Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese

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Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite recipes. I like pulled pork* and I love blue box macaroni and cheese. Not only is this recipe simple and easy to put together, but it also tastes great and it makes great tasting leftovers! I make this recipe at least once every summer, if not more often.

While I love the two separately, I can’t recall where the inspiration for this combination came from. Maybe it’s just that. In looking for more grown-up ways to enjoy my lifelong favorite mac and cheese, maybe it just clicked. Although, I had been making a Blackened Chicken Mac and Cheese recipe already. I suspect that might be partially responsible. I don’t believe I’ve ever had this combination anywhere else. At least not intentionally. But it is a common combination so who’s to say. At the end of the day, it’s an easy way to elevate good ol’ blue box mac and cheese which I love.

*See also Barbecued Pork in the Slow Cooker as evidence. In fact, that recipe inspired the pulled pork recipe for this meal!

Jump to:

• Getting Started
• Ingredient Recommendations
• Ingredient Alternatives
• Finishing Touches
• Pairings
• Leftovers
• Recipe

Getting Started

Since the pork slow cooks for 8 hours, this recipe should be started in the morning. Therefore, I like to get my pork roast the night before. Then I take the tip I learned from Chef ​​Samin Nosrat’s Netflix series, “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” and salt the roast as soon as I get it home. Then I wrap it in freezer paper and put it in the fridge overnight. If I have time, I will chop up the onion the night before too, otherwise, I will do that in the morning.

In the morning, chop up the onion if you haven’t. Get out a slow cooker. I recommend a 4-quart to 7-quart slow cooker. I wouldn’t go any bigger or smaller and any size in between will do. Add the pork and onion to the slow cooker. Then, I like to first measure the barbecue sauce in a liquid measuring glass. Once that’s in the slow cooker, I use the glass to measure the honey. The barbecue sauce coating helps the honey pour right out. 

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Ingredient Recommendations

Pork Roast

You can use a boneless pork roast instead of a bone-in one. I prefer bone-in whenever possible. But if I do go boneless, I go a little smaller. Maybe a 2.5-3 lb boneless roast in that case.

Barbecue Sauce

Any barbecue sauce will most likely do. I use the most basic, traditional tomato-based sauce I can find. Especially since I know I will be adding honey. Even if I end up with a honey-based sauce, I still add the honey according to the recipe.

Honey

I always enjoy using locally sourced honey but any honey will do. Even if your sauce already has honey in it. Try it. If you decide it’s overkill then omit it the next time. I always leave it in.

Macaroni & Cheese

Any macaroni and cheese will do. I am partial to the blue box, Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese. When I’m feeling fancy I get the spirals version. So any brand or shell will do here.

Milk

I use whole or 2% milk for my macaroni and cheese. Although when I do have heavy whipping cream or half & half on hand, I will use those for a creamy, richer result. So those are alternatives, too.

While I love my unsweetened almond milk, I do not recommend almond or other milk variations.

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Ingredient Alternatives

Gluten-Free Option

Other than the macaroni and cheese, this recipe is gluten-free. So grab your favorite gluten-free mac and cheese instead.

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Finishing Touches

Once the pork is ready, remove the bone and shred the meat with forks. Also, remove any pieces of fat you come across while shredding. Then the pork can hang out in the slow cooker, keeping warm soaking up more of its marinade while you make the mac and cheese.

Once the mac and cheese is ready, serve in warmed pasta dishes and top with the pulled pork. Additional topping options include dried or fresh parsley. Also, fried onions add a nice salty crunch, too.

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Pairings

I like to serve this dish with a side salad or roasted vegetables. And if I have it, a glass of chilled rosé.

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Leftovers

Pulled pork mac and cheese makes great fridge and freezer leftovers. This recipe makes 6-8 servings. So after serving two people, we end up with lots of leftovers. Especially lots of the pulled pork. I store the leftover pork and mac n cheese separately in the fridge. Usually, within two to three days, I’ll heat up some leftovers in the microwave.

By this point, I usually have used up the mac and cheese but still have pulled pork left over. So I will get out one of my Souper Cubes to freeze the pork in. Each cube holds a cup which is about 2 servings. So the next time I find myself with a busy night or lacking inspiration or energy, it’s on the menu. I will pop a block into a smaller saucepan and reheat it on the stove while I make up a box of macaroni and cheese to go with it.

If you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think in the comments below. I hope you love it as much as I do!