Sloppy Joes Casserole

What is a Sloppy Joes Casserole?

Call me weird, but I've always eaten Sloppy Joes with a fork.  It's just easier!  I love those messy, delicious sandwiches and get a kick of nostalgia every time I eat them (though my childhood Sloppy Joes consisted mainly of Manwich in the can.  Ain't nothin' wrong that.)  Think of ths Sloppy Joes casserole as kind of a big pan of deconstructed Sloppy Joes.

What Ingredients Do You Need For Sloppy Joes Casserole?

• Lean Ground beef
• Chopped onions, red bell pepper, and minced garlic
• Tomato sauce
• Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and ketchup
• Beef broth
• Salt and pepper
• Day-old or slightly toasted cubes of French bread

Tips For How To Make Sloppy Joes Casserole

(full recipe below) This casserole replaces the usual hamburger buns with cubes of French or Italian bread.  As with most casseroles using any kind of bread product, it's best to use dried out, day-old bread that is starting to go a little stale.  If you only have fresh bread available, bake the cubes in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until they start to feel dry (just don't let them get too brown!)

The rest of the process is identical to classic Sloppy Joes.  I use 93% ground beef, but have also successfully used ground turkey.  Remember the leaner your meat, the less moisture your casserole will have.  You may find that you need to drizzle on a bit of extra beef broth to the casserole dish so that it doesn't dry out too much while baking.  In the recipe, I recommend having extra broth on hand.  Different breads and different levels of stale/toasty-ness will soak up different levels of liquid, so let the unbaked casserole sit for about 5 minutes so you can tell if you need to add extra liquid to the pan.  You want it to look pretty wet, not dry and not too soupy.

If you want to keep some toasty texture in the bread to mimic a classic Sloppy Joe on a toasted bun, save a handful of bread cubes and lay them on top of the casserole.  Those pieces will get extra toasty and crispy in the oven!

This is a pleaser for the whole family and I hope you try it!  Enjoy!

How To Make Sloppy Joes Casserole

Sloppy Joes Casserole

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Sloppy Joes that are meant to be eaten with a fork! All the flavors of the classic favorite in this easy scoop 'n serve casserole.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 5-6 servings 1x

Ingredients

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• 1 lb lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 1 red bell pepper, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• ½ cup of your favorite ketchup
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef broth, or more as needed
• ½ loaf stale French bread, cut into cubes *see notes

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9x13 dish and add the bread cubes. Set aside.
2. In a large deep skillet, season the ground beef and brown, breaking into crumbles as it cooks. Remove beef to a plate and set aside. Drain out all but about 2 tsp of the grease.
3. Add the onion and bell peppers to the skillet. Cook until the onions translucent and aromatic. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
4. Add the Worcestershire, mustard, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Cook until heated through and mixture comes to a simmer.
5. Pour mixture over the bread crumbs and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. If it looks like the bread cubes have soaked up enough of the Sloppy Joes mixture that it appears dry, drizzle on a small amount of extra beef broth. Different breads of different levels of toast/staleness will soak up different levels of liquid, so just make sure that the mixture appears nice and wet - not dry and not too soupy.
6. Bake on center rack for about 20 minutes - serve warm.

Notes

*If you only have fresh French bread, just put the cubes on a baking sheet and bake at 325, checking every 5 minutes or so, until the cubes dry out.

• Author: Erin Browne
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

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