Texas Gold Smoked Mac & Cheese
Three cheeses, a rub-crusted top, and an hour of smoke.
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups whole milk, warm
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey jack, shredded
- 1 cup smoked gouda, shredded
- 2 tbsp Texas Gold, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp melted butter
How I cook it
Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of the package time. It finishes in the smoker. Drain and set aside.
Melt 4 tbsp butter in a pot, whisk in the flour, and cook 1 minute.
Whisk in the warm milk a little at a time until smooth. Simmer until it coats a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in all three cheeses and 1 tbsp Texas Gold until melted. Fold in the pasta.
Pour into a buttered cast-iron skillet or 9x13 pan.
Mix the panko with the melted butter and the remaining 1 tbsp of rub. Spread over the top.
Smoke at 250°F for 45–60 minutes, uncovered, until the top is golden and the edges bubble.
Undercook the pasta - mushy mac is the number one way people ruin this. Texas Gold in the crust is what makes people ask what's in it. Pecan wood is my pick here; mesquite will bully the cheese.
Gear for this cook
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