Sloppy Joe Casserole
This Sloppy Joe Casserole brings all the saucy, cheesy, beefy flavor of a classic sloppy joe into an easy pasta bake. Top it with cheddar, tater tots, biscuits, or cornbread. Make it ahead, freeze it, and reheat it.
Servings: 6
Calories: 492kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces short pasta such as rotini, bowtie or penne
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium bell pepper diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 15 ounce tomato sauce 1 can
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). While it's heating up, boil your pasta according to package directions but slightly undercook it. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper. Sauté until they start to soften.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Break it apart and cook until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and chili powder. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors together.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir it into the beef mixture. Season with salt and black pepper to your liking.
- Transfer the beef and pasta mixture to a greased 9x13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
- Pop the casserole into the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Undercook the pasta. 1 to 2 minutes short of the package time. It finishes in the oven and fully cooked pasta turns to mush.
- Soften the vegetables first. Three minutes of cooking the onion and pepper before the beef builds a noticeably better sauce.
- Drain the beef properly. Saucy, not greasy.
- Taste before assembling. The beef mixture should taste bold on its own, because the pasta mutes it.
- Tater tot version: skip the cheese at first, top with frozen tots, bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, add cheese for the last 5. Tots go on frozen.
- No boil version: use 12 ounces dry pasta plus 2½ cups low sodium beef broth, bake covered tightly at 400°F for 30 minutes, then top and finish uncovered.
- Make ahead: assemble without cheese up to 24 hours before. Add cheese and bake from cold, plus 10 minutes.
- Freezing: freeze unbaked and without cheese for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 769mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1458IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 3mg
