Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese

From the Tex-Mex-seasoned slow cooker pork to the exceptionally cheesy, creamy pasta, today’s pulled pork mac and cheese recipe is the type of comfort food I crave this time of year. Nothing beats the winter blues like a hot-from-the-oven, bubbly pasta dish. This mac and cheese is smoky, savory, a little spicy, and cheesy to the max, packed with tender bites of spiced pork, juicy tomatoes, and chilies.

I won’t pretend that this recipe is a 30-minute meal like my creamy beef pasta or my original stovetop mac and cheese. Slow cooking the pork takes time, but the crock pot does most of the work. And the succulent results are SO worth it!

Why This Mexican Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Recipe Works

• Tex-Mex flavors. You can mix just about any flavor of pulled pork into your mac and cheese, but I love this Mexican version. Spices like cumin, chili powder, and coriander pack the pork full of flavor. Combined with the pasta, it’s a meal in one.
• Crock pot magic. Preparing the pulled pork in the crock pot simplifies things. You can even do this a day or two in advance. Use any leftovers in another delicious taco pasta!
• Spice it how you like it. There are plenty of ways to adapt ingredients, like the seasonings, jalapeños, and Rotel, for a milder or spicier dish.

Ingredients Needed

This is a recipe in two parts: First, a juicy, slow-cooked Mexican pork shoulder, that gets shredded and added to my creamy stovetop mac and cheese. Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for both. Scroll to the printable recipe card after the post for the full recipe with amounts and step-by-step instructions.

• Pork Shoulder – Boneless pork shoulder is my cut of choice for most pulled pork recipes, from Kalua pulled pork to Chipotle pulled pork. Boneless, skinless cuts, like the shoulder, are easiest to shred. Another good option is pork butt or bone-in pork shoulder (like I use in my Cuban pulled pork), which may need longer to cook.
• Seasoning – I make a Southwest-inspired pork seasoning rub from ground cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, salt, and pepper.
• Onion – Chop a white or yellow onion into quarters to slow cook alongside the pork, for aromatics.
• Jalapeño – If you’re sensitive to spice, you can skip the chili pepper. Otherwise, removing the seeds helps tame the heat. Afterward, chop the jalapeño into chunks.
• Garlic – Fresh cloves, which you can smash if you’d like to further release the flavors.
• Oranges – A classic ingredient in Mexican pulled pork recipes. You’ll squeeze the juice over the pork and add the rinds to the crock pot to build the flavor. I don’t recommend swapping oranges for another citrus. If you don’t have fresh oranges, you can use regular orange juice. You’ll need about ½ cup of juice to replace the two medium oranges in the recipe. 

For the Mac and Cheese

• Rotini Pasta – Or your pasta of choice. Of course, you can use traditional elbow macaroni noodles. Other good pasta choices for mac and cheese include shells, cavatappi, penne, rigatoni, orecchiette, and lumache.
• Butter, Flour, and Milk – Together, these three ingredients create a simple béchamel sauce. Béchamel is the foundation of many cream and cheese sauces (it’s one of the “mother sauces” in French cooking). In the case of mac and cheese, we’ll turn our béchamel into a Mornay sauce by adding grated cheese.
• Cayenne Pepper – Optional, but I like to give my mac and cheese a little chili kick to complement the spices in the pulled pork.
• Shredded Cheese – I use a blend of grated sharp cheddar and Velveeta cheese. Yes, Velveeta! Sometimes, you can’t beat the creaminess. If you’d prefer to use another type of cheese, use additional cheddar or Monterey Jack.
• Rotel – Be sure to drain it well. You can also use a can of regular diced tomatoes + one small can of diced green chilies. Or, use only the diced tomatoes for a milder dish.

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

The type of pulled pork I use for this Mexican-style mac and cheese actually has name: Carnitas! My favorite way to prepare pork carnitas is in the crock pot. This method is super easy and mostly hands-free until it’s time to shred it. You can also do this step a few days ahead.

