Brisket Macaroni and Cheese

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Slow cooked Brisket Macaroni and Cheese will be your new favorite comfort meal. Tender beef and the creamiest pasta, these flavors work great together. A make ahead dish that will feed a crowd.

A blue casserole dish filled with brisket and topped with Mac & Cheese.

Brisket with Mac & Cheese needs to go on your list of no-fail recipes that your family and friends will love. I’m not sure why, but casseroles seem to have gone out of style. Maybe because when you think of casseroles, you think of mushy food with canned soup and not this fabulous beef brisket macaroni & cheese.

I asked for a cute casserole dish for Christmas and the girls searched and searched and couldn’t find one. I’m on a mission to bring back the casserole.

A casserole dish of brisket topped with macaroni and cheese.

Why should you make a casserole

There is nothing like a casserole when you want to feed a crowd. Most can be made ahead of time, frozen and then when you need to take a dish to the beach for vacation, or take a comfort meal to someone who is recovering from a medical issue, or the boys are going on a golf junket, or you don’t want to have to cook when you get home from vacation, you have dinner already taken care of. Brisket macaroni and cheese is just what you need for all of these occasions.

I don’t normally cook brisket but after watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I had to give it a try.

This is not one of those mushy casseroles and there is no canned soup involved. However, that doesn’t mean it’s difficult or time consuming. All I can say about beef brisket with macaroni and cheese is that it’s AMAZING. Everyone that’s tried it, has gone on and on about the flavors. I never thought about topping meat with macaroni and cheese, but it’s brilliant.

Who doesn’t love homemade mac n cheese and this one is a super creamy version using evaporated milk. I used a mixture of White Cheddar, Mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese to get a really creamy combination but you can mix it up and add your favorites. I’m surprised we had enough left to top the brisket because Natalie and I could not stop eating it.

A spoon full of brisket with macaroni and cheese.

What is beef brisket and how do you cook it

Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast of the cow that is a tough piece of meat containing connective tissue. Because of the cut, it needs to be cooked slowly to tenderize and release the fabulous flavor.

For everything you might want to know about choosing and cooking a brisket, check out this post by 4 ways to Cook a Brisket. There are several different ways to prepare brisket. In Texas they smoke it for barbecue, while in North Carolina, our “barbecue” is pulled pork not beef.

How do you cook a brisket

Whatever method you choose, a brisket needs to be cooked slowly. I use a slow cooker with just a little garlic and onion and beef broth and cook it for six hours. It comes out so tender. Once it cools enough to cut into bite size pieces, add it to a red wine and tomato paste mixture and then put it in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Which macaroni and cheese recipe should go on top of beef brisket

With so many macaroni and cheese recipes it’s hard to choose what type to put on the top of a slow cooked brisket. I found that homemade macaroni and cheese using evaporated milk, half-and-half and a three cheese mixture complimented, but did not overpower, the brisket. For cheese, I used a combination of white cheddar for flavor, and Monterey jack and mozzarella to give it a creamy texture.

If you’re looking for a different version of mac n cheese here are some other options: Macaroni and cheese with spinach, One pot macaroni and cheese, or Macaroni and Cheese from Poole’s Diner.

The result is comfort food at it’s best! Be prepared for the oohs and ahhhs. After experimenting with this the first time, Mike asked if I’ld make it for him to take on their golf junket. I increased the amount of brisket the second time around, the first time I had extra macaroni and cheese.

The recipe that follows uses 2-3 lbs. of brisket which makes a large enough portion to feed 10-12 people You can adjust the amount of meat to macaroni and cheese ratio per your preference. I made this a week or so before they left and froze it. All they had to do was thaw it and warm it in the oven. They are still raving about it.

A freezer pan with macaroni and cheese topped brisket.

Why you’ll love it

The slow cooker makes the beef so tender
You can make it ahead and freeze it
It will feed a crowd
Casseroles are the best for an entire meal in one pan

What you’ll need for the brisket

Brisket – 2-3 lbs will feed 8-10 people
Beef broth – broth or stock
Red wine – use one you like to drink
Tomato paste – this will be the base of the sauce the brisket cooks in
Pantry staples – onion and garlic

What you’ll need for macaroni and cheese

Pasta- elbow shaped is great for cheesy sauce but any small shaped pasta will work
Half and half – makes for a creamy sauce
Evaporated milk – adds texture without making it too rich
Shredded cheese mixture – sharp white cheddar cheese, mozzarella and monterey jack
Fresh thyme – using a fresh herb enhances the flavor
Pantry staples – Butter, flour, dry mustard

How do you make Brisket Mac n Cheese

Step 1 – Brisket

Place brisket in a slow cooker with onion, garlic and beef broth and let it cook on high for 6 hours. Then shred it.

Beef brisket being shredded with two forks.

Step 2

In a skillet, add wine, tomato paste beef broth and mustard and cook until it’s reduced. Pour over the brisket and place it in a casserole dish.

A red wine tomato sauce in a skillet with a whisk.

Red wine sauce combined with shredded brisket.

Step 3 – Macaroni and cheese

Make the creamiest macaroni and cheese by making a bechamel sauce with butter and flour, half-and-half and evaporated milk. Cook until slightly thickened and add cheese.

A bechamel sauce with cheese in a saucepan.

Combine with pasta.

Creamy macaroni and cheese in a saucepan.

Place the brisket in the bottom of a casserole dish and top with pasta then sprinkle with cheese.

A casserole dish with brisket on the bottom and half covered with pasta.

Brisket with macaroni and cheese before it has been baked.

Step 4

Bake covered until it’s warmed through then remove the foil and bake until the macaroni and cheese has browned.

Pro tip: Once the brisket has cooked in the slow cooker you can prep everything in the time it takes for the water to boil and the pasta to cook.

This is a no fail recipe that you can easily adjust. Of course you can eat it right away, but I promise it’s just as good if you freeze it once assembled and bake it later. Once baked, the leftovers freeze and reheat great for lunches.

A spoon full of macaroni and cheese with brisket.

Think about taking this with you on your next vacation. By the time you get to the beach, mountains or wherever you’re going, the casserole will be ready to pop in the oven and you can avoid the crowded restaurants. A win for everyone.

FAQs and tips

What is a bechamel sauce?

Bechamel sauce is a French white sauce made with a roux of butter and flour and milk.

Why do you use evaporated milk instead of regular milk in the sauce?

It’s rich milk that offers a little different flavor than your regular milk. In this recipe, it helps enrich the cheese sauce for the macaroni to cling to.

How do you reheat a frozen brisket macaroni and cheese?

Allow the frozen dish to thaw and then you can place it in the oven to heat through.

Is brisket a good cut of meat?

The short answer is no; it’s a tough cut of meat. However, long slow cooking of this cut allows the tissue to break down and gelatinize making it a tender, delicious cut of meat.

Looking for more dinner casseroles

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