Tacticalories’ Applewood Smoked Mac and Cheese
Love mac and cheese? You can’t go wrong by kicking it up a notch with Tacticalories’ decadent and delicious Applewood Smoked Mac and Cheese recipe.
Tacticalories’ Applewood Smoked Mac and Cheese
Montana Knife Company
8
30 minutes
1 hours
1080
American
Dinner
This recipe comes to us from Casey Bard, CEO of Tacticalories Seasoning Co. and longtime collaborator and friend of Montana Knife Company.
There’s nothing I love more than well-seasoned comfort food. I’ve experimented with all kinds of hearty recipes over the years, but this applewood-smoked mac and cheese — courtesy of @muchlovegrill’s experimentations — is one of my favorites.
You can’t go wrong with plain mac and cheese, but applewood flavor takes the definition of “comfort food” to the next level. Serve it as a side dish at your next wild game dinner or weekend cookout, or dig into it on its own — I won’t judge.
Ingredients
1 lb. elbow macaroni
8 oz. applewood-smoked gouda, shredded
8 oz. applewood-smoked cheddar, shredded
1 lb. applewood-smoked bacon, cooked and diced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups half-and-half
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. Deadshot Apple Cider Pork Rub
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1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. Deadshot Apple Cider Pork Rub
Directions
Boil the macaroni according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Once the roux is golden, gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Bring to a simmer, then add the cheeses and cream cheese, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Stir in 1 Tbsp. of the Deadshot Apple Cider Pork Rub.
Add the cooked pasta and bacon pieces to the cheese sauce and mix well.
In a small bowl or saucepan, combine the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and 2 Tbsp. Deadshot Apple Cider Pork Rub. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the pasta and cheese sauce mixture.
Smoke for 1 hour at 225°F, preferably using applewood.
