Grilled Mac and Cheese

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Start to finish: Active: 30 minutes
Impresses: 8 as a side, 4 as an entree

Ingredients
16 ounces dry pasta, such as elbow or cavatappi
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups half & half, divided
1 cup water
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces medium cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
3 ounces Gruyere, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving 


Method
Spray a large, shallow Dutch oven with baking spray. Pour the pasta into the pot along with the heavy cream, 1 cup of the half & half and water. Scatter butter, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese over the pasta. Sprinkle with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard.

Cover and place the pot over low direct heat and high indirect heat (if your grill has a thermometer, it should be measuring around 500 F) and close the lid of the grill. Cook the pasta for 20 minutes before removing the lid and stirring to combine. At this point, the noodles should be fully cooked and the sauce should be creamy.

Remove pot from heat, and add the remaining half & half and Gruyere. Mix until smooth, and serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of coarse black pepper.