🛒 Ingredients
- 1 lb: Lean ground beef
- 14 oz (1 package): Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, sliced into round coins
- 1 jar (24 oz): Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce
- 1 cup: Swanson Beef Broth
- 1 medium: Yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves: Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp: McCormick Italian Seasoning
- 8–10 oz: Uncooked pasta noodles (such as penne, rotini, or rigatoni)
- Optional: 1 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese for melting over the top
🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Brown the Smoked Sausage: Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage coins and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are beautifully browned on both sides. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté the Ground Beef and Aromatics: In the same skillet with the leftover sausage renderings, add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the beef apart with a wooden spoon as it browns.
- Season: Just before the beef is fully done, toss in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Carefully drain any excessive pooling grease if necessary.
- Build the Sauce: Pour the jar of pasta sauce and the beef broth directly into the skillet with the meat. Stir well to scrape up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer the Pasta: Stir the uncooked pasta noodles into the liquid, making sure they are mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking, until the noodles are perfectly tender.
- Combine and Melt: Return the browned sausage coins back to the skillet and fold them into the pasta. If you are adding cheese, sprinkle the mozzarella or parmesan evenly over the top, replace the lid for 2 to 3 minutes until completely melted, and serve hot.