Six-Cheese Pitmaster Mac
Kirby Kitchen Signature Recipe
Creamy macaroni baked with the Kirby Kitchen Six-Cheese Blend, a rich tallow Mornay sauce, and a subtle kiss of smoke.
Every family has a macaroni and cheese recipe. This one is ours.
Built around the Kirby Kitchen Six-Cheese Blend, this macaroni and cheese brings together bold cheddar, buttery Gouda, nutty Gruyère, creamy Brie, and savory Parmesan in one incredibly smooth cheese sauce.
Beef tallow replaces traditional butter in the Mornay, adding a rich, savory depth that pairs especially well with smoked meats and backyard barbecue.
Bake it in the oven for a classic holiday side or give it a short trip through the smoker for that signature Pitmaster finish.
This is the kind of macaroni and cheese that earns a permanent spot at holidays, cookouts, and family gatherings.
Recipe at a Glance
Servings: 16
Prep Time: 30–40 minutes
Cook Time: 35–45 minutes
Oven Temperature: 375°F
Smoker Temperature: 225°F
Ingredients
Pasta
2 lbs elbow macaroni
Mornay Sauce
170 g beef tallow
Unsalted butter may be substituted140 g all-purpose flour
600 g whole milk
600 g heavy cream
Cheese
2 lbs Kirby Kitchen Six-Cheese Blend (Performance Pantry)
Website note: Make “Kirby Kitchen Six-Cheese Blend” a clickable link to its Performance Pantry recipe rather than using the old cookbook page number.
Seasonings
3–3½ tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
2½ tsp dry mustard powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
½–¾ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp white pepper
⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
1. Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Add the elbow macaroni and cook it 2 minutes less than the package directions.
Drain well and set aside.
Kirby Rule: The pasta finishes cooking while the mac and cheese bakes. Slightly undercooking it now allows the pasta to absorb some of the sauce without becoming mushy.
2. Build the Mornay Sauce
Melt the beef tallow in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and nutmeg.
Stir for 20–30 seconds, just until the spices become fragrant.
Whisk in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Gradually pour in the whole milk and heavy cream while whisking continuously.
Continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth and begins to thicken.
Season with the kosher salt.
Kirby Rule: Briefly blooming the seasonings in the warm tallow wakes up their flavors before the flour and dairy are added, creating deeper flavor throughout the sauce.
3. Melt the Cheese
Reduce the heat to low.
Gradually add approximately three-quarters of the Kirby Kitchen Six-Cheese Blend, adding it a handful at a time.
Stir or whisk gently after each addition until the cheese has melted before adding more.
Continue until the sauce is smooth, creamy, and glossy.
Kirby Rule: Never let the sauce boil after adding the cheese. Gentle heat helps keep the cheese emulsified and the sauce silky instead of grainy.
4. Bring It Together
Add the cooked macaroni directly to the Mornay sauce.
Gently fold everything together until every piece of pasta is coated.
Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or divide between two smaller baking dishes.
Top evenly with the remaining Six-Cheese Blend.
Finish with a light dusting of smoked paprika.
Choose Your Finish
🔥 Pitmaster Smoker Method
Preheat the smoker to 225°F.
Place the prepared mac and cheese in the smoker uncovered.
Smoke for approximately 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the mac and cheese is heated through, and the top has picked up a subtle layer of wood smoke.
Best Woods
Pecan — My first choice. Rich but balanced.
Cherry — Mild smoke with a touch of sweetness.
Apple — Light and slightly sweet.
Kirby Kitchen Tip: Mac and cheese absorbs smoke quickly. We're looking for a kiss of smoke—not enough to overpower six different cheeses.
🏠 Classic Oven Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.
Let the mac and cheese rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
This gives the sauce a chance to settle while keeping everything creamy.
Kirby Kitchen Notes
🧀 The Six-Cheese Difference
The Kirby Kitchen Six-Cheese Blend isn't about adding cheeses just to increase the number.
Each cheese has a job.
Sharp cheeses provide bold flavor. Gouda brings buttery richness. Gruyère contributes nuttiness. Brie adds creaminess, while Parmesan provides a savory finish.
Together, they create something none of them could accomplish alone.
🥩 Why Beef Tallow?
Butter absolutely works here, but beef tallow gives the Mornay sauce an additional layer of savory richness.
It's particularly at home when this mac and cheese is served alongside brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked turkey, or other barbecue.
🌶️ The Secret Seasonings
White pepper, dry mustard, cayenne, and freshly grated nutmeg aren't supposed to announce themselves.
They're there to make the cheese taste more like cheese.
That's the point.
👨👩👧👦 Built for Gatherings
This is a big-batch recipe for a reason.
It belongs in the middle of a holiday table, beside the smoker at a backyard cookout, or anywhere you're feeding people you care about.
