Sloppy joe casserole has all the tastes of the meaty classic sandwich, made with a flavorful sauce, pasta, and cheese - baked into a one pan casserole. It's meaty and oh-so cheesy!

Why You'll Love This Recipe
I grew up on one of the Midwest's favorites, old fashioned sloppy joes. If you were a kid of the 80's or beyond, I'm guessing you did, too. This take on the classic sandwich is a kid-approved meal in our house.
Making your own sloppy joe sauce means a healthier version that's family friendly. I'm also willing to bet a homemade sloppy joe sauce is lower in sodium and sugar than the store bought version, Manwich sauce. It's tastier, too!
And ground beef is one of my go-to's when I'm stumped with what to make for supper. We always have a pound or two of hamburger in the fridge or the freezer because it's so darn versatile.
For another ground beef casserole, check out my walking taco casserole.
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🛒 INGREDIENTS
Here's what you need to grab from your pantry and grocery store to make a cheesy sloppy joe casserole. Be sure to check for what you already have before you make a run to the market to make this comfort food dish.
- ground beef - If you forgot to thaw your meat, here's how you can quickly cook frozen ground beef in your Instant Pot. Have an extra pound of ground beef? Here are a bunch of recipes using ground beef for you.
- brown sugar and ketchup - Both of these ingredients are pantry staples that contribute to that signature sweetness that is sloppy joe sauce.
- tomato sauce - This is where savory flavor comes into play. I try to find lower sodium versions of tomato sauce or no salt added varities. Check your ingredient labels to be certain.
- pasta - penne pasta it what I'm using in this recipe. It makes it easy to grab a fork full of this tasty, quick casserole recipe!
- cheese - I use cheddar cheese and if I can swing it, I shred my own. It really does make a difference because it melts like a dream without anything added to it. But, we all know life isn't perfect so you can use pre-shredded cheddar cheese, too.
See recipe card for quantities.
📋 Substitutions
I'm totally in favor of using what you've got. Work it, girl! Here are some suggestions.
- Protein - instead of ground beef, you can use ground pork or ground turkey.
- Pasta - use any pasta you want. Elbow macaroni, ziti, and orecchiette all work well when making baked pasta dishes.
See this Mexican ground beef casserole for another tasty hearty family meal.
🥣 How to make sloppy joe casserole
Before you get started, you'll need a 2 quart casserole dish. Also, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Step 1: Brown the ground beef and cook the pasta. You know the drill - break it into pieces, cook until no longer pink and drain any fat.
While the meat is cooking, you can cook your pasta to al dente according to the package. directions.
Tip: Don't overcook the pasta.
- Step 2: Combine the casserole ingredients. Add the usual suspects - brown sugar, ketchup and tomato sauce. Simmer for a few minutes.
Add the cooked pasta to the meat mixture and combine.
- Step 3: Assemble the casserole. Pour half the sloppy joe mixture into your casserole dish and top with half the cheese.
Repeat the drill with the rest of the meat mixture and top with more cheddar cheese.
- Bake until warmed through. When the cheese is melted and the center of the casserole is hot, dinner is ready!
Digging more carbs? This pairs well with air fryer sweet potato wedges.
📖 Variations
If you have ground pork or ground turkey or ground chicken, you can use this instead of ground beef.
Add diced green bell pepper or onion when cooking the ground beef to add an extra layer of flavor and a little bite of vegetable.
Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce (I can spell it but not say it!) or yellow mustard.
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🍽 Serving Suggestions
My husband thinks tater tots go with everything but there's already pasta in this easy sloppy joe casserole. How about serving alongside some steamed green beans to make this a complete family-friendly dinner?
Make Ahead
Freezer meals are my love language and I love gifting ready to cook weeknight meals to new moms or busy friends. A make ahead casserole means all they have to do is bake and serve!
Assemble as instructed and then cover with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil before freezing. Freeze or refrigerate up to three days.
To make as a freezer meal, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. I like to use plastic wrap in addition to the foil in case the casserole gets poked. Remove the coverings before baking.
If frozen, thaw or if refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking at 375°F for 25 minutes or until heated through.
Storage
Store, refrigerated in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap, for 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in the oven at 325°F, covered with foil.
By the way, these bowl cozys are perfect for removing hot food from the microwave. My mom makes them for me but she can't make them for everyone!
Top tip
Double the recipe and freeze half for later! This casserole is freezer-friendly, making it perfect for busy nights or harvest season. Simply assemble the extra casserole in a disposable foil pan, wrap it tightly, and freeze it unbaked.
FAQ
Want it sweeter? Try adding a little more brown sugar. If you're craving heat, a little cayenne pepper will go a long way.
I'm not gonna dis the canned stuff; I'm just explaining the difference here. Homemade sloppy joes are made from scratch, or as I like to say, "made with love". This also means you can customize it to your family's liking adjusting flavors, sweetness, spice or add-ins.
Manwich is a store-bought, canned sloppy joe sauce. You simply add it to cooked ground beef. It's convenient, but you'll have less control over the flavors since the sauce is pre-mixed.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with sloppy joe casserole:
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 cup ketchup
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 16 ounces penne pasta cooked and drained
- 8 ounces block cheddar cheese shredded (about 2 ½ cups)
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook 16 ounces penne pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the 2 pounds ground beef in a large skillet, breaking into pieces, until no longer pink. Drain well.
- Add the ½ cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 cup ketchup and 15 ounces tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and allow to simmer on low for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked and drained penne pasta to the sloppy joe mixture. Stir to combine.
- Pour half the sloppy joe mixture into your prepared casserole dish. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Pour the rest of the sloppy joe mixture into the casserole dish then sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese to the top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Notes
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- Protein - instead of ground beef, you can use ground pork or ground turkey.
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- Pasta - use any pasta you want. Elbow macaroni, ziti, and orecchiette all work well when making baked pasta dishes.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Kathy says
I halved it for the two of us and the proportions worked out nicely and the prep was easy. The sodium count was good and I think we have a winner in the comfort food taste category!
Deanne Frieders says
So glad you liked it for the two of you!