If you’re wondering what to cook for dinner, an easy sloppy joe casserole is the perfect solution. Loved by kids and adults alike, this recipe is the answer to your question. Add a simple Tossed Salad, and dinner is served!
This delicious casserole has pasta, corn kernels, ground beef, bell peppers, onions, and garlic all baked with tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard and topped with melted cheese. It is literally like eating a Sloppy Joe but in pasta casserole style!
HOW TO MAKE SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE?
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet, and brown the ground beef until no pink is left. - Add diced red and green bell peppers, chopped onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
- Add the diced tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the instructions on the package. Five minutes before the cooking time is over, add the frozen corn, and cook until tender. Drain.
- Add the cooked pasta, corn, and grated cheese to the skillet with the meat, and mix thoroughly.
- Place everything in a large baking dish (at least 9×13 inches) and in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE?
This dish is a complete meal in itself, but I always like to serve my pasta dishes with a salad like Healthier Waldorf Salad, Homemade Creamy Caesar Salad, Tossed Salad, or Amish Broccoli Salad.
MAKE-AHEAD METHOD:
If you need to prepare ground beef casserole with penne pasta in advance, assemble the casserole up until step 5. Wait for it to cool down completely and wrap it in foil. Refrigerate it for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to three months.
Before cooking, preheat the oven to 350F, sprinkle extra cheese on top, and bake as usual.
RECIPE TIPS:
- You can reduce the amount of pasta for a more meaty casserole.
- Use your favorite cheese or a combination of several.
- Pasta and corn can be cooked in the same pot. First, cook the pasta in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then add the corn.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 (14.5 ounces) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
- 1 (16 ounces) package penne pasta
- 1 ½ cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until no pink is left.
- Add the diced red and green bell peppers, chopped onion, and garlic. Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes until crumbly.
- Add ketchup, tomatoes, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir. Cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Cook the corn and pasta in boiling water. This can be done in one or two different pots. Drain.
- Add the drained corn, pasta, and grated cheese to the skillet and stir.
- Place everything in a 9x13-inch baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe. My family enjoyed it.
I just made this and it is delicious
Really good. Wouldn’t change a thing.