This smoked mac & triple cheese is the creamy dish you were looking for!
Ingredients:
- 16 Ounce elbow macaroni
- 8 Ounce cream cheese, cut in cubes
- 2 1/2 Cup half-and-half, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 Cup cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 Cup shredded smoked mozzarella
- 1 Cup panko breadcrumbs
- 5 Tablespoons chilled butter, plus more for coating cast iron
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 Teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
- 1 Teaspoon dry mustard
- 3/4 Teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat your smoker to 180°F (82°C).
- In a large iron skillet, combine the half-and-half, cream cheese, chilled butter, hot sauce, dry mustard and pepper.
- Place the skillet inside the smoker and smoke the mixture for 30 minutes. You can use hickory bisquettes for this recipe.
- Cook the macaroni 1-2 minutes less than the package directions call for.
- Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, drain again, and return to the pot. Toss the cooled pasta with the shredded cheeses.
- Remove the sauce from the smoker and increase the temperature to 320°F (160°C).
- Pour the smoked sauce over the pasta, stirring gently.
- Take another iron skillet and coat its inside with 1 tablespoon chilled butter. Pour the macaroni and cheese into the skillet.
- Combine breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and spread over the top of macaroni.
- Take the pasta to the smoker and smoke it until the top is lightly browned (about 40 minutes). Serve it with some paprika dusted at the top.
