Sloppy Jessica, or Mac-and-Cheese-Chili Pizza on a Bun Recipe

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
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Updated Jun. 07, 2019
Mac-and-Cheese-Chili Pizza on a Bun. Nick Kindelsperger

Inspired by a TV sitcom, the Sloppy Jessica is a gloriously greasy, wonderfully messy beast of macaroni-and-cheese chili stuffed into a pizza-style bun that's dripping with melted mozzarella cheese.

  • While it seems like three recipes in one, this clever, streamlined creation is actually just a sandwich of chili mac with melted cheese.
  • By omitting beans and cheese sauce, the chili mac can be made in under an hour.

Recipe Facts

5

(2)

Active: 30 mins
Total: 50 mins
Serves: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

  • 3 medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 tablespoons chile powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped, juice reserved

  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce (like Frank’s)

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni

  • 4 French bread rolls

  • 1 pound dry whole-milk mozzarella, grated

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat until shimmering. Add onion and green pepper and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, and oregano. Stir continuously until very fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice and the hot sauce, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Cook pasta in the boiling water according to the directions on the packaging. Drain in a colander and then stir into the chili mac. Cover and keep warm.

  4. Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Place rolls, cut-side up, on a large baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Sprinkle cut sides with grated cheese. Place rolls in the oven and cook until cheese melts and rolls are toasted, about 8 minutes.

  5. Spoon the chili mac onto the bottom rolls and crown with the top piece. Serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
964 Calories
38g Fat
103g Carbs
54g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 964
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 119mg 40%
Sodium 1561mg 68%
Total Carbohydrate 103g 37%
Dietary Fiber 11g 40%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 58mg 290%
Calcium 364mg 28%
Iron 10mg 56%
Potassium 1546mg 33%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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