Summer is BBQ season. North Carolina-based father and son duo Ed 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. 

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.