Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese is rich and creamy with tender pasta smothered in a cheesy sauce. Topped off with some delicious pulled pork, it will make your taste buds scream!
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A classic combination of two of my favorite comfort foods, they pair so well with each other. Whether you make my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe or your own, this one will quickly become a family favorite.
Why this recipe works
This homemade mac is packed with flavor and is a great way to use leftover pulled pork. This cheesy mac is a great option for football parties, summer cookouts, or potlucks like my Bacon Jalapeno Mac n Cheese or this Ultimate Five Mac and Cheese.
Pulled Pork Mac N Cheese Ingredients
- Pasta: I use elbow pasta but any short pasta will work fine.
- Butter: Both salted and unsalted butter will work.
- Flour: All-purpose flour to help thicken the homemade cheese sauce.
- Half and Half: One-half whole milk and half heavy cream. The higher the fat content the creamier the sauce.
- Mustard powder: Adds an acidity to help cut through the fat.
- Cayenne powder: Totally optional but adds a nice kick.
- Cheese: Pepper jack cheese and white cheddar cheese.
- Pulled pork: Leftover pulled pork or store-bought works too.
- Bbq sauce: I use Kinder barbecue sauce but use your favorite bbq sauce.
How to make BBQ Pork Mac
- Step 1: Melt butter in a large 12-inch skillet on medium-high heat
- Step 2: Whisk in the all-purpose flour.
- Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium, add in the half and half, spices, and whisk let simmer.
- Step 4: Turn off the heat and whisk in the shredded cheese.
- Step 5: Stir in the al dente pasta.
- Step 6: Add the pulled pork on top of the mac and cheese and bake. Serve with a drizzle of tangy BBQ sauce.
Recipe Tips
- I use this 12-inch cast iron skillet but If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet you can transfer the pasta and cheese sauce to a 9x13 baking dish or casserole dish.
- I use elbow macaroni like with my Southern Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Sausage but you can use any small pasta.
- We prefer white cheddar and pepper jack cheese in this recipe but mozzarella or smoked gouda would also have amazing flavor.
- This dish comes out really creamy (almost soupy ) at first but letting it sit for 15 minutes will allow the cheesy sauce to soak into the pasta.
- Top the dish with some extra shredded cheese and a drizzle of bbq sauce before baking.
- Use my Shredded BBQ Chicken instead of pulled pork.
Recipe Faq's
You can make my slow cooker pulled pork recipe, super easy and perfect for freezing any leftover bbq pork. Or you can purchase pulled pork from Costco or your local grocery store.
There are two reasons this might happen. Either it was baked too long or you used too much pasta to prevents you from getting a creamy mac. This mac and cheese has an extra creamy sauce to allow the noodles to absorb some while baking.
There are several cheeses that pair nicely with pulled pork. My favorite is a sharp cheddar cheese; it adds a rich flavor and melts beautifully. Monterey Jack or pepper Jack is smooth and creamy and has a little kick. Gouda has a rich and creamy texture that pairs well with the sweetness of the pork. Mozzarella adds a nice stringy texture to your dish.
To get perfectly juicy pulled pork you need to use a pork shoulder or pork butt that's seasoned generously. By cooking the pork low and slow, either in the slow cooker, oven, or a smoker, you'll have juicy pork that melts in your mouth that the whole family will love.
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Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups half n half
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese, Shredded
- 2 cups white cheddar, shredded shredded
- 4 cups pulled pork
- 1 cup Bbq sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil Cook pasta al dente. Turn off heat and drain water and set aside.
- Heat a 12-inch oven safe skillet (*see notes) on medium high heat and melt butter. Once butter is melted whisk in flour for 30 seconds.
- Slowly add in half n half, ground mustard and cayenne powder and whisk until combined. Bring to a low simmer, while whisking just until thickened.
- Turn off the heat and add in the cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted and smooth. Fold in the cooked pasta and spread out evenly into the skillet (or transfer to you baking dish)
- Add the pulled pork on top of the mac and cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let set 15 minutes, the sauce will continue soaking into the pasta.
- Add a drizzle of bbq sauce if desired.
Haha, so happy you love it 🙂
This recipe is so delicious, I can't sop eating it.