Triple Smoked Garlic Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
What Makes This Mac and Cheese Triple Smoked?
There is no shortage of mac and cheese recipes floating around the BBQ world these days, but this one takes things a step further by building smoke flavor into every layer of the dish.
The first layer comes from smoked chicken. This recipe is a perfect excuse to use up leftover smoked chicken from a previous cook, and the rich, savory flavor works perfectly with the creamy cheese sauce.
The second layer comes from smoked Wisconsin white cheddar cheese. Instead of relying entirely on the smoker to carry the flavor, the smoked cheese adds another level of depth and richness directly into the sauce itself, then comes the final layer of smoke.
Once everything is combined, the mac and cheese heads back onto the smoker with a layer of seasoned panko breadcrumbs on top. As the cheese bubbles and the topping crisps up, the entire dish picks up one more layer of authentic hardwood flavor from the grill.
BBQ Comfort Food at Its Finest
This is the kind of dish that always disappears quickly at cookouts, tailgates, holidays, and backyard gatherings. Creamy cheese sauce, tender smoked chicken, toasted breadcrumbs, garlic, and hardwood smoke all come together into something that feels familiar while still bringing serious BBQ flavor to the table.
While it works perfectly as a side dish, it can also become a full meal with just a few additions. Brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage, bacon, broccoli, or roasted vegetables all fit naturally into this recipe. The best part is that it is surprisingly simple to put together, especially if you already have leftover smoked chicken sitting in the refrigerator from another cook.
Building the Cheese Sauce
A great smoked mac and cheese starts with the sauce, and this one leans heavily into savory garlic flavor without overpowering the dish. Croix Valley Garlic Barbecue Booster blends garlic, herbs, and seasoning directly into the cream sauce, helping balance the richness of the cheese while complementing the smoke flavor coming off the grill.
The combination of smoked cheddar, Swiss cheese, heavy cream, garlic, and seasoning creates a sauce that is creamy, rich, and smooth enough to coat every piece of pasta evenly. Once the chicken and pasta are folded into the sauce, the seasoned panko breadcrumbs finish things off with a crispy topping that contrasts perfectly against the creamy interior.
A Smoker Recipe Worth Repeating
Some recipes are fun to make once, while others become part of the regular rotation. This one tends to fall into the second category.
Whether it is being served alongside ribs and brisket at a backyard BBQ or standing on its own as a comfort food dinner, Triple Smoked Garlic Chicken Mac and Cheese delivers the kind of flavor people remember.
The combination of smoke, garlic, creamy cheese sauce, and crispy topping checks every box for BBQ comfort food, while still being approachable enough for cooks of any skill level to pull off successfully, and once that bubbling pan comes off the smoker, it usually does not last very long.
Triple Smoked Garlic Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
Creamy, smoky and loaded with rich barbecue flavor, this Triple Smoked Garlic Chicken Mac and Cheese is comfort food built for the grill. Smoked chicken, smoked Wisconsin cheddar cheese and a final kiss of hardwood smoke combine with Croix Valley Garlic Barbecue Booster to create a bold and cheesy BBQ side dish that can easily stand on its own as a hearty meal. Perfect for backyard cookouts, family dinners, tailgates and barbecue feasts.
- Author
- Croix Valley
- Servings
- 9
Ingredients
- Smoked Chicken, cooked
- 16 oz. Cavatappi or macaroni noodles
- 6 oz. Smoked Wisconsin White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 6 oz Emmentaler or Swiss Cheese, shredded
- 3 Tbsp Flour
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 3 Tbsp Garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp Croix Valley Garlic Barbecue Booster
- 2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 Tbsp Croix Valley Garlic Parmesan Wing & BBQ Booster
Directions
- Preheat grill/smoker to 350° and add a couple of chunks of hardwood (Hickory, Oak or Pecan work nicely for this recipe). The smoker is ready when the hardwood smoke has become a thin blue smoke.
- Cook Pasta according to package directions until tender. Drain and place in a foil pan for the smoker.
- In a saucepan on the stovetop, create a roux by melting butter and vigorously whisk in flour until well blended and there are no clumps (adding flour slowly during whisking helps to ensure a smooth consistency).
- Whisk in heavy cream and Garlic Booster, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and slowly add cheeses until they are well melted and blended. Add minced garlic, stir to incorporate, remove from heat.
- Add chopped/pulled smoked and cooked chicken to the pasta in the foil pan and combine. Add cheese sauce and stir, coating the pasta and chicken thoroughly.
- In a bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan garlic Wing Booster. Mix well.
- Evenly distribute bread crumbs over pasta (spray with a light coat of spray cooking oil to promote browning), place on smoker and bake for 30 minutes or until top begins to brown and cheeses are bubbly at the edge.
