Brisket Mac and Cheese
intro
Creamy, cheesy baked pasta loaded with smoky Texas-style brisket, topped with crispy panko, for the ultimate hearty comfort food perfect for BBQ gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the elbow pasta
Bring a large stockpot of heavily salted water (1 tablespoon kosher salt per 4 liters of water) to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 300 grams dry elbow macaroni, stir once to prevent sticking, and cook for 6 minutes (2 minutes shorter than the package’s al dente recommendation, as pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain pasta and set aside; do not rinse, as residual starch helps cheese sauce cling to noodles.
Prep brisket and cheeses
Chop 350 grams smoked beef brisket into 1cm bite-sized pieces, trimming away any overly tough, dry bark or excess hard fat. Shred 250 grams sharp cheddar and 150 grams Monterey Jack cheese on the large holes of a box grater, then toss the shreds together and set aside 100 grams of the mixed cheese for the baked topping.
Make the roux base
Melt 60 grams unsalted butter in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat (stovetop setting 5/10, ~175°C). Once butter is fully melted and foaming subsides, whisk in 40 grams all-purpose flour to form a smooth, thick paste. Cook the roux for 2 full minutes, whisking constantly, until it turns a pale golden color and gives off a light, nutty aroma.
Finish the cheese sauce
Slowly stream 720 ml whole milk and 120 ml heavy cream into the roux, whisking nonstop to prevent lumps from forming. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat (stovetop setting 3/10), and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pot from heat, stir in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and the larger portion of the shredded cheese mix, stirring until cheese is fully melted and sauce is smooth.
Combine pasta and brisket
Add the drained, slightly undercooked elbow macaroni and chopped smoked brisket into the pot of warm cheese sauce, folding gently with a silicone spatula until every pasta piece is evenly coated in sauce and brisket bits are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Top and bake the dish
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Transfer the mac and cheese mixture to a 23x33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish, spreading it into a flat, even layer. Top the mixture with the reserved 100 grams of shredded cheese, then sprinkle 50 grams panko breadcrumbs evenly over the cheese layer. Bake for 25 minutes, until the sauce is vigorously bubbling around the dish edges and the panko topping is deep golden and crispy.
Rest before serving
Remove the baked mac and cheese from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the cheese sauce to set slightly, so portions hold their shape instead of running when scooped.
Tips
2.Cook pasta 2 minutes short of the package’s al dente direction, as it will continue to cook and absorb sauce while baking, preventing soft, mushy pasta in the final dish.
3.If you don’t have access to traditionally smoked brisket, add 1/4 teaspoon of high-quality hickory liquid smoke to the cheese sauce to replicate classic BBQ smokiness without a smoker.
OMG this smoky brisket mac and cheese was the star of our Sunday family dinner! I used leftover smoked brisket from our weekend cookout and it worked perfectly. The crispy panko topping with the smoked paprika? *Chef’s kiss* My kids went back for seconds, even my picky 7 year old! Total game changer for our weeknight rotation too, since I can prep the cheese sauce ahead.
This was really solid, but I will say the cook time ran a little long for me on a weeknight—took me almost an hour and 40 minutes total because I had to shred the brisket and make the roux while my kid was doing homework. Flavor is 10/10 though, the smokiness doesn’t get overpowered by the cheese which I was worried about. I portioned this out for meal prep for the week and it reheats like a dream in the microwave, no weird grainy cheese sauce!
SO good. I added a little extra gouda to the cheese blend because I can never have enough smoky cheese, and tossed in some pickled jalapeños for a tiny kick. We ate this while watching the Sunday night game and my roommate already asked me to make it again for our watch party next week. Worth every minute of prep, no notes.
Uh, total rookie question here—when you say to cook the roux until it’s golden brown, how long does that usually take? I’ve burned roux so many times making mac and cheese before, I don’t wanna mess this one up because I’m making it for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner next week and she loves brisket. Every recipe I’ve tried from this site has been a hit so I already know this will be 5 stars!
I brought this to my office potluck yesterday and people were literally hovering over the crockpot waiting for seconds! I kept the brisket in bigger chunks instead of shredding it super fine so you got a nice meaty bite in every scoop, and everyone kept asking me for the recipe. Only tiny complaint is that my kitchen smelled like cheese and smoke for hours after, but that’s a small price to pay for how good this was. 10/10 will make again for Thanksgiving this year.