Smoked Brisket Mac & Cheese Texas Twinkies

Foods with superpowers-

Twinkies: Love them or hate them, they are an iconic and recognizable handheld snack food that brings smiles you the faces of the young and young-at-heart.

Bacon: Add bacon to any recipe and it makes it better. I like to endearingly call it “Meat Candy.”

Brisket: Synonymous with Texas BBQ, this hunky beef cut that used to be discarded or given to slaves has now become the benchmark for beef lovers and knowing how to BBQ right…or horribly wrong! 

Mac & cheese: Stove top, bake it, smoke it - however you cook it make sure it’s ooey-gooey cheesy. 

With their powers combined you have a magical Texas-sized handful of deliciousness! We created a play on an Atomic Buffalo Turd mixed with a Twinkie using these four major ingredients for a hearty and spicy tailgating and game-watching party dish that’s definitely gonna vault your food into Hall of Fame!

 Smoked Brisket Mac & Cheese Texas Twinkies

PRO TIP: This dish can be made ahead of time, vacuum sealed then frozen before needing to cook on game day.

RECIPE:
INGREDIENT LIST:

• Hook’s H-Town AP Rub, Mad Cow, Midnight and/or Smokin' Sweetness
• 12x Large Jalapeños 
• 12x Slices of Brisket
• @Praise-N-Que’s Smoked Mac & Cheese
• 12x Strips of Thick Cut Bacon
• 1 Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend 
• Hot Sauce of choice — we love Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha for its sweet-heat!
• Optional: Pulled Pork as a substitute for Brisket 

TOOLS:

• Sharp Chef’s Knife
• Sharp Filet Knife
• Sharp Pairing Knife
• Sharp Brisket Slicer
• 2x Cutting Boards (one for finished Brisket + veggies & one for bacon
• Toothpicks
• Large Spoons
• Tongs
• Serving Dishes
• grill with charcoal or oven

METHOD:

1. Prepare brisket and bacon mac and cheese per recipe using Hook’s H-Town AP, Smokin' Sweetness and Midnight where the recipe calls. (Can be made ahead of time and held in a refrigerator or vacuum sealed then prepared cold before cooking the finished product). 
   
2. Slice the brisket across the grain in thin slices and slice those in half and into 3-4 inch pieces. Set aside in the brisket jus to absorb as much flavor as possible.
3. Start your coals and heat up your grill to 350 degrees or set your oven to 350 degrees. (A super accurate thermometer to monitor the temps is the Thermoworks Smoke, Smoke X or Blue Dot)
4. Wash jalapeños, then cut 1/4 of the side out. Then hollow it out, removing the seeds and pith (white ribs inside the pepper). You can save the 1/4 chunk you removed for other recipes or to make a killer spicy jalapeño ranch dip!
5.  After hollowing all peppers, fill each with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, a small spoonful of bacon mac and cheese, top lengthwise with a slice of brisket and wrap in a strip of bacon.
   
6. Stick a toothpick vertically through the top center of the wrapped pepper. Make sure to not puncture the jalapeño on the bottom.
7. Season the Twinkie to taste with Hook’s H-Town AP Rub, Mad Cow, Midnight and/or Smokin' Sweetness or any of the other flavors.
   
8. Set, brisket side up, on your heated grill or on a cookie sheet in the oven and let cook 40-50 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked and slightly crispy.
9. Serve drizzled with Hook's Jalapeno Ranch Sauce, hot sauce or blue cheese dip. You can also drop one of these "Twinkies" into a warm flour tortilla & eat it like a taco! 
10. You can pair this dish with our “Go-To” Margarita & enjoy the game responsibly (for 21+)!  
    

** If you like this recipe & have cooked it, please leave a review, follow us on Instagram: @HooksSpiceRubs & TikTok: @HooksRub and share it with your friends!