1. Prepare the pork. Trim the excess fat from your pork shoulder and place it into the slow cooker. Next, combine the spices for the rub, and rub the seasoning all over the pork.
2. Combine. Arrange the onions, jalapeño, and garlic around the pork. Juice the orange, or squeeze it over the pork, and then add the rinds to the crock.
3. Cook. Cover the crock pot and cook the pork on Low for 8-10 hours (I’ll often do this overnight), or on High for 4-5 hours. The pork should be tender enough that it comes apart easily with a fork.
4. Shred the pork. Remove the onions, oranges, garlic, and jalapeños from the crock pot, leaving only the pork and the liquid. Shred the pork using two forks. Then, switch the crock pot to the Keep Warm setting while you prepare your mac and cheese.

See my original slow cooker pork carnitas post for tips and details, including Dutch oven instructions if you don’t have a crock pot. You can also make a quick version following my Instant Pot carnitas recipe.

How to Make Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork

When you’re ready to prepare the mac and cheese, these are the steps to get this comfort food dinner in the oven.

• Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
• Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, following the package directions, boil the pasta in salted water until it’s cooked al dente. 
• Make the béchamel. In a large skillet, you’ll melt a good amount of butter over medium heat. Add the flour, and whisk constantly for a minute to make a roux. To the roux, slowly add warm milk while still whisking, and add the cayenne. Let the mixture cook and thicken a little.
• Add cheese. Now, add two cups of grated cheddar and cubed Velveeta to the béchamel, stirring until the cheese is fully melted.

• Combine with the pasta. After you’ve drained the cooked pasta, return it to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles. Drain a can of Rotel, and stir that in. 
• Add the pork. Next, scoop the pulled pork into the mac and cheese, using a slotted spoon so you don’t end up with too much liquid in the sauce. I add about ¾ of the pork to our mac and cheese, since we like it extra meaty. You can add as much pork as you’d like.
• Fill the pan and bake. Spread the pulled pork mac and cheese into your prepared baking dish. Finally, top the pasta with more grated cheddar. Bake the mac and cheese uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Serve warm with your favorite sides! See below.

Tips for Best Results

• You will likely have leftover pork. This recipe makes a whole pork shoulder’s worth of pulled pork, so it’s unlikely you’ll use it all in your mac and cheese. Use the leftovers in pulled pork tacos, or game day pulled pork sliders.
• Use the right cut. I recommend fatty boneless or bone-in pork shoulder, pork butt, or center-cut pork loin for crock pot pulled pork recipes. Don’t use pork tenderloin, as it cooks much quicker and will overcook in the slow cooker.
• Cook the pasta al dente, or slightly under. If you overcook the pasta first, it may turn mushy after baking.
• Use warm milk to make the sauce. Fridge-cold milk risks curdling in the hot skillet. The milk should be warm (not boiling), so it combines smoothly with the flour and butter.
• Don’t overheat the cheese sauce. Stir the cheese into the sauce towards the end of cooking, and continue simmering just enough so the sauce thickens. Overheating the cheese sauce can cause it to clump and split.
• Alternative cooking methods. Instead of the stovetop, you can prepare your mac and cheese in the Instant Pot.

What to Serve With Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese

This Mexican pulled pork mac and cheese is a Football Sunday favorite. I’ll serve it with fun, easy appetizers like taco monkey bread and tortilla chips dipped in cowboy caviar or avocado salsa. It’s also a satisfying make-ahead weeknight meal served with a green salad or Southwestern quinoa salad on the side.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Store the pulled pork mac and cheese airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. The leftover pork carnitas can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat. Reheat this mac and cheese in the oven at 350ºF or in the microwave until the noodles are hot throughout. If the cheese has thickened up, stir in a splash of water or milk when reheating.

More Cheesy Pasta Recipes

• Panera Mac and Cheese
• Cheeseburger Casserole
• Chicken Tettrazini
• Cheesy Baked Mostaccioli
• Unstuffed Shells