Three Cheese Mac and Cheese with Pulled Beef

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese with Pulled Beef

Lee - Smoke & Sear
Servings: 8 Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Family Friendly Family Friendly Party Pleaser Party Pleaser Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.
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Decadent Three Cheese Mac & Cheese with Smoky Pulled Beef

Mac & Cheese is a BBQ classic, but this version is a game-changer. Imagine the creamy goodness of three different cheeses—Gruyère, Mozzarella, and mature cheddar—melding together with the smoky richness of pulled beef that’s been smoked low and slow over whisky oak. This isn’t just a side dish; it’s the main event. Enough to serve 8 as a main or 16 as a side, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any BBQ gathering. Let’s dive in and make your taste buds sing!

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese with Pulled Beef

Beef
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Prep Time 1 hr Cook Time 30 mins Rest Time 15 mins Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 180  C Servings: 8 Estimated Cost: £ 20 Calories: Approximately 600 per serving Best Season: Suitable throughout the year
Author: Lee - Smoke & Sear Cooking Method: Cuisine: Courses: , Recipe Keys: Family Friendly Family Friendly Party Pleaser Party Pleaser Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.

Mac & Cheese

Cream Mixture

Optional Extra Magic

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cream Mixture

    • Combine all ingredients from the 'Cream Mixture' list in a saucepan.
    • Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil.
    • Remove from heat once well combined.

  2. Make the Roux

    • In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the minced garlic for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add the flour and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes until combined.

  3. Combine Cream Mixture and Roux

    • Slowly pour the simmered cream mixture into the pan with the sautéed garlic and flour mixture. Stir well.
    • Add the pasta water and mix thoroughly.

  4. Cheese Time

    • Over low to medium heat, add the three cheeses to the pan and stir until melted and smooth.
    • Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional spices as needed.

  5. Add Pasta and Pulled Beef

    • Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
    • Mix in a couple of handfuls of pulled beef (or your preferred meat).

  6. Prepare to Bake

    • Transfer the mac & cheese mixture into a baking dish.
    • Top with extra cheddar cheese and optional panko breadcrumb mixture.

  7. Bake

    • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • Bake the mac & cheese for 25-30 minutes, keeping an eye on it to avoid burning.
    • Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
    • Garnish with chopped spring onions before serving.

Equipment

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Note

  • Optional Topping: You can mix 100g of panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter for a crunchy topping.
  • Meat Variations: This recipe is versatile; feel free to substitute pulled beef with pulled pork or chicken.
  • Hot Holding: If preparing in advance, you can keep the dish warm in the oven and serve when ready to ensure less stress on the day of your BBQ.
Keywords: Three Cheese Mac & Cheese, Pulled Beef Mac & Cheese, BBQ Mac & Cheese, Smoky Mac & Cheese, Gruyère Mozzarella Cheddar Mac & Cheese
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DRAGON01 over Coningsby 🔥

It’s been a few weeks since I last watched Flt Lt Tom Nation put the Typhoon through its paces over RAF Coningsby — but the second I heard today’s slot announced on the NOTAM, there was absolutely no chance I was missing it.

And what a display.

I may have lost half of it to the sun, and the other half to Tom flying so low he disappeared behind the trees . . . but wow. 😂

The speed, power and agility of the Typhoon is ridiculous — but the way Tom handles it is something else entirely.

Huge respect to Tom and the whole Typhoon Display Team behind the scenes.

Absolutely epic.

#DRAGON01 #TyphoonDisplayTeam #RAFConingsby #EurofighterTyphoon #TyphoonFGR4 RoyalAirForce Aviation

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DRAGON01 over Coningsby 🔥 It’s been a few weeks since I last watched Flt Lt Tom Nation put the Typhoon through its paces over RAF Coningsby — but the second I heard today’s slot announced on the NOTAM, there was absolutely no chance I was missing it. And what a display. I may have lost half of it to the sun, and the other half to Tom flying so low he disappeared behind the trees . . . but wow. 😂 The speed, power and agility of the Typhoon is ridiculous — but the way Tom handles it is something else entirely. Huge respect to Tom and the whole Typhoon Display Team behind the scenes. Absolutely epic. #DRAGON01 #TyphoonDisplayTeam #RAFConingsby #EurofighterTyphoon #TyphoonFGR4 RoyalAirForce Aviation

🔥 GIVEAWAY TIME 🔥

I’ve teamed up with @meatupfestival to give away 2 adult full weekend tickets to Meat Up Festival 2026, worth £139.

