Sloppy Joe Casserole

My sloppy joe casserole recipe gives you all the yummy taste of a Sloppy Joe in a hearty, comforting casserole. An easy ground beef dinner recipe made with pasta, a homemade sloppy joe sauce, then topped with gooey cheesy.

This makes a great, family-friendly weeknight meal with plenty leftover for lunch the next day. Perfect to serve on Friday, so you have leftovers for weekend lunches covered! ♥

If you want to make the original, try my homemade sloppy joes instead. So much better than the can version, PROMISE!

What I Love About This Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe

I love that this is an easy dinner everyone in my family loves. They come running to the table when I’m serving this.  I love that it’s simple to put together and is made with easy-to-find ingredients, most of which I already have stocked in my pantry.

This makes a very generously filled 9X13-inch baking dish so there are plenty of leftovers. More than anything, I love the spot-on sloppy joe flavor of the homemade sauce!

Try a few more of my favorite ground beef casseroles next! Taco casserole, hamburger casserole (my son’s all-time favorite), Johnny Marzetti casserole, and my cowboy casserole are all sure to please. Let me know which ones you try.

Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe Video Tutorial

Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe Ingredients

• Elbow Macaroni – I like to use a good Italian-style pasta for my elbows. Italian pasta is made from semolina flour which is higher in protein, has a distinct texture, and slightly nutty flavor. Barilla, while called Italian pasta, is actually made in the US. It uses Durum wheat (semolina) flour which is why it’s very often my first choice in pasta.
• Ground Beef – I use 80/20. I like the flavor the 20% fat adds to the dish. If you’d like you can always use a leaner choice. Ground turkey or chicken would also work. With leaner meats, I would add some vegetable oil to the skillet or pot before cooking them.
• Onion – I use yellow onions. You could also use white.
• Bell Pepper – The classic choice for sloppy joes is green bell peppers. That said, I make this recipe with yellow, red, and orange all the time. It’s delicious with any color you choose!
• Garlic – I always use fresh. I find the stuff in the jars has a funky, unpleasant flavor. I know the stuff in the jar is convenient but…..yuck!
• Brown Sugar – To add the signature Sloppy Joe sweetness, with a bit of warm and smokey undertones. from the molasses in the brown sugar. Feel free to sub the dark brown sugar with light brown if that’s what you have in your pantry.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – To add the signature Sloppy Joe tang, and a bit of mellow fruitiness.
• Worcestershire sauce – To add a lot of richness, depth of flavor, and umami taste.
• Dry Mustard – To add some depth of flavor, a bit of toastiness, and a slight amount of pungency.
• Tomato Sauce – I use 2 different sizes of cans of tomato sauce to achieve just the right amount of sauce.
• Ketchup – So what commercial ketchup is the best to use? According to testing done by Cook’s Illustrated, Serious Eats, and Epicurious, it’s Heinz Organic Tomato Ketchup. You can’t go wrong with a 3-time winner!
• Beef Broth – This is added to obtain the proper consistency. In a pinch, you could substitute it with water, but obviously, it will alter the flavor. For recipes that use only small amounts like 1 cup, I like to have the convenient can size on hand. If I’m making a soup that has a greater volume of broth, I’m far more selective on the brand.
• Cheddar Cheese – Cheddar is a delicious topping for this casserole but there are lots of other yummy choices. Mozzarella or Colby Jack are also favorites in my house!

Recipe Notes

• Skillet/Pot Size – This sloppy joe casserole with noodles, works if you make it in a 14-inch skillet. A 12-inch skillet isn’t quite large enough to accommodate the sauce ingredients. You can also use a large Dutch oven.
• Baking Dish – All 9X13 inch baking dishes are NOT created equally. Their dimensions actually vary slightly. This recipe requires a depth of at least 2 1/2 inches. A standard pyrex baking dish is just under that. There is a Pyrex 9X13 deep baking dish that is 3 inches deep and claims to hold 50% more. The only place I’ve found it available is at Target.

How To Make Sloppy Joe Casserole

1. Beef. Cook the ground beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until no pink remains in the beef.
2. Veggies. Add onions, green pepper, and garlic to the skillet. Saute over medium heat until veggies are soft.
3. Add cooked beef back to the skillet.
4. Sauce. Stir in dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, both cans of tomato sauce, ketchup, and beef broth, and mix until well combined. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Pasta. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions, just until al dente.
6. Drain and add to the meat sauce. Stir until evenly combined.
7. Assemble. Transfer the pasta and meat mixture to the prepared baking dish.
8. Top evenly with cheese. Bake.

***See the full instructions below.

Store + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This entire dish can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. Make sure to use an air-tight container.
• Can You Freeze This Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe? Yes, cooked pasta with sauce can last up to 2 months in the freezer. You can also freeze the sauce sans the pasta (see make-ahead tips), and it’ll last for 2-3 months.
• Make Ahead Tips: To make this recipe ahead of time, typically I will only make the meat/sauce component the day ahead. Then, the next day I cook my pasta, assemble and bake it.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out these links for pasta and ground beef.

Serving Recommendations

I like to serve this with a delicious vegetable. My southern green beans, roasted broccoli, brown sugar carrots, or sauteed asparagus with garlic butter. These are veggies the whole family will love. Garlic bread, butter swim biscuits, or Bisquick biscuits are always a welcome addition!

More Dinner Casserole Recipes

• Shredded Beef Enchiladas
• Chile Relleno Casserole
• Hamburger Potato Casserole
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Hamburger Hashbrown Casserole
• Chili Cornbread Casserole
• Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

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Sloppy Joe Casserole

My sloppy joe casserole recipe gives you all the yummy taste of a Sloppy Joe in a hearty, comforting casserole topped with gooey cheese!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• 12 ounces elbow macaroni
• 2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Prep. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• Beef. In a large pot, cook the ground beef (2 pounds), sprinkle with salt (1 3/4 teaspoons) and pepper (3/4 teaspoons), and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until no pink remains in the beef. Remove cooked beef to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Veggies. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don't have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil). Add onions (1 1/2 cups), green pepper (1 medium), and garlic (1 tablespoon) to the skillet. Saute over medium heat until veggies are soft. Add cooked beef back to the skillet.
• Sauce. Stir in dark brown sugar (3 tablespoons), apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons), Worcestershire sauce (3 tablespoons), dry mustard (1/2  teaspoon), both cans of tomato sauce (1 (15-ounce) can + 1 (8-ounce) can), ketchup (3/4 cup), and beef broth (1 cup), and mix until well combined. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pasta. Meanwhile, cook the pasta (12 ounces) in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions, just until al dente. Drain and add to the meat sauce. Stir until evenly combined.
• Assemble + bake. Transfer pasta and meat mixture to prepared baking dish. Top evenly with cheese (2 cups). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley (2 tablespoons) and serve.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Beef Noodle Casserole
• 
  Cabbage Roll Casserole
• 
  Dorito Casserole
• 
  Dorito Chicken Casserole
• 
  Ham Casserole

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Notes

1. Skillet/Pot Size - This recipe works if you make it in a 14-inch skillet. A 12-inch skillet isn't quite large enough to accommodate the sauce ingredients. You can also use a large Dutch oven or pot.
2. Baking Dish - All 9X13 inch baking dishes are NOT created equally. Their dimensions actually vary slightly. This recipe requires a depth of at least 2 1/2 inches. A standard Pyrex baking dish is just under that. There is a Pyrex 9X13 deep baking dish that is 3 inches deep and claims to hold 50% more. The only place I've found it available is at Target.

© Gonna Want Seconds. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.

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