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a baking dish of wide egg noodles and saucy sloppy joe beef beneath a thin melted cheddar lid, with a spooned-out portion revealing the noodles
Andre Lewis

Sloppy Joe Noodle Casserole

Wide noodles turn the saucy beef into a casserole you can portion with a spoon, and they need to be slightly underdone before the oven finishes them. Keep the meat sauce thick enough to cling but leave a little moisture for the pasta to absorb. The cheddar is a thin lid, not a deep layer hiding dry noodles underneath. I like this when a sandwich would mean balancing a plate on a lap, because the same sweet-tangy filling stays in one baking dish and reheats more predictably than an already-filled bun.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz wide egg noodles
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for noodle water
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt for sauce
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter for the dish

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook noodles in a large pot of water with the tablespoon salt until 2 minutes short of the package time, then drain.
  2. Meanwhile, brown beef, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet for 8 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess fat.
  3. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, sauce salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly thickened.
  4. Fold in the drained noodles and transfer to the baking dish. Scatter cheddar evenly over the surface.
  5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until bubbling and golden in places. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.