Smoked Mac and Cheese — The Best BBQ Side That Exists

The Base Mac and Cheese

Make a classic stovetop mac and cheese. Cook 1 pound elbow macaroni al dente. In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, whisk in 3 tablespoons flour, cook 1 minute. Add 3 cups milk gradually, whisking constantly. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups sharp cheddar (shredded), 1 cup Gruyère or smoked Gouda (shredded), 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper. Combine with the pasta.

The Smoking Step

Transfer the mac and cheese to a disposable aluminum foil pan. Top with extra shredded cheese and buttered panko breadcrumbs if desired. Place on the smoker at 225°F alongside whatever meat you’re smoking. Smoke for 30-45 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbly. The mac and cheese absorbs smoke flavor beautifully — the starchy, creamy surface is the perfect canvas for wood smoke.

Timing It With Your Meat

The beauty of this recipe is that it slots into whatever else you’re smoking. Making brisket? Put the mac on during the last hour. Smoking ribs? Add it during the sauce phase. Pulled pork? Throw it on while the pork rests. The smoker is already running — use it.

Cheese Selection

Sharp cheddar is the backbone. But adding a second cheese creates depth: Gruyère adds nuttiness, smoked Gouda doubles down on smokiness, Fontina adds creaminess, Pepper jack adds heat. A 70/30 ratio of cheddar to second cheese is the sweet spot.

Protein Pairings on the Smoker

Since the smoker is already running, plan your entire meal around it. Here’s my favorite BBQ dinner timeline using one smoker:

Morning (6-8 AM): Start brisket or pulled pork.
Afternoon (12-2 PM): Add baked beans in a foil pan.
Late afternoon (3-4 PM): Prep the mac and cheese on the stovetop.
Final hour: Add mac and cheese to the smoker. Pull beans when bubbly. Slice meat.

Everything finishes together, everything benefits from the smoke, and you’ve used one heat source for an entire meal. This is efficient cooking, and it’s exactly how BBQ restaurants operate.

Make-Ahead Option

Make the mac and cheese completely on the stove and refrigerate. When it’s time to smoke, add a splash of milk to loosen it (it thickens when cold), transfer to the foil pan, and smoke. The cold mac takes slightly longer to heat through — plan for 45-50 minutes on the smoker.

The Breadcrumb Topping

Toss 1 cup panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and a pinch of garlic powder. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese before it goes in the smoker. The breadcrumbs toast in the smoker’s heat and create a golden, crunchy layer that contrasts with the creamy interior. Without the breadcrumbs, the top still gets slightly crusty from the cheese, but the panko version is superior. This is the same technique as a traditional baked mac and cheese — the smoker just adds that extra layer of wood smoke flavor to the crust.

The Roux Technique

A proper roux (butter + flour cooked together before adding milk) is what separates homemade cheese sauce from melted cheese in milk. Cook the butter and flour together for 1 full minute, stirring constantly — this cooks out the raw flour taste. Add the milk gradually in 3-4 additions, whisking each time until smooth before adding more. If you dump all the milk in at once, you’ll get lumps. Patience with the roux pays off with a silky, smooth sauce.

Smoked Mac as a Main Dish

While this is traditionally a BBQ side, it’s hearty enough to serve as a main course. Add diced pulled pork or chopped brisket directly into the mac and cheese before smoking. The meat heats through and the flavors merge during the smoking phase. Serve with a simple green salad and you have a complete, incredibly satisfying dinner. This is also my go-to use for BBQ leftovers — any smoked meat mixed into mac and cheese and re-smoked is extraordinary.

Scaling Up for a Crowd

For 15-20 people, double the recipe and use a full-size foil pan. Increase the smoking time by 10-15 minutes to ensure the center heats through. The larger volume takes slightly longer but the surface-to-volume ratio means the edges and top still get plenty of smoke exposure. Make two pans if you’re feeding more than 20 — one might not be enough, and trust me, you’d rather have leftover mac than a disappointed crowd.

Pasta Shape Guide

Elbow macaroni is the classic, but shells, cavatappi, and rigatoni all hold cheese sauce better because their shapes create pockets and ridges that trap the creamy sauce. Penne works but the sauce slides off the smooth exterior. For smoked mac specifically, larger shapes with more surface area (like shells or cavatappi) capture more smoke flavor. Whatever shape you choose, cook it 1 minute less than the package says — it continues cooking in the cheese sauce and in the smoker.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Smoker Timeline

If you’re smoking both a protein and mac and cheese, timing matters. Start the protein first. When it has about 45 minutes left, put the mac on the smoker. Both finish around the same time. For brisket (12+ hours), the mac goes on during the final rest period while the brisket rests wrapped in a cooler.