The BEST Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese Recipe with Venison
My 8-year-old daughter is convinced this Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese Recipe with Venison is the BEST 30-minute meal I've made this summer. It's now at the top of my list for easy dinner ideas. Saucy, meaty, and so satisfying. I made a promise on her last day of 2nd grade – Do NOT let these next few months slip by without taking the time to intentionally create lasting memories with your daughter this summer. As a parent working from home, it can be hard to strike the balance between creating amazing summer memories with our kids while staying on task with work, staying on-budget, and keeping our house clean. I have lots of venison recipes, pheasant recipes, and duck recipes I need to develop, cook, and photograph (and now video) for clients before the busy fall season. But I am also a father who made it a #1 priority to take his daughter to The Little Mermaid in the movie theater. I chose a Tuesday afternoon when the tickets and popcorn were less expensive.Most of what I do isn't the cooking and food photography. The vast majority of my time is spent on the computer – writing, editing photos, posting on social media, communicating with current clients, and submitting new recipes to potential clients. And although my wife (she works outside the home) and I try to seriously limit our daughter's screen time, I'm concerned I'm being a bad example with the amount of time I spend on my laptop and smartphone. I'm busy typing away while insisting my kiddo read a library book! Every weekday I wake up before 5:00 a.m. and work in front of a screen for a couple hours while my wife and daughter are still sleeping. As soon as a sleepy redhead in princess pajamas emerges from her slumber, I take a break from client work. My new favorite time of the day is at this very moment – when my daughter crawls up in the chair with me and snuggles for a few minutes before I start on breakfast for her and her mom.MAC AND CHEESE RECIPEThis Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese recipe came about after asking my daughter what she wanted for lunch. "Mac and Cheese," she replied! I got the same request every day for the first week of summer. But instead of making her a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, I turned her into my recipe tester for the food blog. She helped me develop the Venison Shank Pizza Roll Ups, the Best Ever Venison Cheeseburger, and the Grilled Bear Steak with Cucumber Salad. What a great gift it has been to have her help me in the kitchen, measuring out ingredients, and jamming out to fun music in our aprons.There are few dishes more kid-pleasing than mac and cheese. But a good sloppy joe recipe is also a family favorite. I developed this venison recipe for my daughter, and for all you busy parents out there with venison burger in your freezer. If you're looking for the ultimate comfort food mashup, look no further than this Venison Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese recipe. This 30-minute-meal combines two classic favorites – sloppy joes and mac and cheese – into one delicious, cheesy, and meaty masterpiece. The hearty and savory sloppy joe sauce, made with ground venison, tomatoes, onion, and seasoning, is the perfect complement to the creamy and cheesy macaroni. My 8-year-old daughter loves this satisfying and easy-to-make combination of a mac and cheese recipe and sloppy joe recipe. It’s a new favorite that is sure to become a regular recipe on the busy weeknight dinner rotation when school starts again this fall.BEST CHEESE FOR MAC AND CHEESECheddar is probably the most popular and best cheese for mac and cheese and sharp cheddar provides the most pronounced flavor. But if you want to experiment outside of the confines of cheddar, there are a ton of other cheeses that are great in macaroni and cheese! You can use one or a combination of cheeses to make your mac and cheese your own.Here are some other cheeses that work great with macaroni and cheese:– Parmesan– Gruyere– Smoked Gouda– Parmesan– Chevre– Cream Cheese– Monterey jack or pepper jackMORE GROUND VENISON RECIPESIf you have some ground venison in the freezer and need a quick dinner idea, this is a must-try combination of a mac and cheese recipe and sloppy joe recipe. I hope this easy Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese recipe becomes a new favorite for you. If you are looking for more dinner inspiration, check out these family favorites you can pull off in 30 minutes or less:Easy Venison SpaghettiVenison Cheeseburger SlidersBest Ever Venison CheeseburgerJalapeno Popper Venison FlautasSloppy Doe (Venison Sloppy Joes)If you want one more kid-friendly venison recipe, be sure and check out my Venison Stroganoff made with venison steak and mushrooms and served over egg noodles.If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese recipe? Be sure to leave a 5 star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 pound ground venison
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 cups venison or beef broth
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large enameled cast iron skillet or casserole dish over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the ground venison, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it is browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and chili powder.
- Add the broth, macaroni, tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook until the macaroni is cooked and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese until melted.
- Garnish with the remaining cheese and the parsley. Serve immediately.
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5 Responses
This looks yummy, can’t wait to make it
Let me know how it turns out!
Love that you are able to find ways to balance your work life with family time. I remember eating just about anything that was put in front of me as a kid, im sure she will be one of the best taste testers you will ever have!
Not only a great recipe, but it freezes dries and comes back to life really well. First thing to disappear from our stock of camping meals. We love it!
Great idea on the freeze drying! So glad to hear you love it as much as we do.