My whole family loves homemade mac and cheese. It’s the go-to dish for busy weekday nights, BBQ parties, summer get togethers or pot lucks. When we really want to up the ante, we add the summer favorite – pulled pork – for a pulled pork mac and cheese superstar meal that people can’t resist. Add a summer dessert like our Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Skillet and you’ll have the best summer ever!
Why This Recipe is Great
Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes. This recipe is so easy to make that you can have it ready in less than 30 minutes.
Save Time with Curly’s Pulled Pork. Sure, you can make your own pulled pork with BBQ sauce, but we are all about easy and delicious right now, and this recipe comes together beautifully by using the Curly’s Pulled Pork that you can find in the grocery store. It’s already prepared (the hard work is done!) and you just have to heat and add to the mac and cheese. No one will know you didn’t make the pulled pork yourself. Win-win.
Three Types of Cheeses. The three types of cheeses (mozzarella, gouda and sharp cheddar) give this mac and cheese a creaminess that everyone loves.
The Pasta Is a Perfect Shape. Yes, you can use whatever shape of pasta that you’d like but we found that the spirals of cavatappi pasta is perfect to properly hold the cheese so every bite is cheesy.
Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- 4 TBSP butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup gouda cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 16 oz Curly’s Pulled Pork (or you can use 2 cups of any type of pulled pork in BBQ sauce)
- 20 oz cavatappi pasta
Step by Step Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook the pasta according to package direction for al dente (cavatappi pasta is usually about 12 minutes).
3. While pasta is cooking, it’s time to make the cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Then whisk in flour to create a roux. Cook the butter flour mixture for one minute and then slowly add the milk. Whisk the mixture vigorously until the milk is completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Cook mixture for 3-4 more minutes while whisking occasionally. The sauce will thicken slightly.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and add spices and 2/3 of the cheese, keeping 1/3 of the cheeses for the topping later.
5. Stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted.
6. When the pasta is ready, drain the pasta and return to large pot. Pour cheese sauce over pasta.
7. Stir well to coat all the pasta.
8. Transfer mac and cheese to an oven safe 13×9 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
9. Heat pulled pork according the package. Add pulled pork to the mac and cheese and with a spoon or knife, swirl the pulled pork into the pasta.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then turn oven to a low broil for 5 minutes to crisp up some of the pulled pork and cheese on top. Remove from oven and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Be very careful with the low broil at the end so you don’t burn the top. You just want to broil it for a few minutes so keep an eye on it.
- Additional types of cheeses can be added or substituted with no problem if you prefer different types.
- The pre-made pulled pork is the easiest and still delicious but feel free to make your own.
Faqs
While we prefer a combination of mozzarella, sharp cheddar and gouda, you can definitely mix it up. You can do all cheddar, add more gouda, Gruyère, brie or even cream cheese.
Sure, you can make this homemade mac and cheese cheesier by adding mascarpone. Just a scoop of mascarpone will up the level of cheesiness.
The roux (flour and butter mixture) is the base for adding the cheeses which keeps it thick and sticky so that it sticks to the pasta. If you didn’t use a roux, your cheese sauce with be thin and runny and no one wants that.
Summer Desserts to Finish The Meal
Drumstick Brownie Ice Cream Dessert
Homemade Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup gouda cheese shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 20 oz cavatappi pasta
- 16 oz Curly's pulled pork
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook the pasta according to package direction for al dente (cavatappi pasta is usually about12 minutes).
- While pasta is cooking, it's time to make the cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Then whisk in flour to create a roux. Cook the butter flour mixture for one minute and then slowly add the milk. Whisk the mixture vigorously until the milk is completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Cook mixture for 3-4 more minutes while whisking occasionally. The sauce will thicken slightly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add spices and 2/3 of the cheese, keeping 1/3 of the cheeses for the topping later.
- Stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted.
- When the pasta is ready, drain the pasta and return to large pot. Pour cheese sauce over pasta.
- Stir well to coat all the pasta.
- Transfer mac and cheese to an oven safe 13×9 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
- Heat pulled pork according the package. Add pulled pork to the mac and cheese and with a spoon or knife, swirl the pulled pork into the pasta.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then turn oven to a low broil for 5 minutes to crisp up some of the pulled pork and cheese on top.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
Notes
- Be very careful with the low broil at the end so you don’t burn the top. You just want to broil it for a few minutes so keep an eye on it.
- Additional types of cheeses can be added or substituted with no problem if you prefer different types.
- The pre-made pulled pork is the easiest and still delicious but feel free to make your own.