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–+ servings
Pit Boss Smoked Macaroni and Cheese in a cast iron skillet

Pit Boss Smoked Mac and Cheese

Mads Martigan
This delicious Pit Boss Smoked Mac and Cheese cooked right in a cast iron skillet is an easy to prepare BBQ side dish that everyone will love.
We show you how to prepare your ingredients, setup your Pit Boss pellet grill, and smoke the macaroni and cheese to perfection
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Holiday, Smoked, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian
Servings 8 people
Calories 750 kcal

Equipment

  • Pit Boss Pellet Grill
  • Wood Pellets preferably a fruitwood like apple or cherry
  • Large Pot with Pasta Strainer
  • 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet
  • Cheese Grater

Ingredients
  

Pasta

  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 lb Elbow Macaroni Noodles
  • Olive Oil

Cheese Sauce

  • ½ cup Salted Butter 1 stick
  • ⅓ cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt or ½ tablespoon table salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper or more to taste
  • ½ tablespoon Mustard Powder
  • 4 cups Whole Milk
  • 2 Cups Gruyere Cheese 8 ounces, shredded
  • 4 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese 16 ounces, shredded

Topping

  • ½ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese 2 ounces, shredded
  • 2 tablespoon Salted Butter
  • ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Three Little Pigs Kansas City Championship BBQ Rub or your favorite BBQ rub

Instructions
 

Start the Pit Boss and Set the Temperature

  • Add your pellets to the hopper, start the Pit Boss pellet grill and let it run through the start up cycle.
  • Set the temperature to preheat the Pit Boss pellet grill to 270°F.
  • If you are using a smoker box or smoker tube to add extra smoke, assemble and light it. Place it on the grates toward the back of the grill.

Cook the Macaroni

  • Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and pour in the macaroni. Boil the pasta until it is “al dente”, meaning still somewhat firm, about 5 minutes.
    1 tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 lb Elbow Macaroni Noodles
  • Drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the stockpot off the heat. Drizzle it with olive oil and stir to evenly coat the macaroni. Set the pot aside.
    Olive Oil

Make the Cheese Sauce

  • While the water is coming up to a boil or macaroni is cooking, you can start to heat your cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.
    ½ cup Salted Butter
  • Whisk in the flour until smooth (about 3-4 minutes) to make a roux.
    ⅓ cup All Purpose Flour
  • When the flour mixture has cooked a bit and taken on slight color, whisk in the salt, pepper and mustard powder.
    1 tablespoon Kosher Salt, ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper, ½ tablespoon Mustard Powder
  • Very slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Just add small amounts of milk at a time and add more once the previous amount is completely incorporated. Make sure to whisk the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent the sauce from sticking.
    4 cups Whole Milk
  • Bring this white sauce, known as a bechamel, to a simmer, then reduce the heat and continue to whisk until it has thickened, about 8-10 minutes total.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat, then add the shredded cheese, a little at time in small handfuls, whisking until smooth. Continue whisking until all of the cheese has been incorporated and you have a smooth cheese sauce (this is a variation of a Mornay sauce).
    4 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 2 Cups Gruyere Cheese

Combine the Macaroni and the Cheese Sauce

  • Once your cheese sauce is smooth and creamy, pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni still in the stock pot. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta, then pour it into the cast iron skillet and smooth it down on top.

Smoke on the Pit Boss Pellet Grill

  • Place the cast iron skillet on the Pit Boss grates, uncovered, and cook it for 15 minutes. Then stir the macaroni and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the topping.

Make the Topping

  • Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the Panko breadcrumbs and stir constantly with a small silicone spatula. Continue to cook until the breadcrumbs are brown and toasted. Remove skillet from heat. Mix together your melted butter, panko breadcrumbs and BBQ rub in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese if you wish.
    ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoon Salted Butter
  • Stir the BBQ rub into the toasted breadcrumbs and set aside until it's time to add the topping.
    1 tablespoon Three Little Pigs Kansas City Championship BBQ Rub

Add the Topping and Finish Cooking

  • After the mac and cheese has smoked for 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese evenly on top, then sprinkle the toasted Panko mixture evenly on top of the cheese.
    ½ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Continue to cook until the cheese topping is melted and the mac and cheese reaches an internal temperature of around 170°F, about 30 more minutes.
  • When finished you can serve to guests directly out of the cast iron pan!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 750kcal
Keyword barbecue, bbq, bbq mac and cheese, cast iron, cast iron mac and cheese, Grilled Mac and Cheese, pellet grill, pellet grill mac and cheese, Pit Boss Mac and Cheese, Pit Boss Recipes, Pit Boss Smoked Mac and Cheese, Skillet Mac and Cheese, smoked mac and cheese, smoked macaroni and cheese
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