Texas Toast Patty Melt with Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Work in temperature zones. If the griddle is large enough, keep one end over high heat for smashing and slide to the cooler end for toasting; if not, cook the patty first, wipe the surface, and lower the heat before the bread goes down.

An infrared thermometer removes the guesswork, but the water-drop test works: at 450°F the drops skitter and vanish instantly, at 360°F they hiss and linger a moment longer.

Keep the mac thick and the layers even, and press the assembled melt gently rather than hard; heavy pressing pushes the filling toward the edges and onto the griddle.

A tangy barbecue sauce balances the richness far better than an overly sweet one, and cheese placed both above and below the filling is the simplest trick for a sandwich that holds together at the table.

Variations

• Brisket Swap: Replace the pulled pork with an equal amount of chopped smoked brisket, still tossed in barbecue sauce. The fattier, bark-heavy slices bring an even deeper smoke flavor and a slightly firmer bite inside the melt.
• Spicy Chipotle Melt: Stir a spoonful of minced chipotle in adobo into the barbecue sauce before tossing the pork, and use pepper jack instead of colby jack. The sandwich turns gently hot and smoky without changing the method at all.
• Double Patty Build: Smash two 3-ounce patties instead of one 4-ounce patty and stack one below and one above the pork and mac. More crust, more beef, and an even taller sandwich that slices dramatically.
• Onion Crunch Melt: Scatter a small handful of crispy fried onions over the mac and cheese layer before closing the sandwich. They add a savory crunch that contrasts with the creamy filling and survive the griddle press.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Freezer

Wrap the cooled melt in foil and a freezer bag; freeze up to 1 month for best texture.

Reheat

Reheat from the fridge in a 350°F oven or covered skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and warmed through.

Cool any leftover melt for no more than 2 hours, then wrap it tightly in foil and refrigerate. The bread loses some crispness overnight, but the flavors hold well for up to 2 days.

Both the pulled pork and the mac and cheese can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, which turns this into a 20-minute griddle dinner.

Toss the pork with sauce just before assembling so it stays glossy, and warm the mac briefly, letting it thicken again before it goes on the bread. The garlic butter also keeps for a week in the refrigerator, so a batch on hand makes the next melt nearly instant.

Serving ideas

Serve the melt hot off the board, cut in half so the cross-section and the cheese pull are the first thing anyone sees.

The sandwich is rich and substantial, so simple sides are the right call: dill pickles, thin-sliced raw onion, a handful of potato chips, or a crisp slaw to cut through the cheese and barbecue sauce.

For a full spread, put extra warm barbecue sauce in a small bowl for dipping and offer cold drinks alongside; the melt is at its best in the first five minutes, while the toast shatters and the mac stretches. One sandwich generously feeds one hungry person and can be halved again for two lighter appetites.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Texas Toast Patty Melt with Pulled Pork and Mac and Cheese

Prep 15 minCook 20 minRest 3 minTotal 38 minServes 1

Ingredients

• 4 oz hickory smoked pulled pork, store-bought or made ahead
• 2 tbsp tangy barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup ultra-creamy sharp cheddar macaroni and cheese, made ahead or store-bought
• 4 oz ground beef (80/20), for smashing
• 2 slices thick-cut Texas toast bread, about 2 inches thick together with the filling
• 2 tbsp softened garlic butter, for the bread
• 2 slices colby jack cheese

Instructions

1. Place the pulled pork in a small bowl, pour the barbecue sauce over it, and toss with a fork until every strand is coated and glossy. Keep it at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes while the rest of the prep comes together, or hold it in the refrigerator and let it take the chill off briefly on the griddle later.
2. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into a small bowl and break up any clumps so it spreads easily. It should be thick and creamy rather than soupy; if it has chilled, warm it for a few seconds just until it loosens, then let it sit so it firms slightly before it goes on the sandwich.
3. Spread a generous layer of softened garlic butter over one side of each slice of Texas toast, all the way to the edges. Lay the slices buttered side up on a plate near the griddle so they are ready to go down the moment the patty comes off.
4. Preheat a cast-iron griddle or heavy skillet over high heat until a drop of water skitters and evaporates on contact, about 450°F on an infrared thermometer. Leave part of the surface empty so there is a cooler zone ready for toasting the bread later.
5. Place the ground beef on the hot zone, press it flat with the spatula to about half an inch, and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed until the underside is deeply crusted, about 2 minutes, then flip and continue until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C), another 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Move the patty to a clean plate and let it rest for about 3 minutes while you adjust the heat. This short pause lets the juices settle back into the meat instead of running out at the first cut, and it gives the griddle time to come down to the toasting temperature.
7. Lower the griddle to a steady medium heat, about 360°F. Lay the toast slices buttered side down on the cooler zone and cook until they turn deep golden and crisp at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes, rotating them once for even browning.
8. Working on the griddle, lay a slice of colby jack on a toasted slice, then add the patty, the sauced pulled pork, and the mac and cheese in even layers. Cap it with the second slice of colby jack and the remaining toast, buttered side up, pressing gently so the stack holds together.
9. Cook the assembled melt over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing lightly with the spatula, then flip carefully and cook the second side until it matches. The cheese should be fully melted and the filling warmed through, another 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Transfer the melt to a cutting board, let it stand for a minute so the molten filling settles, then cut it in half with a sharp knife. Serve immediately while the bread shatters slightly and the mac and cheese stretches between the halves.

Contains: gluten, milk

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

1050

Protein

46 g

Carbohydrates

72 g

Fat

56 g

Fiber

4 g

Sodium

1820 mg

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.