Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich Recipe

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This Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich is looking at leftovers in a whole new light. Yeah, you could just reheat them in your microwave. But it’s 2025 and you’ve got a Char-Broil griddle outside waiting for you to work some magic on an otherwise unremarkable Monday night.

PREP TIME

12 hrs

COOK TIME

20 mins

SERVINGS

4

Ingredients

Mac and Cheese “Bread”

  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cups smoked gouda, fresh shredded
  • 1 cup yellow sharp cheddar, fresh shredded
  • ~2 cups cavatappi pasta, al dente

 

Pickled Jalapeños

  • ~4 oz jalapeños, seeded & stemmed & halved lengthwise
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed & roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 Tbsp pickling salt
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp dill seeds
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 Tbsp honey

 

Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich

  • Mac & Cheese “Bread”
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 8 slices hickory-smoked boneless ham
  • 4 Pickled Jalapeño halves
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided

Mac and Cheese Ham Sandwich on a piece of parchment paper on a wooden cutting board with a jar of pickle spears in the background

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich

Mac and Cheese “Bread”

  1. Grease a 13”x9” baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a large pan, combine cornstarch, dry mustard, salt, and pepper.
  3. Turn burner to medium heat, then add milk to pan and whisk until well-combined. Continue whisking until milk begins to lightly bubble and thicken. Whisking continuously, add butter and Dijon until well-combined, then add cheese slowly while still whisking.
  4. Once cheese is fully melted, stir in cooked pasta until well-integrated. Transfer mac & cheese to greased baking dish. Cover & chill overnight before proceeding with recipe.

 

Pickled Jalapeños

  1. Place jalapeños in a mason jar with lid off.
  2. In a small pot over medium heat, add garlic, water, vinegar, pickling salt, peppercorn, mustard seed, dill seed, turmeric, and honey. Bring to boil and continue boiling for 2-3 mins.
  3. Pour liquid over jalapeños in mason jar. Cover with lid then let come to room temperature. Chill in fridge overnight.

 

Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich

  1. To cut the Mac and Cheese “Bread”: Slice (4) squares from Mac & Cheese—squares should be about 4”x4”. Set aside squares on parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Preheat griddle to medium heat.
  3. To brown Mac and Cheese “Bread”: Melt butter on grill and spread it so that all 4 Mac & Cheese squares can be browned at the same time. Spread 1/8 cup cheese each in 4 spots. Place each Mac & Cheese square on its own cheese spot. Grill for 2-3 mins, or until golden brown. To flip each square, first remove the square, then spread another 1/8 cup cheese down, and lay ungrilled side of square down on cheese. Repeat for other 3 Mac & Cheese squares. Grill for another 2-3 mins. Remove from grill and set aside.
  4. Using a little bit of water and a grill scraper, scrape off any food fragments.
  5. Brown ham for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from grill and set aside.
  6. To build each Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich: Top one Mac & Cheese square with 4 slices of ham, two Pickled Jalapeño halves, then another Mac & Cheese square. Enjoy!

PAIRINGS:
Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich

German Riesling

Zinfandel

American IPA

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