It’s been practically forever since my last post. I’m sorry. Really, I am. I miss blogging but this is my busy season at work and I’ve been, well, busy. I thought I’d get ahead of it – I developed a bunch of recipes and took a bunch of photos so even if I was too busy to cook I could still post. But that obviously hasn’t happened. So, here’s a peace offering in the form of Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese. No, it’s not exactly healthy. But once in a while you need to indulge, and this is the perfect way to do it.
This recipe has been bouncing around in my head for the better part of a year and I only regret not making it sooner. The juicy, succulent pork blends perfectly with a rich four-cheese sauce and a touch of barbecue sauce. I roasted a pork shoulder especially for this recipe, but you could easily substitute pulled pork that you have leftover from another occasion – just adjust the amount of barbecue sauce accordingly. This mac and cheese shouldn’t be overly barbecue-y… just enough to give the dish a subtle flavor and to cut through the richness of the cheese.
Pulled Pork Macaroni & Cheese Pulled Pork
Pulled Pork Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz ridged pasta (such as penne or, my favorite, cavatappi)
- 1 Tbs butter
- 1 Tbs flour
- 1.5 cups skim milk
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 oz emmental cheese, shredded
- 2 oz asiago cheese, shredded
- 1 cup pulled pork (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbs smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp dry sage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 pound pork shoulder
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain.
- Melt the butter in the bottom of a medium pan set over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for several minutes, until it becomes a light caramel color. Whisk in the milk and garlic powder. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese, allowing it to melt.
- Toss the pulled pork with the barbecue sauce. Stir the pork and pasta into the cheese sauce.
- Combine the paprika, dry mustard, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub into all sides of the pork. Bake at 400-degrees for 2 hours. Flip the pork over and cook for another hour. Let rest for 15 minutes, then use two forks to shred the meat.
- Yields approx. 4 cups pulled pork.
This looks divine–truly irresistible. If you’re not a pork eater could you substitute with a smoked cheese or another ingredient? Thanks for sharing!
This looks great!! Having two children, we have mac and cheese once a week, but I’ll have to make some pulled pork to go along with it next time. We also add a Sneaky Chef touch and I puree about 4 carrots and add that to our sauce. The cheese hides the veggies so the kiddos will eat them, and it adds a healthier aspect to it. 😉
I loooove this idea!
Wow, I just found your recipe and it looks so amazing, I never would have thought to add the pulled pork to the mac and cheese but now I am dying to try it! And as others have said the photo is great!
Mmmmmmm, this sounds so good! Perfect for a cool Fall night :)!
I cannot wait to try this recipe over the weekend. I’ve been on a pulled pork taco jag lately, but this Mac n Cheese may have them beat! PS The photograph looks good enough to eat.
wow, looks fantastic! Real comfort food!
What a fantastic dish! Can’t go wrong with mac & cheese, but adding the pulled pork puts it over the top. Looks absolutely delicious!
wow this looks amazing great dish
I love ALL mac and cheese! This looks so ooey cheesey delicious! Thanks for sharing!