3 Cheese Smoked Mac and Cheese In Electric Smoker
3-Cheese Smoked Mac and Cheese in an Electric Smoker is the BEST summer side dish. It’s creamy, and cheesy with an intense smoky flavor. Smoked mac and cheese is ultra comforting and makes the perfect addition to your next BBQ served with Creamy Coleslaw and a cold glass of Strawberry Green Tea Lemonade.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Baked macaroni and cheese is the highlight of any holiday dinner and smoking it takes this dish to the next level of amazingness. Making this mac and cheese in an electric smoker is incredibly easy and using either mesquite or hickory wood chips adds so much smoke flavor to this dish.
- Many smoker recipes are made using a Pitboss or Traeger, but they work a little bit differently than an electric smoker like a Masterbuilt. There’s no need for lighter fuel or stoking a fire; just make sure to check on the wood chips every 30 minutes or so. It’s easy to set up, too!
- Summer and warm weather mean plenty of BBQ dinners. Enjoy this three-cheese mac and cheese with a few other electric smoker recipes like these Chicken Kabobs or Smoked Beef Hot Hot Dogs. Or enjoy with a side of Oven Roasted Broccoli.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta – Pasta shells or regular elbow macaroni noodles. Since we are cooking the pasta twice, don’t overcook the noodles. Just cook the pasta until it’s just al dente with some bite to it; otherwise, the pasta will be mushy and overcooked once it’s finished in the smoker.
- Cheese – I used 2 bags of a shredded 3 cheese blend, cubed Colby Jack cheese, and American cheese. Other cheese combos could be mozzarella, provolone, or smoked Gouda cheese.
- Cream cheese – Combined with the other cheeses to make this macaroni and cheese extra creamy and delicious.
- Flour – Just a little bit of all-purpose flour is used to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Wood chips – Mesquite or hickory wood chips provide the perfect intense smoky flavor we are looking for in this smoked mac and cheese recipe.
How to Make Smoked Mac and Cheese with an Electric Smoker
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Preheat the electric smoker outside at 265 degrees Fahrenheit with the vent closed for 30 – 45 minutes, until it reaches temperature.
Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until it reaches al dente or until it has some bite to it. Drain then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer cooked pasta to an disposable aluminum roaster pan(11 ¾ inch x 9 ⅜ in x 2 5/16 in), drizzle with olive oil or stir in a tablespoon of butter so the pasta doesn’t stick together. Cover the pan with a piece of foil so it doesn’t dry out then set it aside to make the cheese sauce.
Make the three cheese sauce: In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in the flour and seasonings. Whisk until everything is combined then cook the flour for 1 – 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Whisk in the milk then once the sauce has reached a gentle simmer, whisk in the sliced American cheese. Once fully melted whisk in cubed cream cheese until melted. Finally, turn off the heat then whisk in half of the shredded cheeses.
Put it all together: Pour cheese sauce over the cooked pasta, then stir in the cubed cheese, finally top with the rest of the shredded cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Smoke: Transfer the pan of mac and cheese to a sheet pan to take to the smoker. Place the pan of mac and cheese on the bottom of the smoker, set a timer for 40 – 45 minutes. Fill the wood chip compartment with your favorite hardwood(for this recipe, I used hickory), then continue to smoke mac and cheese at 265 degrees or until the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly. Add more wood chips if needed.
Then fill the wood chips compartment with your favorite hardwood. Smoke at 250 degrees until the mac and cheese is browned and bubbly with the cheese melted. Increase heat to 260 degrees Fahrenheit, then smoke for another 20 minutes. Add more wood chips if needed
Alternatively, you can smoke your mac and cheese at 250 degrees for 1 hour with mesquite wood chips, then increase the heat to 260 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes to brown the cheese.
Serve: Allow to cool slightly, then serve.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese with Yogurt
- Best Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Easy Black Bean Burgers
- Farro Salad with Feta
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Cream
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3 cheese Smoked Mac and Cheese Electric Smoker
Equipment
- Electric smoker mine is a 30-inch Masterbuilt
- 1 Strainer or colander
- 1 whisk
- 1 disposable aluminum roaster pan that can fit your smoker I used one 11 ¾ inch x 9 ⅜ in x 2 5/16 in
- wood chips use your favorite hardwood, I used mesquite or hickory
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta shells or macaroni elbows
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces sliced American cheese 12 slices, unwrapped
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 16 ounces shredded cheese 5 cups, divided
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese cubed, cobly, monterey jack, or even pepper jack
Instructions
- Preheat the electric smoker outside at 265 degrees Fahrenheit with the vent closed for 30 – 45 minutes, until it reaches temperature.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1 lb pasta shells or macaroni noodles until it reaches al dente or until it has some bite to it. Drain then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer cooked pasta to an disposable aluminum roaster pan(11 ¾ inch x 9 ⅜ in x 2 5/16 in), drizzle with olive oil or stir in a tablespoon of butter so the pasta doesn’t stick together. Cover the pan with a piece of foil so it doesn’t dry out then set it aside to make the cheese sauce.
- Make the three cheese sauce: In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in the 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour1 teaspoon ground paprika, 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Whisk until everything is combined then cook the flour for 1 – 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Whisk in 2 cups milk then once the sauce has reached a gentle simmer, whisk in 8 ounces sliced American cheese. Once the cheese has fully melted whisk in 4 ounces cream cheeseuntil melted. Finally, turn off the heat then whisk in half of the shredded cheeses.
- Put it all together: Pour cheese sauce over the cooked pasta, then stir in 6 ounces cheddar cheese, finally top with the rest of the shredded cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper.
- Smoke: Transfer the pan of mac and cheese to a sheet pan to take to the smoker. Place the pan of mac and cheese on the bottom of the smoker, set a timer for 40 – 45 minutes. Fill the wood chip compartment with your favorite hardwood(for this recipe, I used hickory), then continue to smoke mac and cheese at 265 degrees or until the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly. Add more wood chips if needed.
- Alternatively, you can smoke your mac and cheese at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour with mesquite wood chips, then increase the heat to 260 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes to brown the cheese. Add more wood chips if needed.
- Serve: Allow to cool slightly then serve.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
