One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet
Easy cheesy One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet. All kinds of comfort packed into one meal!
There are meals we ate as kids that will always be near and dear to our hearts, even as our standards and focus on health change. That doesn’t mean we can’t splurge and enjoy them every now and again.
(I heart SpaghettiOs!)
However, if it’s possible to recreate the same concept with fresh ingredients, even better. Right?
If you have a secret childhood love for Hamburger Helper, but are ashamed to admit it, today’s recipe is for you.
This is no boxed meal.
In fact, our One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet is entirely homemade with fresh produce, lean ground beef, and canned tomatoes. Yet it’s bold, saucy, and packed with noodles like that quickie meal of the 80’s most of us adored.
Plus, this cozy kid-friendly is fast and easy to make, and even easier to clean up!
I started my One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet recipe by sautéing veggies in a large saute pan. Then I added the ground beef and broke it into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon.
Now it’s time to build the Sloppy Joe style sauce. Add canned tomatoes, water, a little brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce and stir to combine.
Stir in the noodles and cover the pan so the noodles will fully cook.
Finally top with shredded cheese and serve. That’s it!
See? This One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet is almost as easy to make as the boxed variety, yet with a lot more flavor and personalization.
In fact, you can healthify it even more by substituting lean ground turkey instead of beef, and coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar. You could even use low fat cheese.
If you are a gluten free cook, you can make One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet using gluten free noodles as well. Please note, most varieties of worcestershire sauce and hot sauce are gluten free, but check the bottles to be sure.
Nostalgic dinners don’t have to be gut-busters. My family adores this quick and comforting meal, and I get the sensation of being naughty and nice all at the same time!
One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes (15-ounce cans)
- 15 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar or packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank's RedHot)
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles (could be gluten-free)
- 1-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes to soften. Then push the veggies to the edges of the pan and add the ground beef. Break the ground beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat, moving it around the pan, for 4-5 minutes.
- Add two cans diced tomatoes and one can tomato sauce to the pan. Use an empty can to add 15 ounces of water to the pan. Then stir in the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce.
- Stir in the noodles and make sure they are well submerged. Then cover the pan and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle cheese over the top and serve warm!
I love this site for recipes and am usually very pleased. However, this one was not a favorite. It was easy to make and I happened to have all the ingredients. I did sub turkey. Something in the mix was overpowering (perhaps the apple cider vinegar) and the family thought it was a bit bland. I did end up adding all the brown sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes and did not feel it was too sweet. The cheese does give a needed touch. It makes a lot, so if you want planned overs this is a good dish.