Sloppy Joe Casserole is a flavorful dish with a tasty sauce made with macaroni noodles instead of served on buns! A family favorite one-pot meal. Homemade Sloppy Joe Casserole is made with ground beef, pasta, green onion, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, all the best herbs and seasonings, and more. It’s incredibly simple, filling, and the very definition of comfort food!
Hearty, filling, and easily adaptable, this Sloppy Joe noodle dish will quickly become a new favorite to add to the meal plan. This flavorful casserole recipe takes everything you love about homemade Sloppy Joes and mixes it all into a casserole dish with some pasta and cheese to create a big serving dish full of the best comfort food.
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Casseroles are always a great way to feed a family or large crowd. They’re usually less clean up and pack a punch of flavor that both kids and adults will adore.
This Homemade Sloppy Joe Casserole is everything you love about the family favorite sloppy joe sandwiches all mixed in with macaroni in a casserole dish. Get a nice heaping serving spoonful or two of this tasty casserole!
Casseroles are convenient and inexpensive meals to feed a large family, or a smaller one that will have enough for leftovers. This Sloppy Joe Casserole recipe uses pantry staple ingredients, mostly stuff you already use regularly and can make without having to run to the grocery store.
Looking for another filling, family friendly casserole? Try our Chicken Pot Pie Casserole! It’s sure to be a hit.
What Other Pasta Can I Use?
I used macaroni elbow noodles in this recipe. But you can swap that out for other similar size pasta. Make sure it measures 8-ounces so the recipe will turn out correctly.
Some other pasta choices are:
• Shells
• Rotini
• Cavatappi
• Penne
• Farfalle
How to Make the Best Sloppy Joe Casserole
• Gather everything you will need. Chop the onion and bell pepper, shred the cheese, etc.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of water (with a teaspoon of salt in it) to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, and the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat. Drain grease.
• Add the butter, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté until soft.
• Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, chiles, brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Combine the meat mixture with the cooked macaroni.
• Add meat/pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered.
• Then sprinkle with the cheese and bake about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
• Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
What to Serve With Sloppy Joe Casserole
While this casserole recipe is a great meal all on its own. It’s very filling, but it can be served with other dishes.
Just like when you make the classic Sloppy Joe Sandwiches, you can serve just about any side dish with this casserole. Here are a few of our favorite ideas to serve alongside it:
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Lemon Orzo Salad
Cucumber Feta Tomato Salad
Butter Dip Biscuits
Can You Make This Ahead of Time?
- Yes, in fact you can. You can prep the casserole all the way up to the baking step.
- Add to your baking dish, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in advance.
- When you’re ready to bake it, just let it sit out until the oven heats up. Then bake it for 15-30 minutes, or until heated through. Then add the cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes before serving.
- This makes this Casserole the perfect thing for meal planning and prepping ahead. I like to make this dish early in the day so all I have to do at dinner time is basically warm it up and melt the cheese. It takes all the stress out of dinner time.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Cube Steak with Onion Gravy
Quick Red Beans and Rice
Chicken Thighs and Rice
Mashed Potato Casserole
Sloppy Joe Casserole Tips and Variations
- Lean Ground Turkey can be used in place of the beef.
- I tend to cook with less salt. If you feel that this needs more, I suggest waiting to add salt at the table to individual servings.
- Freshly grated cheese melts much better than bagged cheese, but use what you like and have on hand.
- You can add in other chopped up vegetables, or small vegetables if desired.
How to Store Sloppy Joe Casserole
Once your casserole has cooled completely, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and place in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also choose to freeze this recipe. Again, let it cool, then transfer it to a freezer safe zip top bag or container. If using the bag, lay it flat in the freezer to freeze. Don’t forget to label your food and be sure to use this casserole within 3 months.
How to Reheat Sloppy Joe Casserole
This easy Sloppy Joe Casserole can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
Grab all your pantry staple ingredients and make this easy Sloppy Joe Casserole recipe tonight for dinner, it's sure to be a crowd pleaser!
If you made this flavorful sloppy Joe Noodle Bake, let me know. You can leave a comment with a star rating below. I'd like to know how you liked it.
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Equipment
- 9"x13" baking dish
- 5-quart Pot for cooking pasta
- Large Skillet
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (½ lb) Small Elbow Macaroni
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 14-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 4-ounce can Diced Green Chiles
- 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅓ cup Water
- 1 ½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Gather everything you will need. Chop the onion and bell pepper, shred the cheese, etc.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water (with a teaspoon of salt in it) to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, and the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat. Drain grease.
- Add the butter, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté until soft.
- Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, chiles, brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Combine the meat mixture with the cooked macaroni and add to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered. Then sprinkle with the cheese and bake about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Tips
- Any similar sized pasta will work, as long as it measures 8-ounces and is similar in size to small elbows (shells, cavatappi, penne, rotini, etc.).
- Lean Ground Turkey can be used in place of the beef (97/3 or 85/15).
- I tend to cook with less salt. You can add salt at the table to individual servings, if desired.
- Freshly grated cheese melts much better than bagged, but use what you like.
Jen says
We all loved this! I served it with fruit salad and it was so yummy!