Butter & Baggage

Brisket with Mac & Cheese

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Slow cooked brisket with Mac & Cheese on top will be your new favorite comfort food.  Tender beef and the creamiest pasta, these flavors work great together. A make ahead dish your family will love. 
A spoonful of Brisket with Mac & Cheese
I’m not sure why casseroles seem to have gone out of style. Maybe because when you think of casseroles, you think of mushy food with canned soup. I asked for a cute casserole dish for Christmas and the girls searched and searched and couldn’t even find one.  I’m on a mission to bring back the casserole. There is nothing like a casserole when you want to feed a crowd.  Most you can make them ahead of time, freeze them and then when you need to take a dish to the beach for vacation, or take a dish 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 with Mac & Cheese is just what you need for all of these occasions.
A spoonful of Brisket with Mac & Cheese
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 this dish is that it is 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 macaroni and 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 bowl of Mac & Cheese
I wanted to try a brisket for the base, I don’t normally cook brisket but after watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I had to give it a try.  I put it in the slow cooker with just a little garlic and onion and beef broth. It came out so tender. Once it cooled enough for me to cut it into bite size pieces, I added it to a red wine and tomato paste mixture and then put it in the bottom of a lovely casserole dish and baked it just enough to melt the cheese.
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 8-10.  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 warm it in the oven.  They are still raving about it.
A pan of Brisket with Mac & Cheese
This is a no fail recipe that you can easily adjust. Once the brisket has cooked in the slow cooker you can prep everything in the time it takes for the water to boil and your pasta to cook. Of course you can eat it right away, but I promise it is just as good if you freeze it at this point and warm it up later.
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.
Brisket with Mac & Cheese in a casserole dish
Let me know if you stumble across any cute casserole dishes, I need to add to my collection.
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Brisket with Mac & Cheese

A spoonful of Brisket with Mac & Cheese

Slow cooked brisket covered with Mac & Cheese may be my new favorite comfort food. Tender beef and the creamiest pasta, these flavors work great together. A make ahead dish your family will love. 

  • Author: Barbara Curry
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours and 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • BRISKET
  • 2–3 lbs brisket
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 cups beef broth, divided
  • 1 cup red wine
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • MAC & CHEESE
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 cups half and half
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk
  • 2 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 lb macaroni, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

1. Place onion and garlic in the bottom a slow cooker. Place brisket on top and cover with 2 cups of beef broth. Cook on high for 6 hours. Remove and let cool slightly. Cut into bite size pieces.
2. In a skillet, add wine, 1 cup of beef broth, tomato paste, mustard, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes until it’s reduced. Add brisket and stir to combine. Place on bottom of a 9 x 13 pan or large baking dish.
3. While the wine mixture is simmering, prepare Mac & Cheese. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for about 2 minutes. Slowly add half and half and evaporated milk and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add all but 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese to the milk mixture and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add thyme and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cooked and drained pasta and stir to combine. Place on the top of the meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake at 350º until heated through and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, Increase temperature to broil and cook for an additional 5 minutes until slightly browned.

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