Smoked Mac & Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumb Bark | Better Than BBQ?

Описание: Smoke & Spirit: Wood-Fired Eats and Fermentation Feasts

Mac & Cheese just leveled up. We’re taking classic comfort food and giving it real wood-fired flavor on the pellet smoker — with a crispy breadcrumb bark that eats like BBQ crust.

Perfect for Lent, meatless Fridays, or anytime you want a side dish that steals the show.

#MacAndCheese #PelletSmoker #SmokedMac #LentRecipes #BBQSideDish

🧾 FULL RECIPE
🛒 Ingredients

Pasta
1 lb elbow macaroni

Cheese Sauce
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 cups whole milk (warm)
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz sharp cheddar (fresh grated)
6 oz Gruyère
4 oz smoked gouda
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt & pepper

Breadcrumb Bark
1 cup panko
2 tbsp melted butter
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
Pinch salt

🔥 Smoker Setup

Temp: 225°F
Wood: Apple or Hickory (light smoke — don’t overpower)
Use cast iron or foil pan

👨‍🍳 Method

Cook pasta to JUST al dente.
Make roux (butter + flour).
Slowly whisk in warm milk + cream.
Stir in cheeses off heat.
Season.
Fold in pasta.
Mix breadcrumb topping.
Sprinkle evenly.
Smoke uncovered 45–60 min.
Optional: crank to 350°F last 10 min for max bark.

🍺 DRINK PAIRING SEGMENT
Root Beer & Rum
Family: Dessert
Base Spirit: Rum
Flavor: Vanilla + molasses + caramel
Difficulty: Easy
Episode Theme: Family Friendly
Pairing: Smoked Mac n Cheese

• 2 oz dark rum
• 6–8 oz cold root beer
• Optional: dash vanilla extract or 2 drops vanilla bitters

Fill glass with ice (Optional: replace ice with Vanilla Ice Cream)
Add rum
Top with root beer
Gentle stir

Glass: High Ball
Garnish: Vanilla Ice Cream or a Black Licorice Whip

00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Welcome
00:35 - The Cheese Sauce
08:51 - The Breadcrumb Crust
12:21 - Get the Mac n Cheese on the smoker
12:32 - The Cocktail
16:48 - It's Done!
17:24 - One more cheese flavor!
18:20 - The Taste!
20:07 - Prost!