Sloppy Joe Macaroni

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Savory, sweet, tangy, and spicy, this Sloppy Joe macaroni pasta dish will please both kids and adults alike!

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
salt to taste

Directions

1 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease; set aside.
2 Heat oil in another skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, and garlic in the oil until onions are soft and slightly translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, and red pepper flakes and continue to saute until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cooked ground beef, tomato puree, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, mustard, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook while preparing pasta.
3 Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until almost tender yet firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Drain.
4 Transfer macaroni to the Sloppy Joe sauce and continue simmering until noodles are tender and have absorbed the sauce, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and serve.