Sloppy Joe Pasta
Sloppy Joe Pasta is a delightful recipe. Pasta, pasta, pasta! Our family has always loved pasta. Years ago I discovered this scrumptious 6-ingredient recipe and tried it out on my kids when they were teenagers. No surprises here. They loved it and gobbled it down to the last spoonful.
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Sloppy Joe Pasta is easy, kid-friendly, economical and rather tasty! This recipe is from Taste of Home’s Casseroles booklet. It is SO easy. This is a great recipe if you have to make dinner in a hurry. Or you can make it in advance and bake it later during the day if necessary.
Our kids always never minded the cottage cheese in the original version of this recipe. However, I routinely substitute ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese because most people don’t care for it. You can make this gluten free if you use gluten free noodles. However, I have yet to find gluten free sea shell pasta. If you’re looking for a quick, easy and economical main dish for your family then consider trying out this great recipe. Your kids will love this satisfying comfort food, and I bet you will too!
When I first published this recipe in June 2012, my pictures were not particularly eye-appealing. This is a hard casserole to photograph. Even though I recently remade this recipe (January 2015) for friends with a much better camera, my pictures still aren’t what I would have liked them to be. But hopefully these are a little better so you can see what the casserole is supposed to look like.
We had a friend who recently had day surgery and we wanted to drop off a hot meal to them because we knew she wouldn’t feel very much like cooking. So I made up a batch of Sloppy Joe Pasta, Rapid Rise Italian Herb Bread (our favorite breadmaker recipe), Black-Eyed Pea’s Baked Squash and some luscious Raspberry Almond Bars.
I got a text back a few hours later asking for all the recipes. That made me smile. And you’ll be smiling too if you make up a batch of this pasta. Sloppy Joe Pasta gives you Sloppy Joes but in pasta form. It’s so delicious you’ll have everyone asking for the recipe, too, when you make it. 🙂
Update: It is now January 2020. I remade the recipe again for our Sunday night college group dinner. I served it with Buttermilk Wheat Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread, Garden Vegetable Ranch Dip, a fruit platter and a large salad that our hostess made. I also brought a large container of chocolate turtle candies left over from Christmas. 🙂 Yes, they enjoy sweets.
I got all kinds of compliments from the kids on this casserole. The little bit that was left over was sent home in doggie bag containers so they could have a meal later. Truly, this easy 6-ingredient casserole is a winner. If you enjoy Tex-Mex flavors along with a little pasta, this dish is for you!
Sloppy Joe Pasta combines the best of Italian with the best of Tex-Mex!
This delicious pasta is kid friendly. Everyone loves it! Sloppy Joe Pasta is pretty quick and easy to make too.
Sloppy Joe Pasta gives you the taste of Sloppy Joes but in pasta form!
Sloppy Joe is a terrific entree to make for weeknight suppers since it’s so quick and easy.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients, plus water.
Brown beef in saute pan. Drain.
Sprinkle two packets of Sloppy Joe mix over meat. Add water and spaghetti sauce. Any brand will do. Stir to combine. I only use enough water to rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar – maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
Simmer 5-10 minutes, uncovered.
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta in a colander.
Transfer pasta to spaghetti sauce mixture.
Stir pasta shells into sauce to combine.
Spread half of the Sloppy Joe/pasta mixture on bottom of 9×13″ casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Spread ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) over top of beef and pasta layer. Cottage cheese spreads better, but most people prefer ricotta cheese. I’ve used both, and both taste fine in this recipe. Spread the ricotta cheese with a knife to smooth the surface.
Spoon remaining beef/pasta mixture over top of cheese layer.
Bake at 350 for approximately 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top.
Bake uncovered an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Sloppy Joe Pasta is so quick and easy to make. If you prefer ricotta cheese to cottage cheese in the recipe, simply switch it out (which is what I did here).
If you enjoy Sloppy Joes as well as pasta, give this recipe a try. You will be asking for seconds, pronto! It’s so tasty served with Buttermilk Wheat Bread.
We love pasta in any form and Sloppy Joe Pasta is terrific.
Here’s the recipe.
SLOPPY JOE PASTA
(Adapted from Taste of Home Casserole Cookbook – page 44)
Sloppy Joe Pasta
Equipment
- 1 9x13" glass baking dish
- 1 large skillet
- 1 hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
- 1 spatula
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 medium stock pot with lid
- 1 colander
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 93% to 96% lean ground beef (I used 2 1/4 lbs. ground beef)
- 2 pkts. Sloppy Joe mix
- 12-16 oz. box medium shell pasta cooked and drained
- 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce or your favorite kind (see note below)
- 1 cup water, if needed I never use this much—I use about 1/3 to ½ cup at the most
- 24 oz. ctn. Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
- 8 oz. pkg. sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
- Add shell pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain in colander.
- While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
- Use a hamburger chopper to break the meat down into small pieces while frying.
- Stir in the Sloppy Joe mix, spaghetti sauce and enough water to rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar--about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in drained, cooked pasta.
- Spoon half of the beef mixture into a greased 9x13" casserole dish.
- Top with Ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) and remaining beef mixture.
- Bake, covered with foil, at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove foil.
- Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted about 5-10 minutes longer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 1.25-oz. envelopes Sloppy Joe mix
- 12-or 16-oz. box medium shell pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 32-oz. jar [url href=”http://www.prego.com/” target=”_blank” title=”prego spaghetti sauce”]Prego[/url] spaghetti sauce (or your favorite kind)
- 1 cup water, if needed (I never use this much—I use about 1/3 to ½ cup at the most)
- 24-oz. carton cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, if preferred
- 8-oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
- In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
- Add shell pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain.
- While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
- Stir in the Sloppy Joe mix, water (I use about a half cup to rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar), and spaghetti sauce.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in drained pasta.
- Spoon half of the beef mixture into a greased 3-qt. casserole dish.
- Top with cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese) and remaining beef mixture.
- Bake, covered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove foil.
- Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted about 3-5minutes longer.
Sloppy Joe Pasta is a delightful pasta entree. Every forkful is mouthwateringly good.
You will find this Sloppy Joe Pasta casserole eaten up in no time! It’s great to take to potluck dinners.
Sloppy Joe Pasta is so gooey, cheesy and delicious! Serve it with Buttermilk Wheat Bread for a scrumptious comfort food meal.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Baked Penne with Italian Sausage
Sloppy Joe Pasta
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 1 large skillet
- 1 hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
- 1 spatula
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 medium stock pot with lid
- 1 colander
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 93% to 96% lean ground beef (I used 2 1/4 lbs. ground beef)
- 2 pkts. Sloppy Joe mix
- 12-16 oz. box medium shell pasta cooked and drained
- 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce or your favorite kind (see note below)
- 1 cup water, if needed I never use this much—I use about 1/3 to ½ cup at the most
- 24 oz. ctn. Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
- 8 oz. pkg. sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
- Add shell pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain in colander.
- While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
- Use a hamburger chopper to break the meat down into small pieces while frying.
- Stir in the Sloppy Joe mix, spaghetti sauce and enough water to rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar–about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in drained, cooked pasta.
- Spoon half of the beef mixture into a greased 9×13″ casserole dish.
- Top with Ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) and remaining beef mixture.
- Bake, covered with foil, at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove foil.
- Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted about 5-10 minutes longer.
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