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Get ready for the easiest weekday dinner ever with my Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe! This super-easy meal takes only simple ingredients and even simpler steps to make a hearty, delicious meal for a crowd everyone will love! Ready in just 30 minutes.
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Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe
Picture this: you've just gotten home from work, or finished cleaning the whole house. You're tired, your feet hurt, you just want to go sit down, and oh yeah- you still need to make dinner. Sound familiar? It sure does to me, and that's why this easy Sloppy Joe casserole recipe exists!
The joy of this recipe is you can make it as simple or complex as you'd like. Not feeling like making your own sauce? Just use canned! Want to spruce it up with extra vegetables? The more the merrier, and the cooking method won't change a bit! It's the perfect meal for a busy night, and leaves everyone happy.
By far my favorite part about this Sloppy Joe casserole recipe is how easy it is to make. Once you brown the meat, you're pretty much done beyond a quick pop in the oven! That means that if you're using frozen corn, shredded cheese and canned sauce, there's no prep required. Dinner really can be that easy!
Manwich Casserole Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Pasta of choice
- Vegetable broth; chicken broth also works
- Sloppy Joe sauce, canned or homemade
- Corn
- Velveeta shreds
- Cheddar, shredded
- Parsley, for garnish
Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce Ingredients
- Ketchup
- Water
- Tomato paste
- Garlic powder
- Yellow mustard
- Chili powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
How to Make a Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. While the oven is heating, add the ground beef to a large pot over medium heat. Brown ground beef for 7 minutes or until cooked through, and drain the liquid.
- Add in the dried pasta, vegetable broth, Sloppy Joe sauce or sauce ingredients, and corn. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you prefer, you can cook until the pasta is al dente (just slightly underdone).
- Add Velveeta shreds to the ground beef mixture, and stir until fully incorporated. Transfer to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
- Top with 1 cup cheddar cheese, then bake for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
- Top with parsley, serve in bowls, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- You can use canned or homemade sauce for this recipe! I like making my own sauce when I have the time, as it allows me to adjust the seasonings just the way I like them and the flavor is irresistible. But canned sauce is good, too!
- You can prepare the ground beef separately in a skillet, but I like to make it in the same pot as the pasta as cleanup is so much easier that way.
- If you prepare the dish in an oven-safe pot, feel free to skip transferring it to a baking dish: bake it right in the pot for even less cleanup.
- If making your own sauce, don't add the seasonings to the meat before cooking it. You'll be draining the excess grease from the meat, and this can mean losing out on the seasonings you added in!
Ingredient Add-ins and Substitutions
- Feel free to add anything else to the casserole you wish! I like adding in garlic, diced onions, and green bell peppers by sauteing them before cooking the ground beef.
- Green beans make a great addition, too.
- You can make this with pure cheddar, but I highly recommend Velveeta. It adds a distinctive creaminess that regular cheddar doesn't!
- If you prefer, you can use other melting cheeses, like Colby Jack cheese, instead of cheddar.
- For a bit of spice, try adding crushed red pepper flakes. Personally, I love the layer of flavor this adds!
- If you prefer, you can use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Just take into account that ground turkey will have a longer cook time.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover Sloppy Joe casserole lasts 4-5 days in the fridge, stored either in the casserole dish and wrapped in plastic, or transferred to an airtight container.
You can also freeze it in portion-sized freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months! Reheat frozen portions in the oven for best results; they can reheat unevenly in the microwave.
FAQ for Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipes
Yes, you can substitute the Velveeta shreds for Velveeta sauce packets. As this recipe calls for 8 ounces of Velveeta shreds, use approximately 2 packets of sauce (they typically come in 4 oz. packets).
You sure can! For best results, reheat the leftovers on the stove in the pot. Then, add in the vegetable broth and pasta, and continue cooking as instructed.
You can use canned corn rather than fresh. Simply drain the can before adding it in.
Frozen corn can be used, too! No need to thaw it. It should heat through just fine as it cooks.
You can prepare everything but the noodles in the slow cooker. Add all of your Sloppy Joe meat sauce ingredients, plus the broth and any vegetable add-ins you want, to the slow cooker, and cook for 2 hours on HIGH or 3 hours on LOW. Cook the pasta separately, then mix through with Velveeta shreds. Top with cheddar cheese, cover with the lid, and allow the cheese to melt.
Sloppy Joe Recipes
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📋 Recipe
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Equipment
- Large pot
- 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef 80% lean
- 1 lb Pasta of choice
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 24 oz Manwich sauce or use sauce recipe
- 1 cup Corn
- 8 oz Velveeta shreds
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
Sloppy Joe Sauce
- 1⅓ cup Ketchup
- ⅔ cup Water
- 4 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. While the oven is heating, add the ground beef to a large pot over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes or until well cooked through, and drain the liquid.1 lb Ground beef
- Add in the dried pasta, vegetable broth, sloppy joe sauce or sauce ingredients, and corn. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 lb Pasta, 4 cups Vegetable broth, 24 oz Manwich sauce, 1 cup Corn, 1⅓ cup Ketchup, ⅔ cup Water, 4 Tablespoons Tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon Yellow mustard, 2 teaspoons Garlic powder, 2 teaspoons Chili powder, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper, ½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- Add in the Velveeta and mix until fully incorporated, then transfer to a 9x13 baking dish.8 oz Velveeta shreds
- Top with 1 cup cheddar cheese, then bake for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.1 cup Cheddar cheese
- Top with parsley if using, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
-
- You can use canned or homemade sauce for this recipe! I like making my own sauce when I have the time, as it allows me to adjust the seasonings just the way I like them.
-
- Feel free to add anything else to the casserole you wish! I like adding in garlic, onions, and green peppers.
-
- If you brown the meat in an oven-safe pot, feel free to skip transferring it to a baking dish: bake it right in the pot for even less cleanup.
-
- If making your own sauce, don't add the seasonings to the meat before cooking it. You'll be draining the meat, and this can mean losing out on the seasonings you added in!
-
- You can make this with pure cheddar, but I highly recommend Velveeta. It adds a distinctive creaminess that regular cheddar doesn't!
- Nutrition is calculated for homemade sauce.
Nutrition
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