The BEST Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe (Prepped In 10 Minutes)

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. Not only that, but this sloppy joe casserole takes only 10 minutes to prepare, making it the perfect meal for when you want to make something quick and easy.

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. Words 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. Not only is this sloppy joe casserole dish a guaranteed crowd-pleaser though, but it's also such an easy recipe to make too. In fact, just a few really simple steps are all you need to follow to make it and the entire cooking process will take you no longer than 35 minutes!

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. 

Ingredients

This sloppy joe casserole is actually made with really basic ingredients.

In fact, you probably have most - if not all - of them on hand already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make a sloppy joe casserole recipe:

• 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. And if you have leftover corn, put it to good use and make this corn souffle!

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & SUGGESTIONS

While I recommend making this sloppy joe casserole with the ingredients listed above, it is always fun to experiment and put your own twist on it.

With that said, I have a few suggestions on how you can do just that.

Add vegetables for extra flavor

Now, this easy sloppy joe casserole doesn't include too many veggies, but you can certainly add more of them to it to make this casserole recipe a bit heartier. A few great additions include green bell pepper, red bell pepper, or jalapenos for a little spice. You can add the peppers at the same time as the onion, just cook them until they're slightly softened.

Use different types of cheese

I love using shredded cheddar cheese and Velvetta cheese to make this sloppy joe Manwich casserole. But with that said, Colby jack cheese and mozzarella both work great in place of the cheddar. You can even use pepper jack for more spice.

Spice things up

Speaking of spice, you can add hot sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, or jalapenos - as I mentioned earlier - to make this a spicy casserole.

Switch out the ground beef

Lastly, I always use ground beef to keep this sloppy joes casserole authentic. But, instead of using ground beef, you can also make this Sloppy Joe casserole recipe with ground chicken, ground turkey, and even vegetarian ground beef.

How to Make Sloppy Joe Casserole

Alright, now it's time for the fun part, making the casserole!

Again, making sloppy joes in casserole form is about as easy as it gets. I mean, it's hard to beat a recipe where everything cooks in one pot and then bakes in one dish!

Anyway, let's not waste any more time and get into the recipe!

Step 1: Prepare The Casserole

First, add a little oil to a large skillet - or spray it with cooking spray - and put it over medium heat. Then, once it's heated, add the ground beef to the skillet and cook it for a few minutes until it's browned on all sides.

Next, you can add the onions to the skillet and cook them along with the beef for another 3 minutes.

Now, that the ground beef mixture is cooked, add the Manwich sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth, give it a stir, and bring it to a simmer - cook for about 2 minutes.

Step 2: Complete The Casserole

Ok, after the 2 minutes is up, you can add the pasta to the beef mixture and give it a stir to cover it in the sauce. Then, cover it with a lid and cook everything for 5 minutes.

Next, you can add the Velveeta cheese and corn and continue cooking until the Velveeta cheese has almost melted.

Once it's looking good, transfer the sloppy joe mixture into a baking dish - I used a 9x13 inch baking dish - and top the casserole evenly with cheddar cheese.

Step 3: Bake The Casserole

Now the casserole is complete, you can cover it with tin foil and put it in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.

When the 15 minutes are up, uncover the casserole and bake for another 5 minutes.

Finally, serve this sloppy joe casserole warm and enjoy!

How to Store Sloppy Joe Casserole

This recipe for sloppy joe casserole will make about 4 large servings. So, that means it's the perfect casserole recipe to make for a big family dinner, or if you just want to have some leftovers waiting for you the rest of the week.

Speaking of leftovers, if you have any, you can store them in an airtight container or cover the baking dish with a lid. Stored this way, the leftover sloppy joes will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

Alternatively, 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.

How to Reheat Sloppy Joe Casserole

Once you're ready to enjoy this delicious sloppy joe casserole again, you'll definitely want to reheat it.

To do this, simply 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.

Alternatively, you can microwave single portions of this dish in about 30-second increments until it's warmed.

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.

Wrapping It Up

That's how to make a Sloppy Joe Casserole in just a few simple steps!

There really isn't a better hearty, nostalgic meal than this. From the bold sloppy joe sauce flavor to the cooked bowtie noodles and browned ground beef, it's just so, so good.

Anyway, I hope you and your family love this sloppy joe casserole as we do at our house.

If you make it, make sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went.

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
• Ham and potato casserole
• Shrimp casserole
• Pork chop casserole
• Chicken tater tot casserole
• Stuffed pepper casserole

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

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