Name: Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
Ingredients: 3-4 pound pork shoulder (aka pork butt – yes, it’s actually from the shoulder, don’t ask me why they call it butt); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons paprika (smoked if you’ve got it); 1 tablespoon salt; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon cayenne (less if you’re a spice wimp); 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (plus more for drizzling); 1 pound pasta (I like cavatappi or elbow macaroni – something with ridges to trap that cheese sauce); 4 tablespoons butter (the real stuff, not that weird margarine business); 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 3 cups whole milk (2% works too, but why even bother at this point?); 1 cup chicken broth; 4 cups cheese, shredded (I use a mix of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and smoked gouda because I’m fancy like that); 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (secret weapon – you won’t taste mustard, just cheesy goodness); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; Salt and pepper to taste; Dash of hot sauce (optional but recommended); 1 cup panko breadcrumbs; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 1/2 cup more shredded cheese (because there’s no such thing as too much cheese); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried if you forgot to buy fresh… again)

Description

Okay, so picture this: I was staring at leftover pulled pork from Sunday’s BBQ and a box of mac and cheese that had been sitting in my pantry for… let’s not discuss how long. Lightning struck my brain – why not combine these two comfort food legends? The result is this ridiculous pulled pork mac and cheese that’s now requested at EVERY family gathering. It’s basically what would happen if a Southern BBQ joint and your grandma’s kitchen had a delicious baby. Tender, smoky pulled pork layered with creamy, cheesy pasta, topped with a crunchy crust that’ll make you want to slap someone (don’t actually do that).

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pulled Pork (or just use leftovers):

3–4 pound pork shoulder (aka pork butt – yes, it’s actually from the shoulder, don’t ask me why they call it butt)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika (smoked if you’ve got it)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne (less if you’re a spice wimp)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (plus more for drizzling)

For the Mac and Cheese:

1 pound pasta (I like cavatappi or elbow macaroni – something with ridges to trap that cheese sauce)
4 tablespoons butter (the real stuff, not that weird margarine business)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk (2% works too, but why even bother at this point?)
1 cup chicken broth
4 cups cheese, shredded (I use a mix of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and smoked gouda because I’m fancy like that)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (secret weapon – you won’t taste mustard, just cheesy goodness)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce (optional but recommended)

For the Topping:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup more shredded cheese (because there’s no such thing as too much cheese)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried if you forgot to buy fresh… again)