Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
This easy Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese recipe is flavorful and decadent, with curly pasta, three kinds of cheese, and tender shredded pork in a homemade BBQ sauce. It’s a fun macaroni dish – melty, gooey comfort food at its best!
Easy Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Recipe
Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese always makes the list when it comes to top comfort foods. And this particular recipe is definitely a keeper! It’s packed with tender pulled pork that’s flavorful with bbq sauce, fun pasta shapes, and a cheesy trio of cheddar, fontina, and smoked gouda. Add the ingredients to your grocery list, put this flavorful macaroni and cheese dish in the oven, and be prepared to amaze your family with its deliciousness!
Why We Make This Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork
This recipe includes several highlights for our family, with the first one – “flavorful & fun” – at the top of the list for all of us. The other two are my personal highlights, as I’m most often the one preparing the meals around here. Here’s why we make this pulled pork mac and cheese recipe, and why we think you’ll love it, too!
- Flavorful & fun. This dish has a lot going on. From the tender pulled pork in tangy BBQ sauce, to the gooey, flavorful cheeses, to the curly pasta, this recipe is super fun, super yummy!
- Great use of leftovers. Whenever we make pulled pork, we likely have leftovers – and this recipe is such a great way to use it. Tuck your pulled pork leftovers in the fridge or freezer, then make this mac & cheese whenever you’re hungry for more pulled pork awesomeness!
- A potluck favorite. Take a big pan of pulled pork mac and cheese to your next gathering and watch it disappear fast. This dish is always well received, and the recipe is easily doubled.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a list of the ingredients needed to make mac and cheese. Scroll down to the printable recipe card lower down for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Pulled pork – Leftover pulled pork works great, whether you make my easy pulled pork recipe or purchase it already made.
- BBQ sauce – My homemade bbq sauce is delicious in this recipe, but you can also use store-bought.
- Cavatappi pasta – This noodle has a fun, curly tube shape. But any medium-sized shape will work, such as elbow macaroni.
- Smoked gouda – One cheese just isn’t enough for this recipe. Ha! Smoked gouda enhances the smoky flavor of the pulled pork.
- Cheddar – I use medium cheddar cheese, but you can use mild or sharp cheddar if you like.
- Fontina – This cheese adds a rich, buttery flavor to the mac and cheese.
- Olive oil & butter – To saute the onion and garlic. Don’t skip the butter – it adds beautiful flavor.
- Red onion – Or use yellow onion.
- Garlic – This adds extra flavor to the mac and cheese. Add more if you like!
- Flour – This helps to thicken the cheesy sauce just a bit.
- Milk – I like whole milk for richness, but 2% will also work.
- Salt & pepper
- Smoked paprika – To add a bit of smoky, warm, spiced flavor.
- Green onions – This adds fresh contrast that’s wonderful with the richness of the mac & cheese.
How to Make Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
I’ve outlined the steps you’ll need to make this recipe below. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Prep. Preheat the oven, grease a baking dish, and cook the pasta almost to al dente according to the package instructions.
- Mix the cheeses. Combine the gouda, cheddar, and fontina in a bowl.
- Combine pork and bbq sauce. In a separate bowl, fold the bbq sauce into the pulled pork.
- Cook onion. Add red onion and olive oil to a skillet, and saute until tender.
- Add garlic. Add butter to the skillet, then stir in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
- Make sauce. Sprinkle flour over the onion and garlic to create a roux; cook for 1 minute. Then whisk in the milk and cook until thickened.
- Add cheese and spices. Stir ¾ of the shredded cheese mixture into the sauce, along with the salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Combine. Add the cooked pasta to the cheesy sauce. Fold together to create the mac & cheese.
- Assemble. Place half of the mac & cheese in the baking dish. Top with half of the bbq pulled pork and half of the green onions. Repeat this layer. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese mixture over the top.
- Cook. Cook the pulled pork mac & cheese until the cheese is bubbly and a bit browned on top.
- Enjoy! Serve hot, topped with remaining green onions.
Tips & Variations
Want to add a few veggies or change the cheesy sauce? Go right ahead! Here are a few variation suggestions, plus tips to help you put together this dish:
- Try different meat. You could add shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken makes it super easy!) or shredded beef instead of the pork – mix it with bbq sauce, or not. If you like seafood, also check out my super delish baked shrimp mac & cheese!
