Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
This pulled pork mac and cheese is packed full of sharp cheddar cheese and lots of slow is or instant pot pulled pork. For added flavor, I drizzled the top with even more BBQ sauce.
Welcome to the first official mac and cheese recipe of Mac & Cheese Mania! I’m so pumped about this pulled pork mac and cheese. It’s crazy delicious and it’s the perfect mix of cheesy to meaty goodness.
I have to admit that the idea for this recipe actually came from a local BBQ joint. They call their recipe Piggy Mac and I find the name totally adorable.
I had to make my own version using my husbands pulled pork recipe and a simple sharp cheddar mac and cheese.
I went with a simple cheese sauce because I wanted there to a nice balance between sharp cheese and sweet BBQ sauce.
This dish turned out beyond amazing!
The mac and cheese was super creamy and the pulled pork was full of BBQ flavor.
I used my husband’s secret ingredient when I made my pulled pork – Vernors
If you have never had Vernors you’re missing out! It’s not like your normal ginger ale. It’s full of ginger flavor (the type that makes your nose tingle) but doesn’t burn like ginger beer.
Oh man, I could go on for hours about this ginger ale. Just go find yourself a bottle and taste the deliciousness. I swear you will like it!
Ways to jazz up this pulled pork mac and cheese:
- Try using pulled chicken or beef instead of pull pork
- Instead of sharp cheddar cheese try using a milder cheese like colby jack
- Add heat by adding chopped jalapeno to the mac and cheese
- Use Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper instead of ginger ale in the pulled pork
Love this Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese?
Looking for more mac and cheese recipes? Try my five cheese mac and cheese, beer bratwurst macaroni and cheese or my gorgonzola bacon mac and cheese.
Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese {Piggy Mac}
This pulled pork mac and cheese is packed full of sharp cheddar cheese and lots of slow cooker or instant pot pulled pork. For added flavor, I drizzled the top with even more BBQ sauce.
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For pulled pork:
- 4 pound boneless pork shoulder, fat trimmed
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 (12 ounce) can ginger beer/ale (I like to use Vernors)
- 1-2 cups BBQ sauce
For mac and cheese:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups whole milk, warmed
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
For pulled pork:
In a 6 quart slow cooker add pork shoulder and yellow onion. Pour in ginger ale and cook on low for 5 hours.
If you want to use your instant pot add your pork shoulder, yellow onion, and ginger ale to the Instant pot. Do manual time for 75 minutes and natural release. After it's been released follow the below directions.
Once the pulled pork is tender and can easily be shredded with a fork it's ready.
Pull the pork roast out of the slow cooker or instant pot, add to a large plate and shred with two forks.
Pour out the juice from the slow cooker or Instant pot and add shredded pork back to the slow cooker or Instant pot. Add in 1 cup BBQ sauce and stir. Add more BBQ sauce if desired or needed. You want the meat to be coated but not dripping with sauce. Cover to keep warm while you prepare the mac and cheese.
For mac and cheese:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add in elbow macaroni and cook just until al dente following box directions. Drain pasta and set aside while you prepare the cheese sauce.
Add a large skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once the butter is melted whisk in flour.
Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and whisk slowly until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.
Stir in the shredded cheese and stir until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in macaroni.
Add macaroni and cheese to the prepared dish and top with pulled pork. Sprinkle on a little extra cheese if desired.
You will have leftover pulled pork so don't be concerned if it does not all get used.
Bake for about 15 minutes just to help warm the mixture through.
Drizzle with extra BBQ sauce if desired.
Oh man I am drooling over this mac and cheese recipe. Love the pulled pork in it.
Holy moly you are speaking my language here. I adore this!!
Ohhhhh Yes!! This is genius 🙂
So I can eat like the whole pan for dinner, right? Kthanksbye.
This needs to be pinned 100 times as a reminder to make ASAP!!! So awesome Brandy!!
ohmygod! I Loooooove pulled pork mac & cheese! We actually JUST had it this weekend! Such a perfect over the top delicious comfort food! You can never go wrong with cheese & bbq!
This sounds delicious, Brandy! And what a great giveaway!
I need no further convincing. *thud*
Holy comfort food! This looks over the top deeee-licious, Brandy!
Love that you called it piggy mac! The only time I’ve had pulled pork with mac and cheese is in Memphis – in a sandwich! I’ve been meaning to recreate it because it was so good. This looks like a winner!
Love this especially the name Piggy Mac! Pulled pork mac & cheese is my husband’s favorite, definitely saving this recipe!
Go piggy mac! I’m diving right into this baby! ‘Oink!’
That looks amazing! Pulled pork on anything is great, but mac & cheese? Wow! Great combination of flavors!
Wow, great minds do think alike! I am still smiling at the fact that you also named it Piggy Mac, love it!!! Your Mac n’Cheese sounds amazing! Thank you for putting together this fun event, and for letting me be a part of the fun:-) Hugs, Terra
Of course, only you would come up with something so OUT OF CONTROL AWESOME!
You rock my world. I so want to make this piggy mac this weekend!
what an inspired batch of primo comfort food! i definitely often get a side of mac and cheese when i order barbecue somewhere, so this combination is just perfect to me.
I absolutely love salmon, and this is one of my very favorite recipes to prepare it! Instead of grilling or broiling it, though, I’ve found that I really prefer to cook it in my cast iron frying pan…
http://sandiesbitchinkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/honey-ginger-salmon.html
http://sandiesbitchinkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/smores-cheesecake.html
http://www.askchefdennis.com/2010/07/we-have-the-technology-we-can-build-it-better-eggplant-parmesan-reconstructed/
Wowza! You just combined my two favorite foods. This looks so fantastic 🙂
We all like Mac & Cheese and we all like Pulled Pork the BBQ Sauce is awesome. I will be sharing this with my family & friends.
Thank you so much for sharing.
This is truly amazing and genius! Thanks for organizing this!! 🙂
Whoa. What an awesome mac & cheese!! Great job on the mac & cheese party – what a hit!
I was looking for something to recreate billy joe’s porky mac dish- I can’t wait to try it out! Thanks!
nutmegnanny replied: — June 1st, 2014 @ 11:19 pm
Hi Ellie! I hope you love it 🙂
The minute I saw this on FB I had to swing by! This looks incredible and I love the name – piggy mac xD
This is getting ready to go in the oven now! I used the instant pot for my pork. Added a 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese to the white cheddar. So far the macaroni is divine. Just about to pull the pork out of the IP. My hubby said we have to make the kids boxed mac and cheese so he can eat this all week!
nutmegnanny replied: — February 19th, 2018 @ 10:15 pm
Hi Desarae! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the meal! That pulled pork is my favorite!
Just made this for the second time! I added gouda this time! Super yummy. The last time, I made the pork in my instant pot for 75 minutes. It was too tough. Very difficult to shred . This I cooked it for 90 minutes and it was perfect! Thanks for this delicious recipe that I now crave often!
This sounds delicious! Could it be made the day before, put in the fridge overnite and baked the next day?