Recipe Background
The Family Night Casserole is designed to bring everyone to the table because... well, it's a sloppy Joe in casserole form. What more needs to be said? The succulent beef in that classic sweet and tangy sauce would create feelings of nostalgia or childhood whimsy all on its own. But with a crunchy bun topping, tender elbow macaroni, and plenty of cheese? It becomes something wonderful and the start of brand-new, happy memories! Family Night Casserole is the best way to make everyone at the table happy.
The Family Night Casserole is designed to bring everyone to the table because... well, it's a sloppy Joe in casserole form. What more needs to be said? The succulent beef in that classic sweet and tangy sauce would create feelings of nostalgia or childhood whimsy all on its own. But with a crunchy bun topping, tender elbow macaroni, and plenty of cheese? It becomes something wonderful and the start of brand-new, happy memories! Family Night Casserole is the best way to make everyone at the table happy.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3/4 cup carrots chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups Muenster cheese shredded
- 2 hamburger buns chopped
Directions
- In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the macaroni about 3 minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions.
- Drain the macaroni and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lightly coat a 7x11-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the ground chuck to the hot oil and cook, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the excess fat from the skillet.
- Add the bell peppers, the onions, the carrots, the garlic, the salt, and the black pepper to the beef and cook, while stirring often, until the bell peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, the brown sugar, the dry mustard, and the water to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the beef mixture to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, while stirring occasionally, until the beef mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Add the macaroni to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the beef mixture into the prepared casserole dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the beef mixture evenly with the cheese.
- Sprinkle the hamburger bun pieces on top of the cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bun pieces are lightly golden-brown, about 20 minutes.
- Serve.
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