Baked Mac and Cheese on the Grill
This mac and cheese on the grill goes in at 400 and comes out with a crispy browned cheese top over another layer of cheese buried deep in the middle. Three cheeses grated fresh into a roux based sauce that’s finished off the heat for silky smooth cheese sauce. It’s easy enough for a backyard cookout side dish or feeding a tailgate. Pairs with anything else you happen to be grilling up.
What Goes Into Baked Mac and Cheese
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Elbow macaroni | Cook your elbow macaroni like you would for mac and cheese. Boil it until al dente, not past it. Remember, it’s still going to cook more once it hits the grill. |
| Mozzarella | Provides the stretch. |
| Colby Jack | Provides the melt. |
| Sharp cheddar | Provides the flavor. All three grated fresh, which we’ll discuss below. |
| Butter and flour | Equal parts butter and flour is your roux. |
| Evaporated milk | Creamy, concentrated milk that doesn’t break down like regular milk will. |
| Heavy whipping cream | Provides the body of your sauce. |
| Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika | Seasoning base. |
| Chicken bouillon powder | Salt and savory in one. |
| Dijon mustard | Added last. You don’t taste mustard, it sharpens the cheese. |
| Chives or parsley | Just chopped over the top at the end. |
Find the exact amounts for these ingredients in the recipe card below.
Grate Your Own Cheese
I can not stress this step enough. Buy the blocks and grate them yourself.
Bagged shredded cheese is dusted with cellulose or potato starch so it doesn’t clump together in the bag. That stuff does exactly what it’s supposed to when you add it to your sauce. Not bind. You’re left with grainy sauce that no amount of stirring will fix.
Grating 3lbs of cheese is no one’s idea of a good time, but trust me, do it anyway. There’s a difference between authentic mac and cheese and noodles covered in cheese that won’t melt properly.
How I Made the Baked Mac and Cheese
I boiled the pasta to al dente then shocked it in cold water to stop the cooking. Set it aside.
Grated all three cheeses and set them aside.
Made a roux by melting butter in the pot and whisking flour in.
Cooked the roux until it turned brown and smelled like fresh bread.
Whisked in the whipping cream and evaporated milk.
Added seasonings, then Dijon last. Then brought it up to a boil.
Turned off the heat entirely then stirred in half the cheese. Let the residual heat melt it.
Added noodles and coated them very well.
Put half the mac in the baking dish, topped with cheese. Added remaining mac on top of that and more cheese on top.
Baked until the top was bubbly and browned and crispy.
Sprinkled with chopped chives and let rest a few minutes before serving.
All times and temperatures are included in the recipe card below.
Turn the Heat Off Before the Cheese Goes In
The easiest step to get wrong when melting cheese into a sauce. If the sauce breaks nobody can fix it.
Cheese is essentially fat and protein bound together with an emulsion. Too much heat and that emulsion breaks apart. Fat separates from protein. The protein forms little strings that squeeze out the fat. You get oily sauce with little bites of rubber in it. Once it breaks, you can’t un-break it.
Kill your heat first. The sauce is still going to be hot enough to melt your cheese. Doing so will also prevent the cheese from ever getting hot enough to seize. Stir it in and let the pot do the work.
Half the cheese goes in here. Reserve half for layering.
Why It Gets Layered Instead of Mixed
Every other recipe has you stirring everything together then dumping cheese on top. There’s an entire layer of cheese hidden in the middle here.
It’s for texture reasons. The sauce coats each noodle and makes the whole thing creamy. A solid layer of cheese melts into its own separate layer that you’ll actually hit when you stick a spoon in. It pulls. Now think about the texture of mac and cheese that has been completely homogenized. There’s no pull.
When you mix your cheese into your sauce, all you’re doing is making your sauce cheesy. Layer it, and you get a nice, distinct, melt of cheese.
Bottom macaroni, cheese layer, top macaroni, cheese on top. The cheese on top browns and crisps up.
Make It in the Oven
Same temperature, same baking dish, same everything. Oven until bubbly and brown on top then let rest the same.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Build the entire thing, cover it and store in the fridge until you want to cook it. It’ll take longer to come up to temp since it starts cold.
Leftovers store well covered in the fridge. Reheat with a splash of cream or milk, baked mac will tighten up the longer it sits. Microwave is fine but you lose the crunchy top that way.
Author’s Notes
It Goes Well With Anything And Everything
For this one, very easy to make. It could be a great side for a nice cookout, for your next barbecue, even for your tailgating.
It is incredibly easy to make, very very good. You know, like, our family enjoyed it, so I recommend this one.
You can pair it up with some chicken and some fried chicken, or even a steak. It goes well really with anything and everything.
Miguel
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my cheese sauce grainy?
Skip bagged pre-shredded cheese and don’t add the cheese while the pot’s still on the heat. Grate your own cheese and turn off the burner before stirring in the cheese.
Can I use different cheeses?
Absolutely. Pick one that stretches, one that melts smoothly and one that tastes like cheese. Choose your own favorites that fit those categories and you’ll be fine.
Do I need to shock my pasta?
Pasta shock stops the noodles from continuing to cook while they’re on the grill. You can skip this step if you plan to immediately add your noodles to the sauce after boiling, but starting al dente is preferred either way.
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Baked Mac and Cheese on the Grill
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the elbow macaroni. Cook for about 7 to 9 minutes, just until the noodles are al dente. Quickly shock the macaroni with cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well and set aside.
- Freshly grate all of the mozzarella, Colby Jack and sharp cheddar and set it aside. Grating your own is what lets the cheese melt properly into a smooth sauce.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk it together. Cook the roux until it turns lightly brown and smells like freshly baked bread.
- Slowly add the heavy whipping cream and evaporated milk while whisking constantly. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and chicken bouillon powder, then the Dijon mustard last. Bring everything to a boil.
- Turn the heat off completely, then add half of the shredded cheese. Stir until it is fully melted and incorporated. The residual heat is enough, and cutting the heat is what keeps the sauce from breaking.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix well, making sure every noodle is coated.
- Grease a baking dish and add half of the macaroni. Spread it out evenly, then add a full layer of shredded cheese. Add the remaining macaroni on top and finish with another generous layer of shredded cheese.
- Place the dish on your grill or in the oven at 400°F. Cook until the cheese is melted, bubbly, golden brown and crispy on top.
- Remove it and finish with freshly chopped chives or parsley. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
