This post may contain affiliate links which help support Girls Can Grill.

This is the easiest way ever to make smoked mac and cheese on a Ninja Grill, because you don’t have to make the cheese sauce in advanced.

spoon lifting creamy Smoked Mac and Cheese.

Save this BBQ Tip

Enter your email, and I’ll send this link directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get new BBQ recipes and tips weekly.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

How is this recipe different from all the others

Most mac and cheese recipes require you to make a cheese sauce, which involves creating a roux, adding milk until it thickens and then adding cheese until it’s melted.

With this smoked mac and cheese recipe, the cheese sauce develops as it smokes, so you can skip all of that extra work. You just toss everything in a bowl and add it to the dish.

Ingredients

Smoked Mac and Cheese ingredients: milk, macaroni noodles, velveeta cheese, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin.
  • Macaroni Noodles: The recipe calls for 2 cups of uncooked noodles. Once cooked, you’ll end up with 4 cups.
  • Velveeta Cheese: Nothing melts quite as creamy as Velveeta, so I recommend using it for this recipe.
  • Cream Cheese: A half a block is all you’ll need.
  • Cheddar Cheese: You can buy pre-shredded cheese or shred it yourself. It gets mixed in with the noodles and sprinkled on top.
  • Milk: Whole milk adds the best flavor, but any 1% and 2% work well, too.
  • Seasoning: A blend of kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and ground cumin make the perfect seasoning for this dish. It’s the same blend I use for grilled frozen burgers.
Substitutions: You can use any type of noodles for this recipe. Shells and ziti are great alternatives.

How to make smoked mac and cheese on a Ninja Grill

  1. STEP ONE: Boil the noodles according to the box directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Then, combine the seasonings and mix them with the cooked noodles and 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
  1. STEP TWO: Stir in the cubed Velveeta and cream cheese. It’s okay that you’ll still have some chunks. Spoon it into a 10-1/2 x 7″ baking dish and pour 1/2 cup of the milk all over the top.
If you have the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill, add smoke by pushing the Woodfire Flavor Technology button.
  1. STEP THREE: If using a Woodfire Grill, only fill the smoke box 1/2 of the way full. Set the grill to Bake, push the Woodfire Flavor Technology button. Set the temperature to 250F degrees and the time to 1 hour. Once ready, add the dish of macaroni and smoke for 15 minutes.
Smoked Mac and Cheese on Ninja Grill.
  1. STEP FOUR: After 15 minutes, the noodles will start to brown. Open the lid and stir everything together to allow the cheeses to coat the noodles. Cook for another 15 minutes.
NINJA PRO TIP: It's important to stir the noodles every 15 minutes, so that the noodles on top don't get too crunchy. 
  1. STEP FIVE: After 15 minutes, the noodles will be a little more brown. Stir again to combine.
  1. STEP SIX: Pour on the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Increase the grill temperature to 400F degrees and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

How to Serve

Using a pair of pot holders, remove the smoked mac and cheese from the grill, and you’ve got yourself a side dish that everyone is going to want to dig into.

Smoked Mac and Cheese on grill.

It’s great served with hamburgers, steak and chicken.

Just use a large spoon and scoop it onto your dinner plates.

Storage

This smoked mac and cheese cooked on a Ninja Grill stores really well. I like to portion it out into smaller air-tight serving containers.

Then, it’s ready to be reheated in the microwave when you want a quick afternoon snack.

It will store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

white rectangle dish with Smoked Mac and Cheese.

You can also freeze it for up to 6 months. If you decide to freeze it, I recommend allowing it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What temp do you smoke mac and cheese?

Set your Ninja Grill to bake at 250F degrees.

What kind of cheese is best?

Because you don’t have to make a mornay cheese sauce for this recipe, it’s important to use Velveeta as the base. I also use cream cheese for extra creaminess. The third cheese in the recipe is shredded cheddar. You’re welcome to substitute the cheddar cheese for gouda or pepper jack.

Can I double the recipe?

The Ninja Grill has limitations on how large of a baking dish it can hold, so I recommend sticking to these proportions.

Want even more great grilling recipes and tips? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for my latest grilling adventures. If you make a recipe, please leave a comment and rating below.

Save this BBQ Tip

Enter your email, and I’ll send this link directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get new BBQ recipes and tips weekly.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
5 from 5 votes

Smoked Mac and Cheese on a Ninja Grill

This is the easiest way ever to make smoked mac and cheese on a Ninja Grill, because you don't have to make the cheese sauce in advanced.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 4 ozs cream cheese, cubed
  • 12 ozs Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 1 cup milk, divided

Instructions 

  • Cook Noodles: Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water according to the directions on the box. Drain.
  • Blend: Place the cooked noodles in a large bowl, stir in the seasonings and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese. Add the Velveeta and cream cheese cubes and stir. Spoon into a 10-1/2 x 7-inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of milk on top of the noodles.
  • Heat Grill: Add 2 tablespoons of wood pellets to the smoke box. (see notes). turn the Ninja Woodfire Grill to bake, press the Woodfire Flavor Technology button, set the temperature to 250F degrees and the time to one hour. Press start.
  • Smoke: Once the grill is ready, add the dish to the grill and cook for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Open and stir the noodles. Cook for 15 more minutes. Open and stir the noodles.
  • Finish: Pour in the other 1/2 cup of milk and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Increase the grill temperature to 400F degrees and cook for 5-10 more minutes, until the cheese browns around the edges.

Notes

Use Fewer Pellets: Only use one half of the scoop of pellets. If you use more, the smoke flavor may be too overpowering. A couple tablespoons of wood pellets is all you need to add a hint of smoky flavor.
You can also make this recipe without smoke on any Ninja Grill.
A 10-1/2 x 7-inch baking dish fits perfectly on Ninja Grills.
2 cups of uncooked macaroni noodles equal 4 cups of cooked noodles. 

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 18gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 965mgPotassium: 302mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 688IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 362mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill
christie vanover standing against wood wall.

Hey BBQ Family

I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and top 10 category finishes. I’m an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys, and I have appeared on the Food Network and Ninja Woodfire Grill infomercials. I established this website in 2015 to share my BBQ tips and recipes.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating