Grilled Mac & Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork

You saw this one coming. After my visit to the Grilled Cheese Truck I felt compelled to try my hand at recreating that Cheesy Mac & Rib sandwich on the panini grill. The task was made a whole lot easier once I found out the recipe was published in Food Network magazine this month as part of a feature about National Grilled Cheese Month. All I had to do was decide on which macaroni and cheese and pulled pork recipes I would use, the rest was mostly a matter of careful assembly.

And speaking of careful assembly…how cute is this little make-your-own Grilled Cheese Truck?! Ever since I downloaded and pasted this thing together my three-year old has embraced “grilled cheese truck” as her new favorite pretend game. “Everybody wait in line! The Grilled Cheese Truck is almost here!” Fisher-Price, are you listening? Little People Food Truck. You’re welcome.





After piling on my “slice” of chilled mac and cheese, barbecue pulled pork, caramelized onions and sharp cheddar cheese I was staring at one tall sandwich! I have no idea how the Grilled Cheese Truck folks manage to flip theirs. Maybe they don’t fill it quite as high. I toyed with the idea with just making these in a skillet as directed in the recipe but once I realized how precarious flipping it would be, the panini grill seemed like the easier way to go.

As I previously mentioned, this sandwich is a fantastic – albeit extremely caloric – concept. My version tasted remarkably like the original. The bread was a little less crispy, but I just couldn’t bring myself to use the mayonnaise or nearly as much butter as the Truck does (an entire stick for 4 sandwiches?!). I also opted to use sourdough instead of buttermilk bread as I needed something a little sturdier to stand up to the panini grill. Other than that, I kept it pretty much the same. If you can’t make it to LA to track down the Truck, this recipe will get you pretty close. Print This! Adapted from the Grilled Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork recipe from The Grilled Cheese Truck on FoodNetwork.com Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 20 min | Total time: 30 min Yield: 4 sandwiches INGREDIENTS: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

4 cups prepared macaroni and cheese , warmed

2 onions, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup barbecue sauce

2 cups prepared pulled pork

8 slices sourdough bread

12 slices sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces) DIRECTIONS: Spread the macaroni and cheese in an 8-inch-square baking dish to about 3/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 45 minutes. Cut the macaroni and cheese into squares that are slightly smaller than the bread slices. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the barbecue sauce and pulled pork in a saucepan over low heat and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush on one side of each bread slice. Flip over half of the bread slices; layer 1 slice of cheddar, 1 macaroni-and-cheese square and another slice of cheddar on each. Top each with one-quarter of the pulled pork and caramelized onions and another slice of cheddar. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered-side up. Working in batches, cook the sandwiches until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 5 minutes.



