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Dinner has never been so delicious for only $5 than when you make this Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese recipe!
This is creamy macaroni mixed with the meat from sloppy joes to create the ultimate comfort food dinner with this sloppy joe casserole.
So, for my sloppy joe lovers who need a simple and easy recipe on a budget, this is one of my favorite pasta dishes to make for the family. It doesn’t get much better than this sloppy Joe pasta.
Ingredients for Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese:
- Meat: ground turkey is a great option for this sloppy joe recipe
- Tomato: the tomato sauce will be the base for the sloppy joe sauce
- Pasta: you will use your favorite brand of boxed Macaroni and cheese
- Sugar: brown sugar adds the best little sweetness
- Sauces: you can use yellow mustard and ketchup from the fridge
- Seasonings: be sure to have garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
How to make Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese:
Prepare the box of macaroni and cheese according to the package instructions.
To a large skillet on the stove over medium heat add the ground turkey, break the turkey up and cook it through.
Add in the prepared macaroni and cheese, tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, and seasonings.
Stir well and let simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally stirring the elbow macaroni and sloppy joe mixture.
How to store leftover sloppy joe pasta:
Fridge: Place any leftovers of the sloppy joe macaroni pasta in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips and tricks to make Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese:
Meat to use:
Overall you will want to use your favorite ground meats for this recipe. I enjoy using ground turkey, but you can also use lean ground beef in its place.
Ways to add flavor to this cooked pasta recipe:
- Add diced onions or diced bell peppers to the ground turkey
- Pour a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce into the sloppy Joe mixture.
- Put the sloppy Joe pasta into a casserole dish dusting it with some breadcrumbs mixed with butter and place it into the oven and cook the pasta for 15-20 minutes at 350 for a baked macaroni feel.
More pasta recipes:
- Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
- One-Pot Italian Sausage Soup
- One Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo
- Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground turkey
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 12 oz box Macaroni and cheese
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the box of macaroni and cheese according to the package instructions.
- To a large skillet on the stove over medium heat add the ground turkey, break the turkey up and cook it through.
- Add in the prepared macaroni and cheese, tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, brown sugar, ketchup and seasonings.
- Stir well and let simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally stirring.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Quick links for making dinner easy:
- Family meal plans
- Tools for the kitchen and more
- The best cookbook for family dinner recipes
- FREE budget meal plan
- Cooking videos to watch
If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!
This recipe was delicious & a real lifesaver for me trying to come up with a decent dinner for myself & 2 teenagers with only $4 available to spend. I went ahead & doubled it, using the whole pound of ground turkey & 2 boxes of Mac & cheese, hoping to have some leftover for next days lunch but after my teenagers piled up their plates there was about 2 bites left in the pan! That’s the measure of a recipes success in our house & this one def makes the cut, thank you for sharing your amazing recipes & more importantly, all your tips & tricks for how to eat good even on a tight budget!!
I made this last night and my family devoured it! I used beef instead of turkey (it’s what I had) and I added half of a chopped onion to the beef as I browned it. Otherwise I made it as-written and will be making it again. I think this would freeze well so I may double it next time.