Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta
- 2 lbs yellow onions
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp BBQ rub
- 4 cups whole milk
- 16 oz Gruyère cheese hand-shredded
- 12 oz white cheddar cheese hand-shredded
- 1 baguette sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatappi pasta until just shy of al dente (1-2 minutes less than package instructions). Drain and set aside
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sliced onions and sprinkle with BBQ rub. Stir occasionally, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking, and cook until the onions are golden and caramelized (about 20-30 minutes)
- In a cast-iron pan, combine the caramelized onions, milk, shredded white Cheddar, and shredded Gruyère. Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère for the topping later on
- Add the cheese sauce to your smoker and smoke at 250°F for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses are melted and all the ingredients are well-combined
- Remove the pan from the smoker and add the cooked pasta, mixing well with the melted cheese sauce so everything is evenly coated
- Spread a little of the garlic paste on each of the baguette slices. Arrange the bread slices on top of the mac and cheese to cover the dish. Sprinkle the reserved Gruyère cheese generously over the bread slices
- Return the pan to the smoker and increase the temperature to 350°F. Smoke for 30 more minutes, or until the bread topping is golden and bubbling
- Remove the pan from the smoker and let the mac and cheese cool for five minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Broiler option. If you want to get the baguette slices *really* crispy, feel free to add the cast iron pan under your broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end.
- Use a sweet rub. I really liked using the sweet rub, I thought the Honey Garlic rub worked really well with the caramelized onions.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!