Sloppy Joe seasoning mix is very simple to make out of ingredients that are on hand in almost everyone's pantry. Why not just make it?
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¾ pound pipe rigate (elbow macaroni with ridges)
- 2 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese
- ½ cup chopped crispy deli-style dill pickles
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, and tomato sauce. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the EVOO (2 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles as it browns. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook to soften, about 5 minutes more. Add the tomato sauce mixture and beef stock. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken while you cook the pasta.
- Don’t thicken it up too much, though. It should be saucier than a Sloppy Joe because it’s going to cook with pasta.Salt the boiling water and drop in the macaroni. Cook until just shy of al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the beef sauce.
- Transfer the mixture to a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Top with the cheddar cheese. [Make-ahead: Let cool and refrigerate.] [Night of: Return the casserole to room temp while you preheat the oven to 400°F.]
- Bake until browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve straight from the casserole. Top with chopped pickles.
Copyright © 2013 by Rachael Ray from Week in a Day, published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