Make Ahead
Prepare the mac and cheese through the assembly step, but don't bake or smoke it yet.
Cover tightly and refrigerate.
When you're ready to cook, remove it from the refrigerator while the oven or smoker preheats.
Because you're starting with a cold dish, expect the final cook to take longer than it would when freshly assembled.
For the creamiest results, I'd make it no more than one day ahead.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer
Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat gently rather than blasting it with high heat.
Add a small splash of whole milk or heavy cream before reheating to help loosen the cheese sauce and restore some of its original creaminess.
Fuel Profile — Estimated Per Serving
Calories: 700 kcal | Protein: 25 g | Carbohydrates: 43 g | Net Carbs: 41 g | Fiber: 2 g | Fat: 53 g
Based on 16 servings. Nutrition is estimated and will vary depending on the specific pasta, dairy, and cheeses used.
Smoked Southern Green Beans with Turkey
Southern comfort. Real smoke. Big flavor.
Fresh green beans are slow-cooked on the smoker with tender smoked turkey, onions, garlic, herbs, Bayou Fire Seasoning, and Voodoo seasoning. Finished with just enough butter for richness and apple cider vinegar for balance, these green beans bring deep Southern flavor without relying on liquid smoke or a stick of butter.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2–3 hours
Smoker Temperature: 300°F
Ingredients
2 lbs fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
1 smoked turkey thigh or leg
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon base
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
Seasonings
1 tsp Bayou Fire Seasoning (Performance Pantry)
1 tsp Firehouse seasoning (Performance Pantry)
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried thyme or 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
¼–½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, only if needed
Instructions
1. Preheat the smoker
Preheat your smoker to 300°F.
Pecan is a great choice for a balanced Southern smoke flavor. Hickory will give you a stronger smoke profile, while apple or cherry will keep things milder.
2. Build the flavor base
Place a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon butter and the diced onion. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
3. Add the seasonings
Add the Bayou Fire Seasoning, Voodoo seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme if using, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Stir and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
Add the chicken bouillon base and stir to combine.
4. Deglaze
Pour in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to release all the browned bits.
Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs if using.
5. Add the smoked turkey
Nestle the smoked turkey thigh or leg into the seasoned broth.
Add a little more chicken stock or water if necessary. The turkey doesn't need to be completely submerged, but there should be plenty of liquid surrounding it.
6. Smoke the turkey and broth
Place the Dutch oven uncovered in the smoker.
Smoke at 300°F for 60–90 minutes, stirring the broth occasionally.
Once the broth has developed a good smoke flavor, cover the Dutch oven and continue cooking until the turkey is tender enough to easily pull from the bone.
7. Shred the turkey
Carefully remove the turkey from the Dutch oven.
Remove and discard the skin, bones, and any tough pieces. Shred or roughly chop the turkey meat and set aside.
Remove and discard the bay leaves and any woody thyme stems.
8. Add the green beans
Add the fresh green beans to the smoky braising liquid and stir to coat.
Return the shredded turkey to the Dutch oven and stir everything together.
Place the Dutch oven back on the smoker uncovered.
Cook for another 30–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the green beans reach your preferred tenderness.
For traditional Southern-style green beans, let them cook beyond crisp-tender so they have time to absorb that smoky turkey broth.
9. Finish the pot
Remove the Dutch oven from the smoker.
Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
Taste before adding any salt. The smoked turkey, bouillon, and Voodoo seasoning already contribute sodium.
Adjust the black pepper, Bayou Fire Seasoning, red pepper flakes, or vinegar to taste.
Serve warm with some of that smoky turkey and pot liquor spooned over the beans.
🔥 From the Smoker
Pecan is the go-to wood for this recipe. It adds a rich smoke flavor without overpowering the green beans.
Keeping the Dutch oven uncovered during the first part of the cook allows the turkey, aromatics, and broth to pick up real wood smoke. Covering it afterward helps tenderize the turkey and keeps too much liquid from evaporating.
No liquid smoke needed—the smoker does the work.
Make It Your Own
Milder: Leave out the red pepper flakes.
More heat: Increase the red pepper flakes or add a little extra Bayou Fire Seasoning at the end.
More tang: Add another splash of apple cider vinegar immediately before serving.
Softer Southern-style beans: Give the green beans the full 60 minutes—or longer if needed—until they're tender and have soaked up plenty of the smoky broth.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat the beans gently with some of their cooking liquid to keep them moist and flavorful.
Fuel Profile — Estimated Per Serving
Calories: 190 kcal | Protein: 20 g | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Net Carbs: 7 g | Fiber: 5 g | Fat: 8 g
Based on 8 servings. Nutrition is estimated and will vary depending on the smoked turkey, chicken stock, bouillon, and seasoning brands used.