Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese
This Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese combines two meals in one! A fun and easy weeknight meal for the whole family!
A FUN TWIST ON MACARONI AND CHEESE
This Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese is one of my favorite food combos. I first had meal this at a BBQ joint and thought it was a brilliant combination of flavors! This is a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that is topped with shredded pulled pork and BBQ sauce. This has become a staple in my house and we have started making it a lot because it is easy and a whole meal in one! If you want a fun twist to your usual macaroni and cheese routine, then you need to try this Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese recipe!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I have found that I really like the mixture of cheddar and gouda in this recipe. But you really can use any of your favorite cheeses for this. Whatever you choose, I highly recommend using freshly grated cheese as it melts better.
You can use any leftover pulled pork from any recipes that you make or you can buy pre-made pulled pork from the grocery store. Generally you will find it either near the lunch meat or near the fresh meat section.
I have made this with leftover SMOKED PULLED PORK as well as my CROCK POT PULLED PORK and the flavors were phenomenal! You can’t go wrong!
Nope! You can use any of your favorite smaller pasta for this recipe such as penne, bowtie, spirals, etc.
Yes. Some great substitutions for this would be whole milk, heavy cream or half and half.
I would store the pulled pork and macaroni and cheese in separate containers. The macaroni and cheese and pulled pork will last in airtight containers in the refrigerator or up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer container or freezer bag and it should keep for up to 6 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- macaroni
- salted butter
- all-purpose flour
- evaporated milk
- chicken broth
- salt
- pepper
- dijon mustard
- onion powder
- garlic
- cheddar cheese
- gouda cheese
- pulled pork
- bbq sauce
HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK MACARONI AND CHEESE:
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. When you drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use later. Strain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop it from cooking and getting softer. Set this aside.
Melt the 4 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or large skillet.
Then use a whisk to blend in the flour. Cook this for 5 minutes, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Lower the heat and whisk in the evaporated milk, chicken broth, salt, pepper, mustard, onion powder and garlic. Raise the heat back to medium and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. It should be slightly thickened.
Turn the heat off and immediately whisk in the cheese, a little at a time.
Add the cooked pasta to the pot and stir until well mixed. If you like a thinner consistency, stir in some of the reserved pasta water from earlier.
Top with warmed pulled pork and barbecue sauce.
Serve and enjoy!
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Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni (16 ounces)
- 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded gouda cheese
- 1 pound of your favorite pulled pork (warmed up)
- BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Cook 1 pound macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Before draining the macaroni, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use later. Strain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop it from cooking and getting softer. Set this aside.
- Melt 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or large skillet.
- Then use a whisk to blend in the 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook this for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
- Lower the heat and whisk in 12 ounce can evaporated milk, 1 cup chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Raise the heat back to medium and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. It should be slightly thickened.
- Turn the heat off and immediately whisk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 2 cups shredded gouda cheese, a little at a time.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the pot and stir until well mixed. If you like a thinner consistency, this is where you will use some of the reserved pasta water from earlier.
- Warm up 1 pound of your favorite pulled pork then serve on top of the macaroni and cheese and additional BBQ sauce!
Notes
- You can use your favorite pasta for this.
- Don’t like some of the seasonings like onion powder or the dijon mustard? Just leave them out!
- Use leftover pulled pork or buy pre-made pulled pork from the store.
- Any of your favorite BBQ sauce will work.
- You can use your favorite combination of cheeses.
- Freshly grated cheese works best as it melts better.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I have to be honest I didn’t follow the recipe to a T, but this recipe was incredible. I’m glad I used the Dijon mustard. That’s not something I usually do, but the flavor it added was so good. I made homemade pulled pork (nothing packaged). I cannot recommend this recipe enough. We had braised closed greens as the vegetable. I will absolutely be making this meal with this recipe again. Thank you!!
Awww Breanne – thank you SO much!! That really means a lot and I truly appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment and review! So happy y’all enjoyed this one!
Omg amazing