5 Cheese Smoked Mac Holy Smokers Way

🧀 5 Cheese Smoked Mac

A Holy Smokers Rub Co. Recipe  

Serves 8–10 as a side  |  Pecan Wood  |  Noodles cooked in chicken broth  |  Total time ~2.5 hours

This is not a boxed mac. This is not a weeknight shortcut. This is a five-cheese, roux-built, chicken-broth-cooked, pecan-smoked cast iron statement that belongs on every serious BBQ spread. Creamy and saucy all the way through with a golden cheese pull in every scoop — topped with crispy crumbled bacon and kissed with pecan smoke. The 5 Cheese Smoked Mac. Bold, unapologetic, and built to feed a crowd. Bludso's would approve.

INGREDIENTS:

The Pasta

• 1 lb elbow macaroni

• 4–6 cups chicken broth (enough to fully submerge the pasta)

• 1 tsp sea salt (for the broth)

Cooking the noodles in chicken broth instead of plain water is the foundation of this recipe. The pasta absorbs the broth as it cooks, building a savory depth into every noodle before the cheese sauce ever touches it. Use a good quality broth — it matters here.

The Five-Cheese Blend

• 1½ cups sharp cheddar, freshly shredded

• 1½ cups mild cheddar, freshly shredded

• 1 cup Colby Jack, freshly shredded

• ¾ cup mozzarella, freshly shredded

• ½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

• Holy Smokers AP Rub

CRITICAL: Always shred your own cheese from the block. Pre-shredded bagged cheese is coated in cellulose and anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly — you will get a grainy, broken sauce. Buy blocks and shred them yourself. Worth every minute.

Cheese ratio logic: Sharp cheddar is your backbone flavor. Mild cheddar smooths it out. Colby Jack adds a buttery melt. Mozzarella gives the stretch and pull. Parmesan adds a sharp, salty depth that ties everything together.

The Roux & Sauce Base

• 4 TBS unsalted butter

• 4 TBS all-purpose flour

• 2 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk

• 1 cup reserved pasta cooking broth (set aside before draining)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ tsp white pepper (white pepper keeps the sauce clean — no black flecks)

• Pinch of nutmeg (classic béchamel touch — subtle but rounds out the cheese)

Evaporated milk is the secret weapon here. It has a higher milk solid content than regular milk or even heavy cream, which means it holds the emulsion better under heat and creates that ultra-creamy, almost silky sauce that doesn't break on the smoker.

The Topping

• 6–8 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

• ½ cup sharp cheddar reserved for the top layer

Cook the bacon before you start the mac. Crumble it and set it aside. The bacon goes on top right before the smoker so it caramelizes further during the smoke without over-crisping.

The Wood

• Pecan wood chunks or chips — mild, sweet, nutty smoke that enhances the cheese without overpowering it

Pecan is the perfect wood for mac & cheese. It's gentle enough to complement dairy without turning it bitter. Hickory would be too aggressive here — trust the pecan.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bacon First: Cook the bacon first. Lay thick-cut bacon strips in a cold skillet, bring to medium heat, and cook until crispy. Set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, crumble into hearty pieces — not dust. Set aside.

2. Cook Noodles in Broth: Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot with 1 tsp sea salt. Add the elbow macaroni and cook to just under al dente — about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. The pasta will continue cooking on the smoker, so you do not want it fully cooked here. Before draining, scoop out and reserve 1 full cup of the starchy, savory cooking broth. Drain the rest.

3. Build the Roux: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes until the roux turns a light golden color and smells nutty. Do not let it brown — you want a blonde roux.

4. Build the Sauce: Slowly pour in the evaporated milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the reserved cup of chicken broth pasta water. Keep whisking over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with sea salt, white pepper, and the pinch of nutmeg.

5. Add the Five Cheeses: Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese in stages — never dump it all in at once. Start with the sharp cheddar, then mild cheddar, then Colby Jack, then mozzarella, then Parmesan last. Stir between each addition until fully melted before adding the next. This staged melting is what keeps the sauce smooth and prevents it from breaking or becoming grainy.

6. Combine: Lightly season with Holy Smokers AP seasoning &  Fold the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce and stir until every noodle is fully coated. The sauce should be loose and saucy — it will tighten slightly on the smoker. If it feels too thick already, add a splash of the reserved pasta broth to loosen it.

7. Pan & Top: Pour the mac and cheese into a seasoned cast iron skillet or a large disposable aluminum half-pan. Spread evenly. Scatter the reserved ½ cup of sharp cheddar evenly over the top. Then distribute the crumbled bacon across the entire surface.

8. Smoke: Preheat your smoker to 225°F with pecan wood. Place the pan uncovered directly on the smoker grates. Smoke for 1 to 1.5 hours — until the top is set, golden, and slightly caramelized around the edges, and the cheese on top is bubbling. Do not cover it — you want the smoke to penetrate the surface and the top to develop color.

9. Rest & Serve: Pull from the smoker and let rest 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will tighten slightly as it rests — this is normal and correct. Serve directly from the cast iron or pan with a large spoon. Watch people go back for thirds.

COOK TIME AT A GLANCE

• Bacon: 15–20 minutes

• Cook noodles in broth: 8–10 minutes

• Build roux and cheese sauce: 15–20 minutes

• Combine and pan: 5 minutes

• Smoke at 225°F uncovered: 1 to 1.5 hours

• Rest: 10 minutes

• Total: approximately 2 to 2.5 hours

PRO TIPS & NOTES

• Never use pre-shredded cheese: This cannot be overstated. The anti-caking coating on bagged shredded cheese is the number one reason homemade mac and cheese turns out grainy. Block cheese only, shredded by hand right before use.

• The pasta broth reserve: That reserved cup of starchy chicken broth is liquid gold. It has body from the pasta starch and flavor from the broth. Use it to adjust sauce consistency at any stage — during the sauce build, when combining with pasta, or even on the smoker if it gets too tight.

• Don't overcook the pasta: Pull it 1–2 minutes early. It looks underdone. That is correct. The smoker will finish it. Fully cooked pasta going into a smoker for 90 minutes = mush.

• Cast iron vs aluminum pan: Cast iron holds heat better and gives a slightly crispier bottom edge. Aluminum is easier to transport and serves a crowd. Both work. If using cast iron, preheat it slightly before adding the mac so it doesn't seize on cold iron.

• Smoke temp discipline: 225°F is the target. Don't let it creep up to 275°F — at higher temps the cheese sauce can break and become greasy. Low and slow keeps the emulsion stable.

• Pairs perfectly with: Cowboy Brisket Baked Beans and Holy Smokers Pork Butt Burnt Ends. Together these three dishes are a complete, crowd-stopping BBQ spread built entirely around Holy Smokers Rub Co. flavors.

FLAVOR PROFILE

Deep savory backbone from chicken broth-cooked noodles • Sharp cheddar bite balanced by smooth mild cheddar and buttery Colby Jack • Mozzarella stretch and Parmesan depth in every bite • Ultra-creamy evaporated milk sauce that stays saucy through the smoke • Gentle pecan smoke that complements dairy without overpowering • Crispy salty bacon on top for texture and contrast

Holy Smokers Rub Co.  •  https://holysmokersrubco.com •  Cook it low, smoke it right.

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