Want the familiar comfort of some Sloppy Joe’s, but don’t feel like getting messy? Why not turn the classic recipe on its head with this unique and tasty Sloppy Joe Casserole?
Why not try making Homemade Worcestershire Sauce to use in your casserole? You could also make your own Homemade Seasoned Salt!
Sloppy Joe casserole
Sloppy Joes are always a crowd-pleaser and are considered to be one of the classic North American comfort food classics. While classics are classics for a reason it does not mean that you can’t put your own spin on them and this sloppy Joe casserole does just that!
Rather than serving your sloppy Joe mixture in bread why not try turning it into a pasta casserole for the ultimate wintery night comfort food? What makes this even better is that being a casserole you can eat it with just a spoon and zero mess, unlike traditional sloppy joes that leave you with sauce dripping off your hands.
So the next time you feel like the comfort of a sloppy Joe but don’t want to deal with the messy eating experience make sure to try this casserole instead!
Green Vs Red Peppers; Why Use Both?
This sloppy Joe casserole calls for both red and green peppers, but don’t worry if you don’t have both available you can get away with using just one type.
The main difference between green and red bell peppers is their taste and so by only using one color, you will be losing out on a slight depth of flavor. Red peppers are much sweeter while green peppers have more of a bitter taste. Combined the two flavors complement each other and is why you will often find both used in dishes like fajitas.
Why Should You Drain The Fat From The Beef?
Draining the fat or grease after cooking meat is a pretty standard step in most recipes, but you might be asking isn’t the fat is where a lot of the flavor is.
Yes, the fat that comes out of the beef while cooking does hold a lot of the flavor, but it also adds unnecessary calories to a dish and can make the final dish feel greasy and unpleasant when eating.
If you’ve ever finished an overly greasy meal and noticed that the roof of your mouth feels as though it has been coated in a thick layer of fat that won’t seem to go away no matter how much water you drink. That feeling is caused by excessive grease building up in your mouth and can be easily avoided by draining the fat when making your sloppy Joe casserole.
While the fat that comes out of the beef does hold a lot of flavor it is also high in calories. For most people, the slight sacrifice in flavor is worth it for a healthier dish.
Can You Use Other Types Of Pasta?
Farfalle works great in this sloppy Joe recipe thanks to its bow-tie shape which provides a balance between crackles for the sauce to get caught in and flat pieces for texture.
That being said, changing up the pasta shape that you use in dishes that you make regularly is a super simple way to give it a new lease of life. So, here are some of the other shapes that work well with this sloppy Joe casserole recipe.
- Campanelle or Torchio
Often described as bell-shaped or mushroom-shaped, this type of pasta is great at holding sauce thanks to the many folds and nooks and allows for small pieces of beef to get caught among the pasta.
- Fusilli
Fusilli is an extremely common pasta shape and so it is a good pick if you are struggling to find more interesting shapes in your local store. The corkscrew shape of fusilli allows it to hold a decent amount of sauce while also still having a bite to it as well.
- Orecchiette
Orecchiette is good if you want pasta that holds a lot of sauce thanks to its dome-like shape. Plus, it looks like it was just made by your Italian grandma, so gives the dish that fun, rustic appearance that goes super well with all of the comforting flavors in your casserole.
Looking for more delicious Casserole recipes? Try these out:
• Shipwreck Casserole (In the Slow Cooker)
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
Pin this recipe to your DINNER RECIPES Board and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dry Farfalle pasta (bow tie pasta)
- 1 1/2 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
- 1/2 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.
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.
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!
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.