Two of the most favorite comfort foods collide in this dish and the combination tastes so good.

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese on fork

Sometimes it’s hard to decide which one of these two comfort foods to make, macaroni and cheese or sloppy joes.

So why not go for the combo?

About this Recipe

For this sloppy joe and macaroni and cheese combo dish, there are two separate quick and easy recipes that are made in two pans rather than in one big pan.

Then it’s served in layers so you can taste the goodness of each recipe.

The sloppy joe recipe is so good that it can be eaten like chili, no buns or bread required.

It’s made with ground beef but can be changed to ground turkey or ground pork if preferred.

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese in bowl

This macaroni and cheese is made with basic white sauce and a touch of granulated garlic.

And the pasta in the mac and cheese is Cavatappi.

It’s tube-shaped and looks like a corkscrew.

To top off this combo, thinly sliced fresh jalapenos are added as garnish.

Let’s check out the ingredients.

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese ingredients

Sloppy Joes – ground beef, onion, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder and water

Macaroni and Cheese – cooked (al-dente) Cavatappi pasta, butter, flour, sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, milk, granulated garlic, salt, pepper and a jalapeno pepper

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.

For the Sloppy Joes:

Drizzle olive oil in skillet

Heat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add olive oil.

Add chopped onion in skillet with olive oil

Then add the onions…

Add chopped bell pepper to skillet with onion

…and bell pepper.

Stir onion and bell pepper in skillet with spoon

Stir.

Cook ground beef in skillet with onion and bell pepper

Next, add ground beef and…

Cook ground beef in skillet with onion and bell pepper

…stir together.

Add onion powder to ground beef in skillet

Add onion powder,

Add pepper to ground beef in skillet

…ground black pepper…

Add salt to ground beef in skillet

…salt and…

Cook ground beef with onion and bell pepper in skillet

…stir together.

Add cooked ground beef back into skillet

When the ground beef is fully cooked, turn off the heat and transfer the ground beef mixture to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess grease.

Cooked ground beef with onions and bell pepper in skillet

Reheat the skillet to medium heat and return the ground beef mixture to the pan.

Add Worcestershire sauce in ground beef in skillet

Add Worcestershire sauce…

Add ketchup to ground beef in skillet

…ketchup…

Add hot sauce in ground beef in skillet

…hot sauce…

Stir sloppy joe ingredients in skillet

…and stir together.

Add water to sloppy joes in skillet

Add water…

Stir sloppy joes in skillet

…and stir.

Turn the heat down to low and let the sloppy joe mixture simmer (without a lid) while making the macaroni and cheese.

If the sloppy joe mixture starts to thicken too much, add a little more water.

For the Macaroni and Cheese:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Add butter to pot

Heat a medium size pot on medium heat and add butter.

Melt butter in pot

Stir the butter around the pot…

Melted butter in pot

…until it’s melted.

Add flour to pot with butter

Then,

Add flour to pot with butter

add flour…

Add flour to pot with butter

…and…

Flour and butter in pot

Stir flour and butter in pot

…stir continuously.

Stir flour and butter in pot

When the butter and flour start to thicken (about 2 minutes),

Add milt to flour and butter in pot

add milk and…

Stir sauce in pot with spoon

…stir.

Add granulated garlic to sauce in pot

Stir in the granulated garlic and salt.

Stir sauce in pot with spoon

Remove the pan of white sauce from the heat and set aside for just a moment.

Add white sauce to cooked cavatappi pasta in dish

In a medium size casserole dish, add the cooked pasta.

Pour the white sauce over the pasta and…

Stir cavatappi pasta and white sauce in dish

…stir together to coat the pasta.

Add shredded cheese to pasta in dish

Then add half of the cheese to the pasta and white sauce mixture.

Stir macaroni and cheese in casserole dish

Next,

Stir macaroni and cheese in casserole dish

stir…

Stir macaroni and cheese in casserole dish

Stir macaroni and cheese in casserole dish

…so that the cheese is mixed in with the pasta and sauce.

Shredded cheese on top of macaroni and cheese in dish

Top the pasta mixture with the remaining cheese.

Baked macaroni and cheese in casserole dish with spoon

Bake in a preheated oven (at 425 degrees F.)…

Baked macaroni and cheese in casserole dish with spoon

…until…

Macaroni and Cheese with Cavatappi pasta on fork

…the cheese melts (about 15 minutes).

Sloppy Joes with ground beef in skillet with spoon

By this time the sloppy joe mixture should be reduced to a thick but saucy consistency.

Sloppy Joes in skillet with spoon

Assemble while both the sloppy joes and macaroni and cheese are warm…

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese in bowl

…in the serving dishes, add a layer of the sloppy joe mixture, then a layer of macaroni and cheese…

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese in bowl

…and repeat.

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese in bowl

Garnish with thinly sliced jalapenos.

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese on fork

Serve warm…

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese on fork

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese on fork

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Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese

Two of the most favorite comfort foods collide in this dish and the combination tastes so good.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Sloppy Joes:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 3 dashes ground black pepper
  • 3 dashes salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce or to taste
  • 3/4 cup water more may be needed if a larger skillet is used

For the Macaroni and Cheese:

  • 4 cups cooked (al-dente) Cavatappi pasta
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced widthwise for garnish

Instructions

For the Sloppy Joes:

  • Heat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. 
  • To the pan, add onions and bell pepper and stir. Add the ground beef and stir together.  Add onion powder, ground black pepper, salt and pepper. Stir together.
  • When the ground beef is fully cooked, turn off the heat and transfer the ground beef mixture to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess grease. 
  • Reheat the skillet to medium heat and return the ground beef mixture to the pan. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and hot sauce. Stir together. 
  • Add water and stir. Turn the heat down to low and let the sloppy joe mixture simmer (without a lid) while making the macaroni and cheese.
    If the sloppy joe mixture starts to thicken too much, add a little more water.

For the Macaroni and Cheese:

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
  • Heat a medium size pot on medium heat and add butter. Stir the butter around the pot until it's melted. Add flour and stir continuously. 
  • When the butter and flour start to thicken (about 2 minutes), add milk and stir. Stir in granulated garlic and salt. Remove the white sauce from the heat and set aside for a moment.
  • In a medium size casserole dish, add the cooked pasta. Pour the white sauce over the pasta and stir together to coat the pasta. 
  • Add half of the cheese to the pasta and white sauce mixture. Stir so that the cheese is mixed in with the pasta and white sauce. 
  • Top the pasta mixture with the remaining cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese melts (about 15 minutes). 
  • By this time the sloppy joe mixture should be reduced to a thick but saucy consistency. 
  • Assemble while both the sloppy joes and macaroni and cheese are warm...in the serving dishes, add a layer of the sloppy joe mixture, then a layer of macaroni and cheese, and repeat. 
    Garnish with thinly sliced jalapenos.
Author: Nancy@CouponClippingCook
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Macaroni and Cheese, Sloppy Joes

More Sloppy Joe Recipes

Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes 

Skillet Ground Turkey Sloppy Joe Sliders 

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Candied Sweet Potatoes (Canned Yams), with Walnuts and Marshmallows

Baked Herb and Parmesan Potato Slices

Biscoff Cookie Butter Blondie Brownies

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Easy Skillet Smoked Sausage with Caramelized Barbecue Sauce

Recipes Made with Cheese

Here are more cheesy recipes… “Macaroni and Cheese with Cavatappi Pasta“, “Grilled Cheese Roll Ups” and “Cheeseburger with Sautéed Onions“.