Enjoy one of America’s favorite foods while camping with this Campfire Mac and Cheese recipe.
I have had a few people ask me if we have a recipe for mac & cheese. Surprisingly, there are not many camping macaroni and cheese recipes out there on the web.
How can this be? Mac and cheese can be found on just about every menu in the US. Kids of all ages love it. Many macaroni and cheese recipes require a roux for the cheese sauce, which is not easy to make while camping.
So, I have tweaked an old favorite recipe of ours to be made while camping. It is certain to be one of the most delicious and easiest versions you will ever try. Add this tasty recipe to your favorite camping menu.
This easy-to-make recipe is designed for a hungry family of 6-8, so you will need a large Dutch oven. If your family is smaller or your Dutch oven is not big enough, the recipe can be cut in half.
Best Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
For this recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- a box of elbow macaroni
- a jar of alfredo sauce
- two varieties of shredded cheese
- milk
- your favorite potato chips
We opted for wavy potato chips.
How to Make Camping Mac and Cheese
This Dutch Oven recipe has four basic steps.
- Prep the Dutch oven.
- Cook the macaroni.
- Combine all the ingredients.
- Bake the meal.
Preparing your Dutch Oven
Prepare this camping dinner in a large cast-iron Dutch Oven. We recommend this 8-quart Deep Dutch Oven.
Food cooks best in well-seasoned cast iron. If you are unsure how seasoned yours is, we recommend using cooking spray.
To start out, light and prepare at least 20 charcoal briquettes to provide heat for your oven. Accomplish this with a charcoal chimney.
Directions
Prepare the elbow macaroni according to the package directions. In the photos, you will notice that I mixed whole wheat and regular macaroni in a separate pot and drained it before putting it into our Dutch oven.
Mix the entire jar of alfredo sauce with the pasta. Then, pour in the milk and stir to combine.
Add half of each bag of shredded cheese to the pot, half at a time, to make it easier to combine it evenly. Stir in the rest of the bag.
Cover the mixed macaroni with crushed potato chips.
Baking the Mac & Cheese
Put the lid on the Dutch oven.
Place the cast-iron oven over a small circle of 8 coals. Spread out 12 pieces of charcoal on the lid of the Dutch oven.
Bake the macaroni casserole for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and thickened to your liking.
Remove the lid and serve the cheesiness. Look at that stringy meltiness!
| Dutch Oven Tip |
| Remove, add, or move coals as needed if either the top or bottom of your food is baking too quickly or unevenly. |
Can I make this Mac n Cheese on the Grill?
Yes, this is definitely a mac and cheese grill recipe. There are no adjustments necessary. We bake ours in the Dutch oven on our gas grill. Preheat a gas grill on high. Either turn down the heat or place the cast-iron pot over non-direct heat to bake. Our grill has dual burners, so we placed ours over one turned-off side. We baked ours with the lid off for 35 minutes.
Regular Oven Directions
This easy baked macaroni and cheese recipe can be made in your oven at home. Follow steps 2 through 8 below. If you are using a shallow casserole dish, combine the ingredients in the pot you cooked the macaroni in. Then transfer the cheesy macaroni into an oven-safe dish before adding the crushed chips on top.
Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 to 60 minutes.
Your family is going to love this Mac and Cheese Dutch Oven recipe because it is so full of flavor. There is no need to add any seasoning to this recipe because there is pepper in the alfredo sauce and a lot of salt in the chips.
This camping recipe is intended to be the main dish for dinner because it is so hearty and filling. Add a side salad or vegetables for a complete meal.
We hope you love this Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese! Please rate this recipe below and share a photo on this pin on Pinterest or on our Facebook page.
Get more easy recipes in our Easy Weekend Camping Cookbook.
More Easy Dutch Oven Dinners
Dutch Oven Salisbury Steak
Dutch Oven Shepherd’s Pie
Dutch Oven Pizza
Dutch Oven Chicken & Veggies
Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
Enjoy this hearty campfire macaroni & cheese on your next camping trip. This simple recipe can also be baked at home.
Ingredients
- 1 box of elbow macaroni, 32 oz.
- 1 jar of alfredo sauce, ~15 oz.
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 pound of shredded pizza cheese
- 1 pound of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- optional: your favorite potato chips
Instructions
- Light and prepare 20+ pieces of charcoal to heat your Dutch oven.
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
- Drain the macaroni and place it into the Dutch oven.
- Pour in the entire jar of alfredo sauce and stir to combine.
- Stir in the cup of milk.
- Add half of the shredded pizza cheese to the pot and mix. Adding half at a time will make it easier to get it evenly combined.
- Stir in the rest of the bag.
- Repeat the half and half process with the cheddar cheese.
- Optional: Crush several handfuls of potato chips over the top of the noodle mixture.
- Put the lid on the Dutch oven.
- Place eight pieces of charcoal in a small circle. Place the cast-iron oven over the circle.
- Spread out 12 pieces of charcoal on top of the lid of the Dutch oven.
- Bake the macaroni casserole for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and thickened to your liking.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Bake this at home in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 630Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 815mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 29g