Smoked Brisket Lasagna with BBQ Sauce

Classic Italian comfort food meets American barbecue in this smoked brisket lasagna with barbecue sauce. A great use for leftover brisket!

Oh, hello there! Welcome to The Mountain Kitchen, where classic Italian comfort food meets American barbecue in this smoked brisket lasagna with barbecue sauce.

David and I love brisket, so you become creative with the leftovers when only two people eat it. That’s why we created this recipe. It’s a new favorite on our growing list of ways to use leftover beef brisket.

What is Smoked Brisket Lasagna?

This lasagna isn’t like the classic lasagna you already know and love. Instead, the silky lasagna noodles are smothered in layers of gooey cheese and smoked beef brisket that you pulled off the smoker. The lasagna is drizzled with a thin layer of BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce, which complements the gooey cheese.

What is in this Brisket Lasagna?

A detailed list of ingredients is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

PASTA: We use traditional lasagna noodles that you precook before use because that is what we prefer. They have a softer texture than the no-boil oven-ready lasagna sheets, which are too tough for me. 

MEAT: Chop the leftover brisket finely on a chopping board to ensure tender bites. You don’t have to worry about sawing through the lasagna with a knife. This is easier than making shredded beef, and we enjoyed the consistency.

CHEESES: use any type of cheese you like. For this recipe, we used:

• Homemade Ricotta Cheese (Get the recipe HERE)
• Shredded Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Sliced Smoked Mozzarella Cheese – We added some slices of smoked mozzarella to the top of the lasagna. Adding smoked mozzarella gives the lasagna a little more smoky flavor, but it is optional. We smoked our own (this recipe), but you should be able to find this in the deli section of your grocery store.

EGG: Ricotta cheese can ooze and run. The egg helps bind the ricotta together. Omit the egg if you want; it’s about personal preference.

BARBECUE SAUCE: We make a secret barbecue sauce recipe, so use your favorite. Barbecue sauce has a robust and intense flavor compared to traditional tomato sauce, so use it sparingly. You don’t want to overpower the dish.

How to Make Brisket Lasagna

You build this lasagna the same way you’d build traditional Italian lasagna in layers. Here’s a basic overview of how to make this lasagna. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

1. Cook the pasta per package instructions. Drain and cool.
2. Chop the brisket into bite-sized bits with a meat cleaver.
3. Make the cheese mixture. Lightly beat the egg with a fork, then combine it with the ricotta cheese.
4. Spread the BBQ sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. layer with lasagna noodles, a third of the cheese, and chopped brisket. Drizzle with some of the sauce. Repeat twice, and finish with a top layer of noodles, cheese, meat, and BBQ sauce.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes until the cheeses are melted and golden brown.
6. Rest for at least 15 minutes before serving with extra barbecue sauce on the side.

Tips for Making This Recipe:

• Don’t Overseason! This dish is well-seasoned on its own! There should be more than enough flavor between the cheeses, spices from the brisket rub, and the barbecue sauce. Season to taste, but don’t over-season the lasagna. 
• Do Not Salt the Pasta Water: You don’t want the lasagna to be too salty for the same reasons above. So skip adding the salt to pasta water if instructed in the package directions.
• Don’t Overcook the Noodles! Cook them to “al dente”; about two minutes less than the package instructions say. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven. You don’t want them overcooked and too soft.
• Extra Noodles: Cook a couple of extra noodles in case a couple of noodles tear or stick.
• Broil to Finish Baking: For extra goodness, turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes to ensure the cheese is golden brown.
• Resting: the lasagna after baking will make serving and presentation better. Otherwise, the cheese will run all over the place.

Freezing Instructions:

1. Cool the cooked lasagna completely before putting the lasagna in the freezer. The sudden temperature will cause excess moisture.
2. Freeze in the baking pan, but transfer smaller portions to another container. This will save freezer space and ensure less air gets into the dish, which causes freezer burn. 
3. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap, and then cover the plastic wrap with aluminum foil.
4. Label and freeze for two to three months.

Reheat Frozen Brisket Lasagna:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Remove the lasagna from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature until the oven is preheated.
3. Remove the foil and plastic wrap, then recover with foil. Bake 60 to 75 minutes wrapped in foil, remove the foil, and bake an extra 10 to 15 minutes.

Other Recipes That Use Leftover Smoked Brisket

• SMOKED BEEF BRISKET ENCHILADAS
• SMOKED BRISKET CHILI
• LEFTOVER BEEF BRISKET SANDWICHES
• SMOKED BEEF BRISKET SKILLET MAC AND CHEESE WITH HORSERADISH CHEDDAR

Have you ever created new interesting dishes using leftover brisket? Comment below. We’d love to hear about it!