BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese is a one-pot dish with minimal ingredients. It’s ultra cheesy, saucy, and rich—everything you want in a good stove-top mac ‘n cheese!
This BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese is part of our Back-To-School Lifesavers — a series of recipes that are intended to have little (or no) veggie chopping, minimal prep time, around 10 ingredients or less (not including pantry staples), and use kid-friendly ingredients. Click here to see all the recipes in the series!
BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese
I recently had a BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese at a restaurant that was nothing short of unforgettable! Of course, a recreation (but simplified) had to be made and needed to qualify for this series.
So today we’ve got a super saucy, ultra cheesy, very rich mac and cheese dinner rippled with sweet BBQ pulled pork (or beef). This mac and cheese is intentionally very saucy and indulgent tasting. It’s got a lot of cheese! If you aren’t a fan of saucy mac ‘n cheese, this recipe may not be the best for you.
BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- Flour and Butter: These make a roux that makes the mac ‘n cheese super thick and stick to the pasta. Don’t use oil instead of butter; the fat in butter is key for a creamy sauce.
- Cheeses: A mix of cheeses is essential for great mac and cheese. We use sharp Cheddar and smoked Gouda for the best flavor, but you can swap some Cheddar for another type. Gruyere melts well, too. Using only Cheddar can make it grainy.
- BBQ Pork: For an easy back-to-school meal, use seasoned, fully cooked pork mixed with BBQ sauce. You can also use pulled beef or chicken.
Ingredients, Continued
- Rotini. We haven’t tested other types of pasta shapes/sizes in this dish and can’t vouch for how the recipe will work without this specific pasta. Not all pasta shapes/sizes cook at the same rate or absorb the same amount of liquid. If you’re unfamiliar with the names of various pasta types, here’s a great guide. BTW, rotini is the corkscrew kind.
- Seasonings. Here’s where you can choose to be minimalist or add a more complex flavor. The two essential spices are garlic and onion powder. We also love a touch of paprika, dry mustard powder, and chicken bouillon powder. If you have the spices on hand and an extra minute, we recommend throwing these in.
- Chicken stock. A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor add lets us cut down on other additions. We highly recommend Swanson’s® chicken stock (not sponsored). In a pinch, water will work, but you’ll likely need to increase salt and add a touch more seasoning.
- Milk. We recommend whole or 2% milk for an ultra-creamy BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese.
BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Tips
- Use whole milk. The higher the fat content of the milk, the smoother (and richer) the sauce will be. Even 2% milk can yield a grainy mac and cheese.
- Cook in a nonstick pot. While we tested this recipe in a cast-iron pot, we preferred the results of non-stick. Less babysitting with nonstick — the pasta sticks fairly frequently on a cast iron pot.
- Use room-temperature cheese and milk. If you think about it, set out the cheese and milk about 30 minutes to an hour before making this recipe. Warmer cheese melts nicer than cold cheese and warmer milk will form into a nice, thick sauce quicker.
BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese Tips, Continued
- Cheese is the star of the show here and while we’re really cutting down on overall ingredients, we want to use good quality cheese. Good cheese will melt better and create a luxuriously smooth sauce.
- Freshly grate the cheese: Although this recipe is supposed to be as easy as possible, we do recommend freshly grating the cheese to avoid a grainy or greasy meal. Pre-shredded cheese has a cellulose coating that doesn’t melt as well in recipes like this one.
- Add cheese off the heat. If the cheese is added while the pot is still on the stovetop, it can easily become grainy. With all the heat, the proteins in the cheese clump and will can cause a grainy sauce.
- Stir often. To ensure even cooking, give this BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese a good stir every few minutes.
Quick Tip
Number 1 Tip: Take the pan off the heat as soon as the pasta is al dente—it should have a little bite, not be mushy. The pasta will keep cooking and soak up liquid when you add the cheese. It’s better to take it off a bit early than too late; mushy pasta can’t be saved!
More Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Pasta with Boursin cheese
- Zucchini Pasta Sauce over spaghetti
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad with a tangy oregano-lemon vinaigrette
- Creamy Pesto Orzo made in one pot
- Pasta e Fagioli Olive Garden soup copycat
BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese
This BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese is a one-pot wonder with just a few ingredients. It's incredibly cheesy, saucy, and rich—everything you want in a perfect stove-top mac 'n cheese!
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1-1/2 cups whole milk
- 2-1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups rotini pasta uncooked
- 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or extra-sharp
- 3/4 cup shredded Gouda cheese see note 1
- 1 (16-ounce) package pulled beef in BBQ sauce or pork
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder optional
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon optional
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1–2 minutes until smooth. Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, dry mustard powder, chicken bouillon, and paprika. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously until the mixture thickens, about 1–2 minutes. Continue whisking as you slowly add the chicken stock, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the uncooked rotini pasta and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, allowing the roux to bubble gently at the edges and center. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom, for about 8–12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened. Don’t worry if it seems too thin—it will thicken further, especially after adding the cheese!
- Meanwhile, prepare the meat according to package directions to warm through in the microwave. Microwave for the least amount of time indicated on package. Remove any obvious chunks of fat/gristle and break apart large sections of pork with a fork.
- Once pasta is al dente, remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 1 minute. Stir in the Cheddar and Gouda cheeses. Stir gently until cheeses are fully incorporated and the pasta is nice and tender. Very gently stir in the pork or beef and then adjust seasonings to personal preference. Serve and enjoy immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1:Remove the dish from the stovetop as soon as the pasta is al dente, meaning it still has a firm bite and isn’t mushy. The pasta will continue cooking and absorb more liquid as you stir in the cheese. It's better to pull the pot off the heat slightly early—undercooked pasta can be fixed, but mushy pasta can't. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of milk to thin it out. If it's too thin or the noodles aren't firming up, return it to the stovetop over low heat for 1–2 more minutes.
Nutrition: Nutritional information may vary, depending on the brand of BBQ meat used.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 898kcal | Carbohydrates: 66.8g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 46.6g | Cholesterol: 156.8mg | Sodium: 790.7mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Iron: 7.6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi there! Making this tonight, recipe list says 1 1/2 cup whole milk, recipe itself says add 2 cups whole milk. Can you please clarify which is correct? Thanks so much! Love your recipes!!
Thank you so much Andrea, I appreciate that! 🙂 And so sorry for the typo; it is 1-1/2 cups milk, thank you!