Mission BBQ Mac and Cheese Recipe (Tested Copycat)
A smoky, creamy copycat of Mission BBQ's mac and cheese, built on a smoked gouda and sharp cheddar sauce with a buttery panko topping.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 520kcal
Ingredients
For the mac and cheese:
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 6 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 4 oz Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Boil the elbow macaroni in well-salted water until about 1 minute short of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until pale golden and fragrant.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the cheddar, gouda, and Monterey jack in three batches, fully melting each batch before adding the next.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Fold the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce until fully coated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Toss the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter and scatter evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and the panko is deep golden brown.
- Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bags — the anti-caking coating on pre-shredded cheese makes the sauce grainy.
- Pull the pasta about 1 minute before al dente; it finishes cooking in the oven and turns mushy if fully cooked beforehand.
- To make ahead, assemble the dish unbaked, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time.
- Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; add a splash of milk when reheating to restore the creamy texture.
- This recipe freezes well for up to 2 months when fully baked, cooled, and tightly covered; thaw overnight before reheating.
- For a spicier version, add ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder along with the smoked paprika.