- Add veggies. Try adding vegetables, such as diced bell pepper (saute along with the onion) or baby spinach (fold into the cheesy sauce right before combining it with the pasta).
- Different cheeses. You can keep things simple and just use cheddar in this recipe. Or swap in other cheeses, such as monterey jack, colby jack, or gruyere cheese. You could even throw in some Velveeta!
- Make it extra saucy! The pulled pork in this recipe is not overly sauced with bbq sauce. If you really like saucy pulled pork, feel free to add more!
- Or try another sauce. If you’re not a fan of bbq sauce, you can leave it out of this casserole and it will still taste great. Or for a completely different flavor twist, use ranch dressing instead.
- Make it spicy. Stir diced jalapeno pepper into the pulled pork, along with the bbq sauce. Or sprinkle in some dried red pepper flakes, dried cayenne or chipotle pepper, or an extra-big dose of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Need gluten-free? Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and flour, and shred your own cheese straight from the block.
- Double it. If you want to serve a crowd, double the recipe and use two pans.
Serving Suggestions
You could definitely call this pulled pork mac and cheese a one-dish meal, but I like to add some simple vegetable sides or a salad to round it out. Here are a few of my favorite things to serve with this dish:
- Salad. I adore a fresh salad with cheesy mac and cheese with pulled pork. Make a veggie-packed grilled vegetable salad, a winter apple salad or summery strawberry salad, or a tangy broccoli salad. My cucumber salad or this fresh arugula beet salad would also be great choices!
- Vegetables. A variety of veggies, fresh or cooked, are also good. Make my honey garlic carrots or roasted asparagus recipes.
- Pickled vegetables. You know I love my homemade pickled veggies! Their crunch and puckery flavor are a fantastic contrast to the richness of this dish. Offer a jar of pickled red onions or pickled beets; both are top reader favorites. Or try quick pickled asparagus, easy pickled carrots, refrigerator dill pickles, or pickled jalapenos – or browse my whole selection!
- Lemonade. A cold, refreshing glass of sweet-tart lemonade adds even more fun to this pulled pork mac & cheese meal. Serve strawberry lemonade, blueberry lemonade, or blueberry basil lemonade. All of these are family-approved, SO GOOD!
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Pulled pork mac and cheese keeps well for another time. Here’s how to store it:
- Fridge – Place cooled mac and cheese in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to five days.
- To Reheat – Portion out the mac and cheese and heat each serving in the microwave in 1-minute increments until completely heated through.
More Pork Recipes To Try
Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Yield: 6 servings
This easy Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese recipe is flavorful and decadent, with curly pasta, three kinds of cheese, and tender shredded pork in a homemade BBQ sauce. It's melty, gooey comfort food at its best!
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces cavatappi pasta (or your favorite medium-sized noodle)
- 8 ounces pulled pork
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce (homemade or your favorite one from the store)
- 4 ounces freshly shredded smoked gouda
- 4 ounces freshly shredded medium cheddar
- 4 ounces freshly shredded fontina
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions until one minute less than al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- While pasta is cooking, add pulled pork to a medium bowl and pour bbq sauce over the top. Fold to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the gouda, cheddar, and fontina. Set aside.
- Add olive oil and red onion to a large skillet set over medium heat. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until red onion is just tender.
- Add butter to red onion. Once butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic, and stir it in to create a roux. Cook the roux for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously until no lumps remain. Cook the sauce over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until it is bubbling and slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low, then slowly stir in ¾ of the shredded cheese mixture (reserve the rest for sprinkling over the top before it’s baked). Add salt, pepper, and paprika, and continue stirring until cheese has fully melted.
- Add cooked cavatappi to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. If cheese sauce is too thick or doesn’t cover the pasta evenly, add a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Continue adding small splashes, until the sauce is very creamy and evenly coats the pasta. I usually add about ¼ cup.
- Transfer half of the mac and cheese to the greased baking dish, then top it with half of the pulled pork and half of the green onions.
- Top with the remaining mac and cheese, the remaining pulled pork, and the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and the top is starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining sliced green onions. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 575kcal Carbohydrates: 48g Protein: 27g Fat: 31g Saturated Fat: 17g Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 99mg Sodium: 984mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 17g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
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