📍 Ashley Showground, Cheshire
📅 1–2 August 2026
🎟️ Prize: 2 adult weekend tickets

I’ll be there myself with the FOURGE team, cooking up a storm and getting properly stuck into the fire, smoke and festival chaos.

This is the North’s only Field-to-Flame Festival — live fire cooking, butchery, farming, music, family zones, country pursuits, and enough BBQ energy to make your neighbours nervous.

To enter:

🔥 Follow @smoke.sear
🔥 Follow @fourge.bbq
🔥 Follow @meatupfestival
🔥 Like this post
🔥 Tag the person you’d love to bring for the weekend
🔥 Share this post

Enter as many times as you like — just tag that person you’d love to bring for the weekend. One tag per comment keeps it tidy, you absolute legends.

Winner picked at random on Friday 12th June.

Please watch out for fake accounts. We’ll never ask for bank details, card details, payment, or your secret wing sauce password.

This giveaway isn’t sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Instagram/Facebook. The giveaway is also running on Facebook, but there are only 2 tickets up for grabs in total.

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🔥 GIVEAWAY TIME 🔥 I’ve teamed up with @meatupfestival to give away 2 adult full weekend tickets to Meat Up Festival 2026, worth £139. 📍 Ashley Showground, Cheshire 📅 1–2 August 2026 🎟️ Prize: 2 adult weekend tickets I’ll be there myself with the FOURGE team, cooking up a storm and getting properly stuck into the fire, smoke and festival chaos. This is the North’s only Field-to-Flame Festival — live fire cooking, butchery, farming, music, family zones, country pursuits, and enough BBQ energy to make your neighbours nervous. To enter: 🔥 Follow @smoke.sear 🔥 Follow @fourge.bbq 🔥 Follow @meatupfestival 🔥 Like this post 🔥 Tag the person you’d love to bring for the weekend 🔥 Share this post Enter as many times as you like — just tag that person you’d love to bring for the weekend. One tag per comment keeps it tidy, you absolute legends. Winner picked at random on Friday 12th June. Please watch out for fake accounts. We’ll never ask for bank details, card details, payment, or your secret wing sauce password. This giveaway isn’t sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Instagram/Facebook. The giveaway is also running on Facebook, but there are only 2 tickets up for grabs in total.

24,000+ on Instagram.
11,000+ on Facebook.
66,000 website users this year.
130,000 page views.

And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members.

That’s honestly mad.

Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between.

But this year feels like things are starting to properly move.

The big goals are simple.

Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft.

Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward.

And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more.

To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you.

It’s all a bit ridiculous.

But we’re only getting started 🔥

#SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

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24,000+ on Instagram. 11,000+ on Facebook. 66,000 website users this year. 130,000 page views. And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members. That’s honestly mad. Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between. But this year feels like things are starting to properly move. The big goals are simple. Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft. Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward. And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more. To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you. It’s all a bit ridiculous. But we’re only getting started 🔥 #SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥

Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together.

And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me.

Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from.

There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅

But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things.

And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

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Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥 Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together. And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me. Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from. There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅 But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things. And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

First proper hike completed ✅

Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District.

This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start.

📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular
🥾 7.2 miles
⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain
⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes
🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador

12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it.

Groups like Lads Project matter.

No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural.

If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved.

Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side.

I’ll definitely be joining them again soon.

#LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

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First proper hike completed ✅ Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District. This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start. 📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular 🥾 7.2 miles ⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain ⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes 🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador 12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it. Groups like Lads Project matter. No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural. If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved. Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side. I’ll definitely be joining them again soon. #LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity