Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Yield: 6 servings
This easy Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese recipe is flavorful and decadent, with curly pasta, three kinds of cheese, and tender shredded pork in a homemade BBQ sauce. It's melty, gooey comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cavatappi pasta (or your favorite medium-sized noodle)
- 8 ounces pulled pork
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce (homemade or your favorite one from the store)
- 4 ounces freshly shredded smoked gouda
- 4 ounces freshly shredded medium cheddar
- 4 ounces freshly shredded fontina
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions until one minute less than al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- While pasta is cooking, add pulled pork to a medium bowl and pour bbq sauce over the top. Fold to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the gouda, cheddar, and fontina. Set aside.
- Add olive oil and red onion to a large skillet set over medium heat. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until red onion is just tender.
- Add butter to red onion. Once butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic, and stir it in to create a roux. Cook the roux for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously until no lumps remain. Cook the sauce over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until it is bubbling and slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low, then slowly stir in ¾ of the shredded cheese mixture (reserve the rest for sprinkling over the top before it’s baked). Add salt, pepper, and paprika, and continue stirring until cheese has fully melted.
- Add cooked cavatappi to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. If cheese sauce is too thick or doesn’t cover the pasta evenly, add a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Continue adding small splashes, until the sauce is very creamy and evenly coats the pasta. I usually add about ¼ cup.
- Transfer half of the mac and cheese to the greased baking dish, then top it with half of the pulled pork and half of the green onions.
- Top with the remaining mac and cheese, the remaining pulled pork, and the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and the top is starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining sliced green onions. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 575kcal Carbohydrates: 48g Protein: 27g Fat: 31g Saturated Fat: 17g Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 99mg Sodium: 984mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 17g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.