Slow Cooker BBQ Mac and Cheese
A rich stovetop cheese sauce meets slow cooker pulled pork and a drizzle of BBQ sauce. This is mac and cheese as a full dinner — no casserole dish, no baking, no apologies.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 2 cup pulled pork from Slow Cooker Pulled Pork or Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas, warmed — or store-bought BBQ pulled pork
Dairy
- 2 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded — or substitute more sharp cheddar
- 2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided — 2 tbsp for roux, 2 tbsp for pasta
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 12 oz cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup BBQ sauce your favorite — Sweet Baby Ray's or Stubb's recommended, plus more for drizzling
Produce
- 3 green onion thinly sliced, for serving
Seasonings & Spices
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional, for heat
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatappi according to package directions until just al dente — pull it 1 minute early if anything, because it will continue softening when folded into the hot cheese sauce. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, warm the pulled pork in a small saucepan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen it, or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through. Stir in the BBQ sauce until the pork is evenly coated. Keep warm.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a light golden color and smells slightly nutty. This is your roux — it's what keeps the cheese sauce from breaking.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream, adding a little at a time and whisking out any lumps before adding more. Once all the liquid is incorporated, cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Add the shredded cheddar and gruyere a handful at a time, stirring between additions until each handful is fully melted before adding the next. Do not rush this step — adding all the cheese at once can cause the sauce to seize. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the drained pasta to the cheese sauce. Fold gently to coat every piece of pasta. If the sauce feels too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until you reach a consistency that coats the pasta without pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the mac and cheese into bowls. Top each serving generously with BBQ pulled pork. Drizzle with extra BBQ sauce, scatter sliced green onion over the top, and serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe uses your existing slow cooker pulled pork — from the Slow Cooker Pulled Pork or Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipes on this site — as the protein. Store-bought BBQ pulled pork from the grocery store works equally well and keeps this a true weeknight recipe with no planning required.
Freshly shredded cheese is not negotiable here. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents (usually potato starch or cellulose) that prevent it from melting smoothly into a cream sauce. You will end up with a grainy, broken sauce. Buy a block of sharp cheddar and shred it yourself — it takes two minutes and makes an enormous difference.
Add the cheese on low heat, a handful at a time. High heat causes the proteins in cheese to tighten and the fat to separate, which breaks the sauce. Low and slow, handful by handful, is the only way to a smooth result.
Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring until smooth. The microwave works but the sauce can separate — if it does, a quick stir usually brings it back together.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!