Ohhh yes—Sloppy Joe Casserole is peak comfort chaos in the best way 😄🍲
Here’s a classic, crowd-pleasing version with that sweet-savory Sloppy Joe vibe baked into a cozy casserole.
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (optional but classic)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) tomato sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 3 cups cooked pasta (elbow, rotini, or shells) or 3 cups tater tots
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat
Heat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease a casserole dish. - Cook the meat
Brown ground beef with onion and bell pepper until fully cooked.
Drain excess grease. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. - Make it sloppy
Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
Simmer 5–10 minutes. - Assemble
- Stir pasta directly into the Sloppy Joe mixture or spread meat mixture in the dish and top with tater tots
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top
- Bake
Bake uncovered 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted. - Rest & serve
Let sit 5–10 minutes before serving.
Variations you’ll love
- Biscuit-topped: add halved canned biscuits on top before baking
- Cheeseburger-style: add pickles after baking
- Spicy: chipotle powder or diced jalapeños
- BBQ Sloppy Joe: swap ketchup for BBQ sauce
Make-ahead tip
Assemble everything except cheese, cover, refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Add cheese and bake when ready.
If you want, I can give you a tater tot–only version, slow cooker sloppy joe bake, or vegetarian lentil version next 🤤
