking the pancetta or bacon in a skillet, draining the grease, and adding the olive oil (or swap for the rendered bacon fat), unsalted butter, and panko breadcrumbs. Cook for 2-3 minutes to toast until golden brown.
Add the topping to the mac and cheese and cook for another 30 minutes.
Printable recipe: withthewoodruffs.com/ultimate...
Hope you enjoy this one. I know we did!

[@johnmcguire6628]

I have not had a recipe from Mason I haven’t liked. Just got my first pellet smoker, pitboss, and saw he had a Mac n cheese recipe and knew I was in good hands. Mason is always a reliable source for ideas.

[@NoMaD17]

That looks so delicious! I could almost smell it through the screen 🤤. Definitely adding this macaroni and cheese recipe to the top of my mac and cheese playlist.

[@jeffhennings6579]

Looks delicious I’ll have to try this one

[@melissaseibel8111]

I made this Friday for us after prepping 72 pounds of smoked mac and cheese using my original recipe for a wedding we catered yesterday. Both recipes are amazing and everyone loved my mac and cheese but this recipe is my husband’s favorite. AND IT TAKES SO MUCH LESS TIME TO MAKE! We added a little cheddar cheese, some bacon, and I used my homemade freeze dried bread crumbs instead of Panko. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I could have saved myself about 6 hours of prep time for the wedding with this recipe not having to precook the noodles and make the cheese sauce on the stove. :)

[@rickyroddy7880]

I did a variation of your Mac and cheese and it came out amazing

[@TheSillyKitchenwithSylvia]

I love smoked mac! Nice!

[@kemmick]

Made this over the weekend, it is spot on. Thanks so much and you really nailed it for the creamy texture. too many of the recipes get dried out very quickly after coming off the smoker

[@mason_woodruff]

Thanks man. Appreciate you trying it out and reporting back.

[@protectlife1]

We were lucky enough to get to taste their Ultimate Smoked Mac and Cheese. It was the best I have ever had and I could eat it as a meal. Great job.

[@mason_woodruff]

Your check is in the mail.

[@mikemalone7193]

Trying it soon

[@stevemclarty8011]

I made this and added shredded brisket flat into it to go along with burnt ends from the point meat. I used panko bread crumbs and diced throwaway trimmings from the brisket for the topping. It was insane. Thanks guys!

[@Dj21oo]

I made this today and it came out incredible. I also smoked some chicken tenders for 1.5 hours (just above the Mac) and chopped that up into it. Will be making over and over again thank you so much!!! Question though, how do you make it creamier? Mine came out slightly dry, but the flavors were there and it was still amazing. Thanks!

[@JMarylin88]

I just did my first mac and cheese this weekend, and I'm a bit disappointed about my recipe as it was too dry for my taste. Yours look lovely and I'd like to try it out !

[@jackspepperpatch]

My Fiancée and I made this tonight on our 18” Weber Smokey Mountain and used applewood chunks for the smoke. It came out great! Super solid recipe and great video - thanks for sharing! My only question is does the BBQ rub you used contain a decent amount of salt? The one we used didn’t and we thought salt was the only thing missing from the final product. Easy fix though and like I said it came out so good! Next time we make it we’ll add some of our home grown hatch chilis to spice it up a little🤤

[@eliseintheattic9697]

Hey, this looks great. I havent tried it yet, but I do have one question. Is there a reason for pouring off the oil from the cooked pancetta, and then adding back more oil? It seems to me that the pancetta oil would have more flavor to add to the dish.

[@RBMBowhunter]

Both videos were excellent. Ready to try this out. One question or point of clarification needed . . . your recipe here and on your website calls for Elbow Mac but your video sure looks like you are using Cavatappi for the Mac. If truly Elbows, I'm concerned the Cavatappi (my preference) will not cook right since I suspect those noodles would absorb more liquid than the Elbows??

[@scottgalbraith1855]

Have you guys thought of changing the half and half cream to 35% cream for a thicker or creamer sauce?

[@brettowsik6158]

Can you double or triple this recipe? If so anything thing specific to consider?

[@RonOnTheGrill]

I just came over from your other video where you tried 5 of the most popular recipes. I have my own I'm going to stick with, but I do want to nail down the consistency of the cheese texture. I mentioned in the comments on your other video that I'm usually going for creamy but I end up getting "pully", like the cheese on a pizza or something. What would you say is the key to getting one and not the other? Maybe I'm adding too much cheese?

[@mason_woodruff]

Just saw your other comment. Thanks for checking out both videos. Like I said in my comment over there, I think hydration and starting with a thinner sauce for a longer cook is key. It’s easier to thicken at the end of the cook (just fold in a bit more cheese or extend the cook +30 minutes or so) than thin out a thiccc cheese sauce. I think the “cheat” ingredients like cream cheese or even a bit of processed American cheese are worth their weight in gold for stuff like this. Hard to beat their melting properties!

[@RonOnTheGrill]

@@mason_woodruff Great, man. Just FYI I saw Malcom’s Short right before coming over to yours. Now that blew me way! Never thought you could just put everything in a pan raw, lol! But I love it because that way the whole thing is done on the grill, which I love. Thanks again man. You and your wife really put the work in on that other video.

