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–+ servings
Creamy baked mac and cheese with golden crispy mozzarella and Colby Jack top, garnished with freshly chopped chives in a foil pan

Baked Mac and Cheese on the Grill

Elbow macaroni in a roux based three cheese sauce finished off the heat so it stays smooth, then layered with a full sheet of shredded cheese in the middle and more on top, and baked at 400°F on the grill until the top is bubbly, browned and crispy.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni Boiled to al dente. It keeps cooking on the grill.
  • 1 lb mozzarella cheese freshly shredded off the block
  • 1 lb Colby Jack cheese freshly shredded off the block
  • 0.5 lb sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded off the block
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 12 oz evaporated milk
  • 2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 0.5 tbsp Dijon mustard Goes in last. You will not taste mustard.
  • Freshly chopped chives or parsley For topping.

Equipment

  • Grill An oven works at the same temperature.
  • Large Pot For boiling the macaroni.
  • Heavy saucepan or skillet For the roux and the cheese sauce.
  • Whisk
  • Box grater Grate all three cheeses off the block.
  • Foil pan or baking dish

Method
 

Cook the Pasta and Grate the Cheese
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
Make the Cheese Sauce
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
Layer and Bake
  1. Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix well, making sure every noodle is coated.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Remove it and finish with freshly chopped chives or parsley. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Grate your own cheese: Bagged shredded cheese is dusted with cellulose or potato starch so it will not clump in the bag. That coating stops it binding into your sauce and leaves it grainy.
Kill the heat before the cheese: Cheese is fat and protein held in an emulsion. Too much heat breaks it and you cannot bring it back. The residual heat in the sauce is plenty.
The middle cheese layer: A solid sheet of cheese between the two layers of macaroni melts into its own distinct layer that pulls when you serve it. Mixing that cheese into the sauce would just make the sauce cheesier.
Oven method: Same temperature, same dish, same result.
Timing: Cook time is an estimate. Neither the memo nor the source recipe specified a bake duration. Go by bubbly, browned and crispy on top.

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