Cheesy Sloppy Joe Casserole
This sloppy joe casserole is a hearty freezer-friendly dinner for the whole family! A rich and saucy homemade sloppy joe layer is topped with cheddar cheese and crispy tater tots, and baked until bubbly and hot.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 380kcal
Ingredients
Sloppy joes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef (I use 80/20)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/3 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup reduced sodium beef broth or water
- 1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar (optional and to taste)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
- few dashes of hot sauce
Casserole
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- frozen tater tots as many as you'd like to fit on top of the sloppy joe layer
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Make sloppy joes
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med/med high heat. When hot, add beef and brown, crumbling as it cooks, for about 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain.
- In the same skillet, add butter and heat over med heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook about 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste. Stir well and cook for a minute or so, until the tomato paste is well incorporated.
- Add ketchup, beef broth, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Cook over medium heat for about 7-9 minutes, until mixture has thickened a bit.
Assemble casserole
- Remove from heat and transfer sloppy joes to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with 1 cup of cheese. Arrange frozen tater tots in a single layer on top of the sloppy joe mixture, leaving a little space between each tot.
Bake
- Bake for 25 minutes, until tater tots are cooked through and golden brown.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to the oven and bake another 5-7 minutes or until melted.
Serve
- Remove from oven and serve hot.
Notes
- I've estimated this recipe serves about 8.
- The exact amount of tater tots will vary from person to person, so put as many on as you'd like (or will fit).
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 715IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 336mg | Iron: 1mg
