Our Ultimate Traeger Smoked Mac and Cheese
We tested five of the most popular smoked mac and cheese recipes, took our favorite things from each, and combined them to create an ultra cheesy macaroni dish that Dr. Frankenstein would be proud of.
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 408kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound Elbow Macaroni
- 4 cups Half and Half
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 4 oz Colby Jack or Sharp Cheddar freshly grated
- 4 oz Gouda or Gruyere freshly grated
- 1 Tablespoon BBQ Rub I used Killer Hogs AP Rub
For the Topping
- 4 oz Diced Pancetta or Bacon
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill or pellet smoker to 225ºF with Super Smoke, if your grill has the capability. (We used Traeger Signature pellets.)
- Combine all the mac and cheese ingredients in a 9x13 grill pan or baking dish.
- Cook for 90-120 minutes until the macaroni is tender, stirring about halfway through.
- In the final 20 minutes, prepare the topping by cooking the pancetta or diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, transfer to a paper towel, draining most of the grease.
- Add the olive oil and butter to the same skillet. Once the butter is melted, add the panko breadcrumbs and stir everything together. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, stirring often. Toss the toasted bread crumbs and cooked pancetta together before adding to the top of the smoked mac and cheese.
- Cook the topped mac and cheese for an additional 30 minutes and serve warm.
Video
Notes
For an easy topping alternative, you can grate parmigiano reggiano over the top in the final 30-60 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 350mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g