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cheddar macaroni topped with loose barbecue-coated pulled pork shreds and a few browned edges in a plain baking dish
Melissa Hart

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese

Use already-cooked pulled pork here and keep its barbecue sauce modest, so the macaroni still tastes like cheese rather than a bowl of sweet sauce. Warm the meat separately before it goes over the pasta. A few loose shreds on top can pick up browned edges in the oven while the filling stays creamy. This is a useful second dinner from leftover pork, with the reheating built into the recipe.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 10 oz elbow macaroni
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 2 cups cooked unseasoned pulled pork about 12 oz
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for sauce
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter for the dish

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and grease a 2-quart baking dish. Cook macaroni in a large pot of water with the tablespoon salt until 1 minute short of the package time, then drain.
  2. While the pasta cooks, warm pork, barbecue sauce and water in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until steaming; stir to prevent sticking.
  3. Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour for 1 minute and gradually add milk. Add mustard, sauce salt and pepper and simmer for 3 minutes; remove from the heat and stir in cheddar.
  4. Fold the macaroni into the sauce and spread in the dish. Spoon the hot pork loosely over the surface, leaving some cheese-coated pasta visible.
  5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and 165°F in the center of the pork and pasta. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.