Sloppy Joe Casserole

Rather than serving your sloppy Joe mixture in bread why not try turning it into a pasta casserole for the ultimate comfort food?

A sloppy joe sandwich with a sesame seed bun sits on a wooden board, filled with a saucy mixture of ground meat and vegetables. In the background are more buns, bell peppers, garlic, and jars of salt and pepper.
5 from 2 vote(s)3 comments
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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

All of the flavours and simplicity of a Sloppy Joe, but in casserole form so you can eat it with a fork! The best part is, you can still put it on a bun if you really want to.

Why not try making Homemade Worcestershire Sauce to use in your casserole? You could also make your own Homemade Seasoned Salt! Ramp up the protein and fiber content by adding some cooked black beans or chickpeas. Serve with a salad or your favorite veggie dish.

A plate of bowtie pasta with ground beef, corn, and tomato sauce sits on a white plate. In the background are hamburger buns, a garlic bulb, salt and pepper shakers, and a dish of more pasta.

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

  • Skill Level: This is a very easy recipe. Almost as easy as making Sloppy Joes on bread.
  • Total Time: This recipe will take you under an hour from start to finish, including cooling time.
  • Variations: Just like Sloppy Joes with bread, you can easily customize all of the elements of this recipe. Use whatever type of ground meat you’d like, use sauce packets or mixes instead of homemade, add more cheese, add more vegetables, or use a different pasta shape. So many different options. You can use a high-protein pasta, or low-sodium sauce ingredients.
  • Tools Needed: For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot, a colander, a large skillet, a 9×13 casserole dish, a cutting board, and a knife. You’ll also need a spoon and a cheese grater.
A sloppy joe sandwich with a sesame seed bun filled with a saucy ground meat mixture, corn, and chopped vegetables, placed on parchment paper atop a wooden board. A salt shaker and another sandwich are in the background.

What You’ll Need For Ingredients

Pasta: This is the ingredient that makes this a casserole. Most pasta shapes should work, and you can even look for a wholegrain, veggie-based, or high-protein pasta to add a whole other level of nutrition.

Ground Meat: This recipe calls for ground beef, but you can use any ground meat, poultry, or meat-alternative your heart desires. Whatever you use, make sure that it’s properly cooked.

Sauce: This recipe includes the ingredients and instructions to make a homemade sauce, but you can absolutely use your favourite packaged sauce or sauce mix. There are plenty of vegetables in this sauce to make it a balanced meal, but feel free to add more.

Cheese: We’ve got Velveeta melted right into the casserole and shredded cheese on top to give us crunch. Feel free to add more. You can rarely go wrong with more cheese.

Various ingredients are arranged on a white surface, including ground beef, bowtie pasta, corn, tomato sauce, chopped vegetables, spices, ketchup, cheese, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and sesame seed hamburger buns.

How To Make Sloppy Joe Casserole

This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cook and drain pasta. Put drained pasta into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
  3. Cook ground meat in large skillet. Drain most of the fat.
  4. Add onions and peppers. Cook for two minutes. Add garlic, corn, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, seasoning salt, and brown sugar. Stir and then add Velveeta cheese.
  5. Remove from heat and pour into the pasta. Stir until pasta is well-coated.
  6. Spread shredded cheese on top of the pasta, cover in foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove foil and broil for 2-5 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
A plate of bowtie pasta with ground beef, corn, and tomato sauce sits on a white plate with a fork. A glass jar of salt and a sandwich bun are visible in the blurred background.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Sloppy Joe Casserole

Undercook the Pasta: Cook your pasta to a perfect al dente or even a bit crunchier than that. It will soak up sauce and continue cooking in the oven, so try to avoid boiling it for too long otherwise you’ll end up with mushy casserole.

Pack in the Nutrition: This is already a fairly balanced meal as is, but you can easily add even more nutrients. Try adding cooked beans and extra vegetables like mushrooms, grated carrot, or peas. Choose high-protein pasta, lean ground meat, and low-sodium ingredients. None of those things will detract from the taste and they’ll help fill you up for even longer.

Two white plates with bowtie pasta, ground beef, corn, and tomato sauce sit on a white countertop beside salt and pepper shakers, a white napkin, and hamburger buns on a wooden tray.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Once it’s cooled, you can store this casserole in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezer: Cool completely and freeze either in the casserole dish itself or in individual servings. Cover or wrap tightly and then defrost and reheat in the oven when you’re ready.

More Delicious Casserole Recipes

Looking for more tasty Casserole recipes?

Try this John Wayne Casserole or a Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole for something filling and satisfying.

Fill everyone’s bellies with a Doritos Chicken Casserole or Shipwreck Casserole.

Want something sweet? Try making an Overnight Cinnamon French Toast Casserole for a holiday breakfast.

There you go, everyone. Another easy and filling casserole that you can whip up in under an hour. Try it out and let me know how you like it.

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn

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sloppy joe casserole on a white plate with buns stacked behind it

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Rather than serving your sloppy Joe mixture in bread why not try turning it into a pasta casserole for the ultimate comfort food?
5 from 2 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 430

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups Dry Farfalle pasta, (bow tie pasta)
  • 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 cup white onion , (diced small)
  • ½ green pepper , (diced medium small)
  • ½ red pepper, (diced medium small)
  • 4 cloves garlic, (minced)
  • 1 can canned corn, (all liquid squeezed out)
  • 2 cups tomato sauce , (or a 15-16 oz can)
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt , (or to taste)
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown sugar
  • 8 Oz Velveeta cheese, (chopped into cubes / slices)
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, (grated)

Instructions 

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.
  • Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box. Drain and place in a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Set aside.
  • Place ground beef in the bottom of a large, deep skillet.
  • Fry until brown, drain most of the grease then add the onions and the peppers.
  • Saute the onions and peppers until soft, then add in the garlic.
  • Saute for 2 minutes, then add in the rest of the ingredients.
  • Stir, add in the sliced Velveeta and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes until well combined.
  • Remove the beef mixture from the heat and pour into the baking pan with the cooked noodles. Stir gently to combine and coat pasta.
  • Spread the shredded cheddar cheese on the top of the casserole and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil on top and turn your oven to broil on medium for 2-5 minutes watching closely until the cheese on top starts to bubble. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Even though this is a casserole dish feel free to eat it the traditional way and fill buns with this meal. 

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1534mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1027IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 330mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Rhonda says

    I just made your Sloppy Joe Casserole the other night and it was absolutely delicious! 😋. I only thing that I would add would be more cheese, and top it with green onions and sour cream after baking it.5 stars

  2. Greg says

    THIS ONE’S A KEEPER!! Everyone loved it. -40° wind chill & this dish…. perfect combo. (I must admit I cheated tho…used two pkgs of Club House Sloppy Joe mix 🤭)

    Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  3. Shirley says

    What can you suggest as a substitute for the corn; or can it just be left out? Some people have digestive issues with it.

5 from 2 votes

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