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.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated June 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 Details

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

Active 30 mins
Total 50 mins
Serves 4 servings

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)
964Calories
38gFat
103gCarbs
54gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories964
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g49%
Saturated Fat 13g64%
Cholesterol 119mg40%
Sodium 1561mg68%
Total Carbohydrate 103g37%
Dietary Fiber 11g40%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 58mg290%
Calcium 364mg28%
Iron 10mg56%
Potassium 1546mg33%
*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.)

More Serious Eats Recipes