[@LaddieCladInKilt]

@@mason_woodruff American cheese is not cheese. It's processed like Velveeta. If you're gonna go to this much fuss to make a good dish, why use inferior ingredients? It's like going to Chucky Cheeses for pizza but getting tomato sauce on a cracker. You don't want that. If you're going to spend the money for half & half and bacon, why not get good cheeses too. When you sacrifice any part of the whole, the whole becomes weaker...just like weak links in a chain. I can't imagine bragging about a dish and then admitting I used American cheese.

[@emmy5801]

⁠would it be better if he were to add sodium citrate instead of using Velveeta or American sliced cheese? Give him a break. He likes his Mac and cheese one way and you like it another. Big whoop.

[@Hiflier68]

What Wood/Pellets flavor did you use?

[@mason_woodruff]

Used Traeger signature pellets. Believe they’re a blend of hickory, maple, and apple.

[@Hiflier68]

@@mason_woodruff I used Bear Mountain Apple.. Gouda and Sharp Cheddar.. That was a Rich Batch of MnC, enjoyed every bite

[@nyvoreviews5443]

Do you boil the macaroni first? Or just leave it raw and let the traeger do the cooking?

[@nyvoreviews5443]

Do you boil the macaroni first? Or just leave it raw and let the traeger do the cooking?

[@mason_woodruff]

Throw it straight in dry and the longer cook will do the trick. 👍

[@nyvoreviews5443]

@@mason_woodruff sweet thx. Will try it today

[@nyvoreviews5443]

@@mason_woodruff everyone liked it, I think I will try to make it a little creamier next time.

[@mason_woodruff]

@@nyvoreviews5443 Never a wrong move. Little less beer or more cheese. You know what you're doing. Thanks for trying it out on the crew!

[@michiganwolverine8635]

What size pan did you use?

[@mason_woodruff]

That’s a 13x9 deep pan. Stack Man 9x13 on Amazon, to be specific. 👍

[@michiganwolverine8635]

@@mason_woodruff thank you

[@BrianHeidk]

So 8oz cheese block creem cheese butter milk and half and half

[@mikechamberlain8208]

Just added the topping, I used 4 thick sliced bacon. Waiting impatiently

[@bretmcglothlen]

I got a similar recipe, but I don't do the topping. I use 1 pound pasta,1 pound Velveeta, 1/2 pound medium cheddar, 1/2 pound gouda, 4 cups d milk, 2.cups heavy cream, 4 tablespoons butter, season how you prefer. Cut up.all.the cheese and put all ingredients in a pan like you use and stir it up. We.put it on the smoker between 240 and 260. I takes about 2 hours and we.stir every 30 minutes. If you don't want it that cheesy just omit 1/2 a pound. We put kielbasa, or hotdogs or bacon in sometimes. Add those in at the 1 hour mark if you want.

[@mason_woodruff]

Sounds right up my alley. My favorite part of the topping we used was the pancetta/bacon.

[@bretmcglothlen]

@@mason_woodruff I'm definitely going to try the bacon topping someday.

[@LaddieCladInKilt]

Velveeta is FISH BAIT. It is so over-processed with chemicals, you can leave it in your tackle box for five years out in the shed and it'll not have a bit of mold or dryness or rot on it when you go to use it again. Then another five years and it'll still be in the same condition. Don't know if that's what I want to ingest. If you ever invite me over for M & C...don't be upset when I politely decline the offer.

[@trod2376]

After 45 min my elbows still hard and it’s still watery

[@quinnmath4722]

How does the butt feel after eating this lol

[@ANGERMGT101]

Change 1 cup milk with water and add in the sodium citrate…. Ya someone will correct me..

[@LaddieCladInKilt]

When scooping into a main dish to portion out individual servings, good chefs know to scoop to the inside of the dish, not the outside. This avoids the spillage which we saw at the end of this video. There is no excuse for being a sloppy cook.

[@Rohit1890]

Lol go outside nerd

[@jandh413]

Pretty sure he is not claiming to be a professional chef. Just a guy making awesome food at home. The rest of us are here to enjoy exactly what this is, and we are not here to judge. I’m preparing to make this Mac and cheese right now, and I’ll probably scoop from the edge when I serve it to King Charles at dinner time.

[@Chugwater_Cowboy]

@@jandh413 Well then, I don't know what you call a guy with a BS degree in Nutrition and Food Science if not a professional. Besides, even a home cook enthusiast can learn how to do it better. IF YOU WANT TO BE A SPECIALIST IN SLOPPY COOKING, BE MY GUEST. But don't take away my right to point out a better way. Hell t;hrow your food on the ceiling for all I care. Start a stupid new fad. I won't be eating it. And when you see King Charles, tell him how stupid he was for letting Diana go. But the inbreds never were that smart anyway.

[@LaddieCladInKilt]

@@jandh413 Well then, I don't know what you call a guy with a BS in Nutrition and Food Science if not a professional. Besides even a home enthusiast can learn a better way. If you want to specialize in SLOPPY COOKING, be my guest. Hell throw your food up on the ceilling if you want to. Start a new stupid fad. It makes no difference to me, I won't be eating it. And when you see Charles, tell him how stupid he was for letting Diana go....but then the inbreds never were that smart.

[@StaggsintheWild]

Why don’t you get out from behind the keyboard in Momma’s basement and start your own YT channel so you can put yourself out there for everyone to see how great you are since you’re all that?

[@DC-ir7we]

I did it two times and it keeps coming out cassaroley. 225 for 45 mins, mix and cook for 45 more. It’s already thick by then not enough time for 30 minutes with crumb topping

[@eliseintheattic9697]

90 minutes and then another 30 with topping. That's what he said in the video.