Creamy, cheesy baked Mac and Cheese topped with sweet, smoky Pulled Pork and BBQ sauce. Inspired by the iconic eat from WDW’s Flame Tree Barbecue.
Mac & Cheese Flame Tree Style
I feel like I keep going on about how much I love Flame Tree Barbecue in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but it really is one of my favourite places to eat! One of my favourite dishes is the Macaroni Cheese with Pulled Pork – it’s amazing!
Creamy. cheesy macaroni, baked to perfection (with a delicious cheese crust) and topped with sweet, smoky pulled pork and a drizzle of BBQ Sauce. Disney top their version with some crispy onion rings and coleslaw too.
Baked Macaroni Cheese
Pasta and cheese are two of my favourite foodstuffs – who can resist cheesy carbs? This baked mac and cheese has 3 different kinds of cheese, including smoked cheddar, and stays lovely and saucy even after being baked. It’s totally delicious on its own, but adding some pulled pork on the side just takes it to another level.
Flame Tree Pulled Pork
You can use your favourite pulled pork recipe for this dish, but I really recommend my Coca Cola Pulled Pork with Flame Tree BBQ Rub. These two recipes were literally made to go together! You need to top it all off with this deliciously sweet and smoky Flame Tree BBQ Sauce.
How to Serve Baked Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork
I prefer to have my pulled pork cooked in advance – if you use my pulled pork recipe you can keep it covered in the fridge for 2 days. You can reheat the pulled pork in the microwave or covered in the oven until it’s piping hot.
To serve, add a generous spoonful of warm, melty macaroni to a plate or bowl and top with a heap of pulled pork. Drizzle with BBQ sauce and garnish with chopped green pepper or spring onion. If you want to make it really authentic, add some crispy fried onion rings and a dollop of creamy coleslaw.
Yes, any combination of cheese that melts well would be good – mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Gruyère and Gouda are all excellent choices. I love this particular combination of cheddar, smoked cheddar and parmesan, but feel free to switch it up to suit your tastes. You can also just use one kind of cheese if you wish.
Yes – make the recipe up until you should add it to the oven, then cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. You can also freeze it at this point – simply thaw in the fridge before baking.
In the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until piping hot throughout.
Add some tasty extras to the mix when you combine the pasta and cheese sauce. Some cooked chicken or bacon, mushrooms, peppers, jalapeños or tomatoes are all a great choice.
I hope this recipe helps you bring a little Disney Magic home with you! Please leave me a comment if you try it, or tag me on Instagram @magicaleats_ – I would love to see your photos!
Got a favourite Disney Dish you’d love to see me recreate? Please get in touch!
More Flame Tree Inspired Recipes:
- Coca Cola Pulled Pork with Flame Tree BBQ Rub
- Flame Tree Style BBQ Sauce
- Pulled Pork Loaded Fries – Flame Tree BBQ Style
Baked Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork – Flame Tree Style
Ingredients
- 300 grams Macaroni Pasta
- 40 grams Butter
- 40 grams Plain Flour
- 600 ml Milk
- 1 tsp Mustard Powder
- 150 grams Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 100 grams Grated Smoked Cheddar – like Applewood
- 50 grams Grated Parmesan
- 600 grams Pulled Pork* recipe linked in notes
- BBQ Sauce for Serving recipe linked in notes
Instructions
To Make the Macaroni Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6/400f
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package instructions eg if the packet advises 8-10 minutes, then cook for 6 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water. Coat with a little drizzle of olive oil or butter to prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter over a low heat until it begins to foam. Add the flour and mix together to form a paste or roux. Keep stirring for a minute.
- Add the milk bit by bit. Make sure the milk and roux are completely combined each time before you add more milk.
- Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and add the mustard powder and half of the cheese. Mix well and season to taste.
- Combine the pasta with the sauce and mix well. Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
To Serve
- If you have pre-prepared the pulled pork then reheat it while the macaroni is cooking.
- Top each serving of Mac and Cheese with a generous spoonful of pulled pork and a drizzle of BBQ sauce. I also like to add finely chopped green peppers or scallions.
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