If you have leftover bbq brisket this cheesy casserole is the best way to use it
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Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- BBQ mac and cheese combines two Southern favorites to create the ultimate comfort food that disappears fast from every dinner table!
- Enjoy this as a complete meal or with cornbread and a vegetable side dish.
- Cook your pasta until it just barely becomes al dente since it will continue cooking more in the oven.
This BBQ brisket mac and cheese recipe puts a delicious twist on the classic dish y'all know and love. Smoky brisket, sweet 'n tangy barbecue sauce, and creamy mac and cheese are a match made in heaven!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- You can use shredded or diced chicken breasts instead of beef brisket.
- Other great kinds of pasta for mac 'n cheese are penne, cavatappi, rotini, fusilli, or elbow macaroni. Feel free to use your favorite!
- Y'all know how much I love evaporated milk in cheese sauce! However, whole milk or heavy cream will work, too.
- Want more of a Southern kick? Add extra black pepper and a dash of hot sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper, chopped chipotle peppers, or paprika.
- Create smoked mac and cheese by adding a few dashes of liquid smoke.
- Add onion powder and garlic powder for even more great flavor.
- Sprinkle crumbled bacon or cornbread crumbs over the mac and cheese before baking for a crispy, savory topping!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
You'll find step by step images for the cream sauce right here.
- Add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, smoked Gouda cheese, and BBQ sauce to the white sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta, cheese cubes, and brisket to the baking dish.
- Stir in the cheese sauce.
- Coat the top of the mac and cheese with BBQ sauce.
🍴 Equipment
- 9x13 casserole dish
- Heavy skillet
🥫 How to store leftovers
Cover your delicious leftovers with plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to five days.
Reheat BBQ mac and cheese in the microwave, or cover it with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes until warmed through. It's ok to use foil for covering during baking but don't use it for long-term storage as the aluminum will react with the bbq sauce and give your dish an off flavor.
You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months for an easy, ready-to-go dinner. Be sure to thaw frozen mac and cheese in the fridge before reheating it.
Expert Tip:
If the cheese sauce seems too thick, stir in up to ½ cup of milk before baking.
💭 Things to know
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Freshly grated cheese always tastes and melts better!
- Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until it's tender but still slightly stiff, about 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions. This prevents the pasta from getting mushy during the additional cooking in the oven.
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce, or try out my homemade Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce recipe.
- If the top of the mac and cheese starts getting too dark in the oven, gently lay a piece of foil overtop for the last few minutes of baking time.
- Serve BBQ mac and cheese with sliced green onions. They add a fresh, herby flavor and delightful crunch!
👩🍳 FAQs
I love sharp cheddar and smoked Gouda in this recipe. However, feel free to use a combination of cheese. Mild cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, parmesan cheese, Velveeta cheese, American cheese, and mozzarella cheese work great, too!
Elbow macaroni is the most common pasta for mac and cheese, but other kinds work just as well.
I like using shell pasta because it has crevices that hold little pools of melted cheese sauce. Penne, cavatappi, rotini, or fusilli pasta also make good mac and cheese.
I don't recommend flat pasta such as bowtie, spaghetti, linguini, or angel hair.
Absolutely! Follow the recipe as instructed, then cook all the ingredients together in the Dutch oven on low heat with the lid on for 10-15 minutes.
Sure! Make the cheese sauce and cook the pasta first on the stovetop, then add all the ingredients to your
📚 Related recipes
- Always a family favorite, Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese has tender noodles, creamy sauce, and gooey strings of cheese in every bite!
- Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork adds leftover meat and BBQ sauce to a homemade casserole with a golden brown breadcrumb topping-YUM!
- Spicy Chicken Mac and Cheese is a 30-minute Tex-Mex meal that tingles your taste buds with a creamy salsa verde queso-a great option for busy weeknights!
🍽️ Serve with...
Serve BBQ mac and cheese as a main dish with a hearty slice of my Easy Buttermilk Cornbread on the side. It's made in the classic Southern style-no sugar but plenty of butter and honey on top!
Add a tasty veggie to your meal with Southern Green Beans. They're cooked low and slow with vinegar, bacon, and seasoned salt to soak up every bit of tangy, smoky flavor!
Round out your hearty dinner with Old Fashioned Southern Blackberry Cobbler. The juicy fruit filling and cake-like topping are made from scratch and full of classic country flavor!
📞 The last word
This is absolutely the best ever way to use up leftover bbq brisket, whether you have slices (just dice it) or chopped bbq.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
BBQ Mac and Cheese
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 16 oz dried shell macaroni
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups evaporated milk
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, diced
- 4 ounces smoked gouda, shredded
- 4 ounces smoked gouda, diced
- ½ cup bbq sauce plus more for garnish
- 1 pound cooked BBQ brisket, diced or chopped. This amount can vary from ½ a pound to 1 1/.2 pounds. I use leftovers.
- ½ cup cheddar, shredded for the top
- ¼ cup green onions, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Spray a 9x13 pan with no-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix the shredded cheeses together and set aside.
- Cook the macaroni until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain the macaroni and add it to the casserole dish. Stir in the diced bbq meat and the diced cheese. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour and continue to whisk for 2 minutes. Don't let it scorch.
- Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, whisking until smooth.
- Stir and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of shredded cheese mixture and the ½ cup bbq sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour sauce over the macaroni, bbq, and cheese mixture in the casserole dish. Stir to make sure everything is coated. Add a little milk if the sauce seems too thick.
- Top with the cheese and a drizzle of bbq sauce.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.
Notes
-
- Don't use aluminum or aluminum foil. The bbq sauce reacts with it and it can give your dish an off flavor.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Freshly grated cheese always tastes and melts better!
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce, or try out my homemade Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce recipe.
- If the top of the mac and cheese starts getting too dark in the oven, gently lay a piece of foil overtop for the last few minutes of baking time.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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