• Cook the pasta according to the package directions, about 1 minute less (al dente). Drain and set aside.

Make the cheese sauce:

• In a large skillet or pan, melt ½ cup butter (1 stick) and whisk in the flour until smooth. Add in the mustard powder, sugar, garlic powder, and smoked paprika and whisk until smooth.
• Add the beaten egg to the 2 cups of half and half and whisk together. Pour into the butter mixture and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and add in the softened cream cheese chunks. Next add the Sharp cheddar, Smoked gouda, and Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble the dish:

• Prepare a 9x13 pan (or a very large skillet that can go on the grill), adding half of the drained pasta, half of the sauce (gently stir), then repeat, adding the remainder of the pasta and the rest of the sauce. Mix together with a large spoon until all of the pasta is coated with the sauce. Wipe around the top of the pan to get rid of any messy cheese sauce. OPTIONAL to mix the pasta and the sauce together in a large bowl first, then place in the 9x13 pan. I like to mix it all in the pan I’m using for the smoker.

Make the topping:

• Next, in another skillet, melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter. Once melted, add the panko crumbs and cook on medium heat until they are brown and crispy. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese.

For the smoker:

• Heat the smoker up 225°F temperature and place the mac and cheese onto the smoker and cook for 1 hour. Check for flavor, or leave it on the grill for another hour for more smoky flavor. We cooked ours for 2 hours and it was perfect.

For a grill:

• Add smoking wood to the charcoal and keep the temperature as close to 225°F as you can. You want to cook it over indirect heat for 1 hour, but make sure it doesn’t dry out. You may need to cover the pan with foil, but the goal is to get more smoked flavor.

For the oven:

• Place in the oven at 225°F temperature and bake for one hour. If you bake it longer in the oven you will need to cover it, to prevent from drying out. The oven will not give quite the smoky flavor, but it’s still amazing.