Smoked Pulled Pork mixed with Cheddar, Colby Jack, and Noodles
Homemade, smokey, cheesy pulled pork mac and cheese
Macaroni and cheese is perhaps the perfect comfort food. Its savory, gooey, pasta fills the belly and comforts the soul. The only thing that can make it better is tender, juicy, delicious smoked pulled pork!
There are a thousand ways to make mac and cheese, but adding pulled pork and some bbq sauce is one of the easiest ways to spruce up this comfort food into a dinner for the whole family.
Pulled Pork from a Smoked Boston Butt
Smoked Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese is a rather easy choice to prepare after smoking a whole Boston Butt. Unless you’re feeding a party or large family, 8-10 pounds of awesome pulled pork has to get used up somehow.
I found the crispy flavorful bark of the pulled pork really stood out in the meal, and a lot of the flavor melded with the cheese sauce.
A wonderful world of cheeses
This recipe calls for 1 pound of cheese. I’ve recommended a mix of sharp cheddar and colby jack, based on simple preference. The best thing about mac and cheese is you can use whatever your favorite cheeses are and for the most part you can’t go wrong.
Particularly, if you stay to hard blocks of cheese that you already like, you’ll come out with a good mac and cheese. If you want to incorporate soft cheeses like goat or blue cheese, you can mix some into the roux and use it as a topping, but it probably shouldn’t be your main source of cheese for the meal.
I always try to use half cheddar plus half any other cheese that catches my eye.
Tips on making a roux
- The key to making a roux is temperature control. When making a roux, never turn the heat above medium.
- Once the butter is melted, add the flour all at once. Many recipes say to whisk the roux, but if you’re like me and prefer cooking on a non-stick surface, that’s a no-go.
- Keep the roux moving and push any large clumps of flour down into the pan to help separate.
- Keep an eye on the color of your roux. If you want a bright, cheese colored mac and cheese, do not cook too long after the flour and butter are combined. If you like a deeper flavor, cook it for up to five minutes as the roux browns.
Delicious side dishes
Smoked Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese is delicious enough to stand on its own. But if you’re like me, I always love to have a bread product with my meal. For this barbeque inspired meal, you can’t go wrong with Moist Honey Cornbread . I recently made a batch in a cupcake tin, and they were the perfect side for the meal.
If you want to serve this as a casserole at a party, you can augment it with a side of Potato Salad . The recipe makes a similar quantity to the mac and cheese and will leave everyone happy.
Other meat and veggie choices
This mac and cheese doesn’t have to rely on pulled pork either. It’ll also work just as well with smoked pot roast, shredded chicken, ground beef, or ground turkey.
You might also choose to add sliced peppers or diced carrots to the dish.
Let’s make some Smoked Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Boil pasta in salted and oiled water. For the salad shells, I cooked for 10-13 minutes, until not quite al dente. Strain and toss with a tablespoon of oil to keep them from sticking, then set aside until needed.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour and combine to make a roux. Cook until the roux is thick and light brown. For a darker cheese sauce cook longer. Cook no more than five minutes.
Add to the skillet the milk, mustard powder, and any other spices you want now. Stir until smooth and cook on medium-low heat until thick, about 5 minutes.
Now add the cheese in small handfuls. After each handful, stir the cheese into the roux until it is fully combined. Continue until all of the cheese is stirred into the roux.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat ¼ cup of butter until melted. Add the panko and dried parsley and stir to combine.
Grease a 9×13 oven safe dish with cooking spray. Add the pasta, then pour over the cheese sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine the sauce and the pasta.
Over the pasta, spread half of the smoked pulled pork. Then spread the panko mixture over the smoked pulled pork layer.
Finally, top with the rest of the smoked pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Now bake for 20-30 minutes, until the panko is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly.
Recipe for Smoked Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Smoked Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 9"x13" Pyrex or metal pan
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb Smoked Pulled Pork
- 1 lb Dry pasta Shells or Macaroni
- 1 lb Grated Cheese Sharp White Cheddar and Colby Jack
- ½ cup sweet cream butter divided in half
- ½ cup panko
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cup skim milk
- 1.5 tsp dry mustard more if desired
- ½ tsp hot mustard powder optional
- ½ tsp salt more to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- cayenne, paprika, thyme optional, to taste
- ¼-½ cup your favorite bbq sauce
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted and oiled water. For the salad shells, I cooked for 10-13 minutes, until not quite al dente. Strain and toss with a tablespoon of oil to keep them from sticking, then set aside until needed.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour and combine to make a roux. Cook until the roux is thick and light brown. For a darker cheese sauce cook longer. Cook no more than five minutes.
- Add to the skillet the milk, mustard powder, and any other spices you want now. Stir until smooth and cook on medium-low heat until thick, about 5 minutes.Now add the cheese in small handfuls. After each handful, stir the cheese into the roux until it is fully combined. Continue until all of the cheese is stirred into the roux.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat ¼ cup of butter until melted. Add the panko and dried parsley and stir to combine. Grease a 9x13 oven safe dish with cooking spray. Add the pasta, then pour over the cheese sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine the sauce and the pasta.Over the pasta, spread half of the smoked pulled pork. Then spread the panko mixture over the smoked pulled pork layer.
- Finally, top with the rest of the smoked pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Now bake for 20-30 minutes, until the panko is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly.
