Summer is BBQ season. North Carolina-based father and son duoEd and Ryan Mitchell, who are legendary pitmasters, released their latest cookbook Ed Mitchell's Barbeque which includes best techniques for roasting meat and recipes for sides and appetizers. Ryan joins us to discuss.

Sheri’s Smoked Mac ’n’ Cheese (Courtesy of Harper Collins)

Serves 4 • Prep Time: 20 minutes • Cooking Time: 45 minutes (if baked) or 1 hour (if smoked)

RYAN MITCHELL, Ed Mitchell’s son

Everyone has a macaroni and cheese memory. Mac and cheese has become as American as

burgers and pie. My sister, Sheri, was the first person to bring different ideas about how

to reimagine macaroni and cheese back to Wilson and to our family. Sheri was a cheese

connoisseur. In the 1980s, she was hobnobbing with folks at Georgetown and Howard

University in Washington, DC, and attending parties with fancy cheese boards and wine.

During the holidays, when she would come home to Wilson, she introduced us to

all kinds of cheeses, pâté, and crackers that we were unfamiliar with. Sheri started to add

bacon and different cheeses to our macaroni and cheese. She took it to the next level. We

hadn’t known that mac and cheese could be jazzed up. I didn’t know there were other

kinds of cheese past the ones that were available in our stores in Wilson County. I credit

Sheri for creating our mac and cheese dish.

We prefer to grate our cheeses instead of buying packaged shredded cheese. Grating

your own cheese will give you a creamier and more flavorful dish.

1 16-ounce box elbow noodles

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose

flour

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup freshly shredded extra-sharp

cheddar cheese

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup freshly shredded smoked Gouda

cheese

1 cup freshly shredded aged cheddar or

North Carolina hoop cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella

cheese

1 cup freshly shredded Colby Jack cheese

COOK the elbow noodles in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt for 8 minutes,

or until al dente. Drain and place in a casserole or baking dish. Season with a

sprinkle each of salt and pepper.

IN a medium-sized pot, melt the butter on low heat, then whisk in the flour.

Add the milk and stir until it starts to thicken. Add the onion powder and

garlic powder. Add the extra-sharp cheddar and 1/2 cup of the cream. Stir until

smooth. Add the Gouda and remaining 1/2 cup cream. Stir until smooth.

MIX the beaten egg and mozzarella in with the elbow noodles, then pour the

cheese sauce over the noodles. Top evenly with the Colby Jack. Cook the

macaroni and cheese on a smoker for 45 minutes or bake at 350ºF until golden

brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil the

macaroni and cheese for 3 minutes. Do not leave your macaroni and cheese

unattended when you turn on the broiler; the cheese will caramelize quickly.

Excerpted from Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque © 2023 by Ed Mitchell and Ryan Mitchell.

Food & Author photos by Baxter Miller.

Reproduced by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.