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Home » Recipes » Main Courses

Smoked Mac and Cheese on the BBQ: A Texas Favorite

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Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, loved by the whole family. There is something about a creamy, cheesy mac that warms the heart. Here is an adult mac and cheese dish with a delicious twist on this classic dish. This may well be the best Smoked Mac and Cheese you've ever tasted, featuring a combination of cheeses, poblano peppers and Panko breadcrumbs.

There are three cheeses in this Texas mac and cheese. Beecher's Flagship cheese, a semi-hard cow's milk cheese that has been aged for 15 months, is mixed with goat cheese to form a very silky and creamy mac and cheese. Finely grated Asiago cheese is mixed with panko breadcrumbs, toasted in butter, for the topping.

Of course, this wouldn't be Texas mac and cheese without a little kick in the flavor department. That comes in the form of some roasted poblano peppers.

Texas mac and cheese.

This is great either as a side dish or a main course.

This recipe was inspired by my other recipes for Texas Style Creamed Corn With Poblano Peppers, Smoked Charro Beans and Waffle Maker Grilled Cheese.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Final Thoughts
  • Related
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

  • Poblano peppers
  • Elbow macaroni
  • Butter
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Asiago cheese
  • All-purpose flour
  • Goat cheese
  • White cheddar cheese such as Beecher's Flagship
  • Milk
  • Heavy cream
  • Kosher salt
  • Chili powder
  • Garlic powder

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat your pellet grill or smoker for indirect medium heat, around 250°F.

Roast the Poblano Peppers

The cooking process for the poblano peppers is best done on a hot grill. Rinse off three poblano peppers and place them on a hot grill over direct heat. These were done over a sear burner but they can also be cooked over a gas or charcoal grill. In a pinch, they can be cooked on a gas range top. Just place the peppers directly on the grate.

Turn the peppers over when one side is well charred, about 6 minutes. Poblano peppers are somewhat flat so it may be necessary to hold them on the edge with tongs to char them all the way around. Remove them from the grill and place them in a paper bag, fold over the top of the bag and let the peppers rest for about 10 minutes. This will allow the charred skin to soften and pull away from the flesh of the pepper. Rinse the peppers under cool running water and peel away as much skin as possible.

Make sure as much green area is charred as possible. This will make peeling the skin off easier.

Make sure as much green area is charred as possible. This will make peeling the skin off easier.

Cut the poblano peppers into ⅛" strips.

Place the cooled peppers on a cutting board and remove the stem, seeds and ribs. Cut into ¼" dice.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

In a large pot of salted water, cook the macaroni until they are al dente. Drain and set aside.

Next, melt some butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the panko bread crumbs and stir to coat with butter. Sauté until slightly browned. Panko bread crumbs have a terrific texture and flavor that works well with the Asiago cheese that will be added later.

Sauté panko breadcrumbs in butter.

Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Sauté panko breadcrumbs in butter for a few minutes.

Prepare the cheese.

Grate the Beecher's Flagship cheese on a medium box grater. Grate the Asiago on a fine box grater. There is no need to grate the goat cheese, just crumble it with a fork.

Make a roux.

To make the cheese sauce, start with a roux then add milk and heavy cream.

Stir in the cheeses.

Then, add the Beecher's Flagship cheese and the goat cheese. Stir to incorporate. Then add the spices and stir again.

Add the cooked elbow macaroni.

Add the cooked macaroni noodles and stir it in. Mix it well, some of that wonderful cheese sauce needs to get inside the macaroni. Finally, stir in the diced poblano peppers.

Transfer mac and cheese to a cast iron skillet.

Transfer the mac and cheese mixture to a cast iron skillet or small Dutch oven.

Top with panko breadcrumbs.

Next, mix the asiago cheese in with the bread crumbs and spread the mixture on top of the mac and cheese. There is no such thing as too many cheesy bread crumbs.

Place in smoker or wood-fired oven.

Place the pan of macaroni and cheese in your smoker a cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the top of the mac turns a golden brown. In the video, this was cooked in a wood fired oven, which cooks faster than a smoker. Both methods add a hint of smoke that works well with this dish.

Variations

Try different types of cheeses such as sharp cheddar cheese, mild cheddar, Monterey jack, cream cheese, gouda cheese, mozzarella cheese, Colby jack, pepper jack, parmesan cheese and even Velveeta cheese. Whichever cheese combination you choose, buy blocks of cheese, not pre-shredded cheese. Most pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent, like potato starch, that you don't want in your homemade mac and cheese.

You could also change it up by adding some pulled pork or crumbled bacon.

Equipment

In the video, this dish was prepared in a wood-fired oven. A pellet grill, charcoal grill, Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe all work for imparting a hint of smoke to this dish.

Storage

Store leftover mac and cheese (if there is any) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Final Thoughts

Smoked mac and cheese is the perfect combination of cheesy, smoky goodness. The infusion of different cheeses, poblano peppers, and Panko breadcrumbs is sure to make this delicious mac and cheese a family favorite. The next time you crave the best mac and cheese, try this recipe for the ultimate comfort food with a Texan twist! Enjoy!

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

  • Brisket Stuffed Chile Relleno
    Tex-Mex Comfort Food: Brisket-Stuffed Chile Rellenos
  • Empanada
    Spicy Chorizo Empanadas
  • Tamales
    Chicken Birria Tamales
  • Texas Chili
    No Bean Texas-Style Chili - Prime Tenderloin & Six Chiles
  • Brisket Queso
    From Feast to Fiesta: Leftover Brisket Queso
  • Texas Corn Ribs
    Texas Grilled Corn Ribs - With a Little Heat and a Lot of Flavor
  • Pork Belly Tacos
    Pork Belly Tacos - Easy to Make With Roasted Pork Belly
  • Carnitas Tacos
    Delicious Carnitas Tacos

📖 Recipe

Texas Mac and Cheese With Poblano Peppers Recipe

Learn how to make a delicious Texas mac and cheese with a little heat from poblano peppers. Easy and quick. Give this one a try.
4.60 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
40 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 630 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Poblano peppers
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni
  • 6 tbs butter split
  • ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 4 oz Asiago cheese
  • ½ cup flour
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese white cheddar such as Beecher's Flagship
  • 1 ¼ cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta al dente per package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
  • Cook the peppers over direct heat until skin is black and blistered (a gas cooktop flame or broiler works well). Place in a paper bag and let rest for 10 minutes. Peel the blistered skin under running water. Remove the stems and seeds, and chop to ¼ inch.
  • Melt 2 tbs of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and stir to coat with butter. Sauté until slightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Melt 4 tbs of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for two minutes, whisking continually. Slowly add the milk and cream while whisking. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
  • Add diced peppers, goat cheese, Beecher’s Flagship cheese, salt, chili powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine, about three minutes.
  • Combine sauce and pasta in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Transfer to a prepared 8” baking dish or 10” cast iron skillet. Stir Asiago cheese into bread crumb mixture and sprinkle on top of macaroni mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Video

Notes

PAID AFFILIATE LINKS
 
BBQ Tools & Supplies
 
Fireboard 2 Drive: https://www.fireboard.com/shop/fireboard-2-drive/?fba_ref=16

Nutrition

Serving: 8ozCalories: 630kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 30gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 892mgPotassium: 382mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1511IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 642mgIron: 2mg
Keyword mac&cheese
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4.60 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Dave
Dave

I'm Dave, just a guy who likes to cook for family and friends and take pictures of what I make. I am not a chef. While some of my recipes might look complicated and intimidating, I assure you that they are all really quite easy. If you can cut an onion, you can make any recipe on this website. Have some fun and make something new.

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