Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese
Two of the most favorite comfort foods collide in this dish and the combination tastes so good.
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
Equipment
- Small Casserole Dish - A 1.4 quart-size rectangular baking dish (8-inches long, 6-inches wide and 2.5-inches deep)
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 small size casserole dish (1.4-quart size), 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.