This pulled pork mac and cheese bake is a deliciously comforting way to use up any leftover barbecue and turn it into an entirely new meal. Featuring a rich cheese sauce, tender meat, and zesty barbecue sauce, this is a next level round two dinner that your whole family will absolutely love.
Whenever we make pulled pork, we always have leftovers.
It doesn’t matter how many people we are feeding the first time we make it.
Whether we are just feeding our own family or hosting an entire city block for dinner, you know there’s going to be leftovers.
Unfortunately no one is too thrilled with the idea of eating days and days of leftover barbecue sandwiches.
But that’s ok!
This pulled pork mac and cheese skillet uses up those leftovers.
It turns them into an entirely new dinner situation that everyone of us gets excited to eat.
We’re talking creamy dreamy extra cheesy macaroni and tangy barbecue.
It’s a match made in food heaven.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Macaroni– Use elbow macaroni and slightly undercook it. Drain it.
- Pulled pork– Use up leftover pulled pork. We always have a ton of leftovers from Crockpot Pulled Pork.
- Barbecue Sauce– Your favorite brand.
- Butter– Either salted or unsalted.
- Flour– All purpose to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Milk– Don’t use skim milk. Go for whole milk if you can- it will help your roux set up and make the base of the creamiest cheese sauce
- Heavy cream– This makes it extra rich. If you can, don’t substitute.
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar and a shredded Tex Mex blend.
- Chopped cilantro– Optional, but makes for a really tasty garnish
How to Make
Making this is so easy!
To do it, preheat the oven to 400 F and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Set it aside.
Then, combine the pulled pork and barbecue sauce and set aside.
Next, make the cheese sauce.
To do it, melt the the butter in a large sauce pot.
Once it is melted, whisk in the flour until it forms a smooth paste.
Cook the flour and butter mixture for one minute until the paste is golden.
When the roux is ready, slowly whisk in the milk and then the heavy cream.
Heat the mixture until it is warm and then gradually stir in the cheeses.
Keep stirring the saucer until the cheese melts and sauce thickens and bubbles.
Stir the cooked noodles into the cheese sauce.
Pour the noodles into the prepared pan and top it with the pulled pork.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly
Sprinkle with cilantro if desired and drizzle with extra barbecue sauce.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a warm oven until heated through.
Tips and Tricks
- A sweeter barbecue sauce really compliments the Tex Mex flavors of the dish.
- Make sure to slightly undercook the noodles so they don’t get mushy in the oven.
- If the pulled pork already has barbecue sauce on it, you don’t need to stir in more unless you want to,
- The key to making sure the sauce isn’t lumpy is to keep whisking the entire time you are adding the milk and cream.
- Don’t worry if it seems like a lot of sauce for the noodles, it thickens as it bakes and the noodles will absorb some too.
- Let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes after baking to allow the cheese sauce to finish setting up.
Other Ways to Use up Leftover Pulled Pork
This pulled pork mac and cheese bake is one of our favorite ways to use up leftover pulled pork. Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other ideas to use up pulled pork? Try these:
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Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni slightly undercooked and drained
- 3 cups pulled pork
- ¾ cup bbq sauce plus more for serving if desired
- ½ cup butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 3 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
- 3 ½ cup shredded tex mex cheese divided
- Chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F, lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray
- Mix the pulled pork with the bbq sauce and set aside
- In a large sauce pot, melt the the butter, then whisk in the flour and allow to cook for one minute
- Slowly add the milk, then the heavy cream whisking constantly to ensure no lumps form
- Allow the mixture to get warm, then add cheddar cheese and 2 ½ cups of tex mex cheese gradually
- Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and bubbling, about 5-10 minutes
- Place cooked noodles into the pot with the cheese sauce and stir to coat
- Add noodles to prepared 9x13 pan, top with the pulled pork, then add remaining Tex mex cheese on top
- Cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly
- Sprinkle with cilantro and extra bbq sauce and serve
Notes
- A sweeter barbecue sauce really compliments the Tex Mex flavors of the dish.
- Make sure to slightly undercook the noodles so they don't get mushy in the oven.
- If the pulled pork already has barbecue sauce on it, you don't need to stir in more unless you want to,
- The key to making sure the sauce isn't lumpy is to keep whisking the entire time you are adding the milk and cream.
- Don't worry if it seems like a lot of sauce for the noodles, it thickens as it bakes and the noodles will absorb some too.
- Let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes after baking to allow the cheese sauce to finish setting up.
Nutrition
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