A small creamy side
Small Pan Smoked Macaroni and Cheese
Cook the pasta and cheese sauce before the pan goes into the smoker. The final stage adds a little smoke and a breadcrumb top rather than trying to hydrate dry macaroni in the dish.
- Makes
- 2 generous side portions in a small baking dish
- Preparation
- About 10 minutes
- Cooking or chilling
- About 15 minutes on the stove, then 25 to 40 minutes in the smoker
Get everything ready
Ingredients
2 generous side portions in a small baking dish
What you need
Saucepan, whisk, colander, smoker, small heat suitable baking dish and food thermometer.
Time to cook
Method
Cook the pasta
Heat the smoker to 275°F. Boil the macaroni according to its package until just tender. Drain well. Lightly grease a small heat suitable baking dish with a little of the measured butter.
Make the sauce
Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in the flour for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook 3 to 5 minutes until lightly thickened. Take off the heat, then stir in the cheddar, mustard, salt and paprika until melted.
Fill and top
Fold the macaroni into the sauce and spoon into the dish. Melt the remaining butter and mix with the crumbs. Scatter over the top.
Finish in the smoker
Cook about 25 to 40 minutes until bubbling at the edges and at least 165°F in the center. The crumbs may turn lightly golden rather than deeply brown at this temperature. Rest 5 minutes before dividing.
Use the oven when needed
For an oven route, put the assembled warm dish in a preheated 325°F oven instead of the smoker. Begin checking at 15 minutes and cook until bubbling and 165°F in the center, often about 20 to 25 minutes.
Before you make it
Freshly grated cheese helps
Grating from a block gives the sauce fewer added starches to deal with. Keep the sauce below a hard boil after adding cheese.
Use another small dish for extra batches
A doubled recipe in a deeper dish heats differently. Divide between similar dishes and check each center rather than promising the same cooking time.
Cooking times and serving counts are estimates. The planner rounds up to complete batches. When you multiply a batch, use additional pans or cook in stages rather than crowding the food.
Choose the setup
Compare cookware materials and temperature checks.
Serving and leftovers
Keep cold food at 40°F or below and hot food at 140°F or above. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Use a food thermometer for meat rather than relying on color.
Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Use or freeze refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. When a new dish uses previously cooked food, count from the oldest cooked component rather than starting the clock again.
USDA food handling guidance covers cooking temperatures, holding food, and refrigeration.
See USDA leftovers guidance for cooling, storage and reheating.