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5.0 from 12 votes

Cowboy Spaghetti

From ingredients to enjoyment, this recipe makes it easy to create something wonderful.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 Servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Pasta and Sauce:
  • 1 pound spaghetti noodles
  • 6 lices regular or turkey bacon diced
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
  • 1 medium onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (8-ounce) (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
  • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke optional
  • ¼ cup BBQ sauce (see note)
Toppings:
  • sliced olives
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • sliced green onions

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Scoop the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels and drain the grease, if needed, leaving a teaspoon or so in the skillet for cooking the ground beef.
  2. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook the ground turkey or beef with the onion, salt and pepper. Break the meat into small pieces as it cooks and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Drain any excess grease.
  3. Stir in the cooked bacon (reserving any for sprinkling on top, if desired), crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, Worcestershire, liquid smoke (if using) and BBQ sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer cook for 10-15 minutes (the mixture can gently simmer for up to an hour).
  4. Boil the spaghetti noodles according to package directions until al dente. Serve the sauce over hot noodles and garnish with toppings of your choice.

Notes

  • BBQ Sauce: it is key here to use a BBQ sauce that you really love (as in, if you dip your finger in to have a taste, you'll end up dipping it in 50 more times because it's that good). It might not seem like 1/4 cup is very much but it definitely influences the flavor of this dish.
  • Homemade Sauce: I use my favorite homemade BBQ sauce which has a delicious smoky, spicy and sweet flavor.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Serving Calories 570kcal (29%) Carbohydrates 76g (25%) Protein 30g (60%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 70mg (23%) Sodium 1142mg (48%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 15g (30%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Serving
Calories 570kcal 29%
Carbohydrates 76g 25%
Protein 30g 60%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 1142mg 48%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 15g 30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.