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Smoked Mac and Cheese

Photo: Christina Holmes

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED June 4, 2024

Mac and cheese is a no-brainer for any barbecue. So why bother to grill it? The fat in the cheese and milk absorbs the smokiness from the fire like a sponge. To maximize the exposure to the grill, use a broad pan and don’t bother with bread crumbs on the top; you want the cheese sauce naked. And generate lots of smoke right from the get-go.

 

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Make sure you stir the pasta several times while it cooks—quickly, to keep too much smoke from escaping from the grill—so every noodle gets a dose of it. Other cheeses to try: goat cheese, smoked (or not) Gouda, even mascarpone. All other add-ins apply—bacon, anyone?—but no more than 1/2 cup.

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Smoked Mac and Cheese

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