Sloppy Joe Casserole

This sloppy joe casserole recipe is a super-tasty dish that the whole family will love! It combines ground beef, sloppy joe sauce, pasta, and cheese to make a delicious casserole with a nostalgic flavor. It's the perfect meal for when you want to make something quick and easy for dinner.

The Best Sloppy Joe Casserole

If you love regular sloppy joes, you're going to be obsessed with this sloppy joe casserole! It has almost everything you'd expect in classic sloppy joe sandwiches, but it has a few additional ingredients to turn it into a casserole that's to die for.

This casserole brings together Italian bowtie noodles and melted cheese with that classic sloppy joe mixture of ground beef and Manwich sauce to create a dish that's chock-full of flavor.

CroWords really don't do it justice. It's that good!

I love serving this for dinner parties, bringing it to potlucks, or whipping it up for a big family dinner since it's always a hit with both kids and adults. 

By the way, if you're looking for some tasty sides to serve alongside this ground beef casserole this Little Caesars crazy bread and these air fryer tortilla chips go great with it. 

Why This Recipe Works

Easy to make. A few really simple steps are all you need to follow to make this casserole, and the entire cooking process will take you no longer than 35 minutes!

Winning combination. From the sloppy joe mix filling to the tender pasta and melty cheese, there's so much to love about this casserole.

Crowd favorite. This casserole is a big bowl of comfort food nostalgia, and everyone always loves it. So you'll have a winner anytime you make it.

Ingredients

This sloppy joe casserole is actually made with really basic ingredients. In fact, you probably have most of them on hand already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make it:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 diced onion (white or yellow onion)
• 14oz. Manwich sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• ½ lb. farfalle pasta (bowtie noodles)
• 6 oz. cubed Velveeta cheese
• 1 cup can corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pretty simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you have some leftover ground beef, you can use it for this pizza casserole or this sloppy joe cornbread casserole. And if you have leftover corn, put it to good use and make this corn souffle!

How To Make Sloppy Joe Casserole

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cook the beef: Add the lean ground beef to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Cook the ground beef, breaking it apart, until it's browned on all sides. 

3. Add the flavor: As soon as it's cooked, add the onions and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the Manwich sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth and mix everything together. Bring the beef mixture to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Complete the filling: Stir in the bowtie pasta noodles and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the Velveeta cheese and corn. Mix and cook until all the Velveeta cheese is almost melted.

5. Bake and serve: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the casserole with the shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 15 minutes, covered. Then uncover and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Add veggies like green bell pepper or red bell pepper. You can add the peppers at the same time as the onion. Just cook them until they're slightly softened.
• Make a spicy casserole and add hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, or jalapenos.
• Swap the ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey for a leaner casserole.
• Use any canned sloppy joe sauce instead of the Manwich.
• Switch up the shredded cheese and use Colby jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, or pepper jack for more spice.
• Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the sloppy joe mix for a hint of sweetness.

How To Store Sloppy Joe Casserole

In the fridge: Store the leftover casserole in an airtight container or cover the baking dish with a lid. The leftover sloppy joes will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

In the freezer: If you want to store it for even longer, you can freeze your leftover sloppy joe casserole. Just transfer the cooled casserole from the baking dish to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to six months.

Reheating: Transfer the leftovers back to a baking dish and put it back in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until it's fully warmed through. Let the frozen casserole thaw in the fridge overnight or add more reheating time.

FAQS About This Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe

What can I serve with this Sloppy Joe casserole?

This casserole is incredible by itself, but it tastes even better when you pair it with the right side dishes. Some of my favorite things to eat with it are this garlic bread, these corn nuggets, and these sweet potato biscuits.

Which Sloppy Joe sauce is best for this recipe?

The best sloppy Joe sauce to make this casserole with is the classic Manwich sauce. With that said though, you can really use any flavor of Manwich sauce - like thick and chunky, bold, or bourbon BBQ - to make your sloppy joe sauce.

How can I add extra flavor to my Sloppy Joe casserole?

If you're looking to add a little extra flavor to this casserole, Worcestershire sauce and golden/brown sugar can take your sloppy Joe casserole to another level of deliciousness. You can also sprinkle in some garlic powder or yellow mustard.

More Casserole Recipes

If you love making easy casserole recipes - just like this sloppy Joe casserole -  we have a ton on the blog that you can make next!

Here are some reader favorites: 

• Burrito casserole
• Runza casserole
• Ham and potato casserole
• Shrimp casserole
• Pork chop casserole
• Chicken tater tot casserole
• Stuffed pepper casserole
• Pepperoni pizza casserole

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube! We post new recipes on them every day.