Sloppy Joe Casserole

This Sloppy Joe Casserole is a favorite from my childhood. That sweet and tangy beef gets baked between two layers of flaky pastry with some gooey melted cheese. It's freaking awesome.

I like what I like, and I'm not going to change because someone else doesn't think it's cool. That's what being a witch has taught me. I'm allowed to be exactly who I am. I'm allowed to live in my power and my truth. And if I live a life of kindness and serve the cause of love, I can never go wrong.

Objectively, there are many things that could be considered wrong with something like Sloppy Joe Casserole. It's made with almost all processed ingredients. No, it's not pure and wholesome. It's not what our ancient ancestors would have eaten. But it is literally what my direct ancestor, my mother fed me as a child. It's not healthy, but it is delicious. It's also super fast and kid-friendly. So maybe we take a few lessons from out busy 80's moms and give ourselves a break every once in a while.

What makes Sloppy Joe Casserole so awesome?

This Sloppy Joe Casserole was one of my favorite dishes as a kid. I'm a picky eater now, but I was surely intolerable as a child. I actually looked forward to my mom making this. It's got two layers of flaky crescent rolls at the bottom and top. In between is that delicious sloppy joe meat, with it's rich, tangy sauce. There's also a layer of melty American cheese to really bring it home.

If you like a combination of sweet and savoury, you're gonna love this dish. Kids love it, too, so if you've got fussy eaters in your house like me (I am the fussy eater), this will be a win. It takes all of 15 minutes of actual cooking time, plus another 15 minutes to bake. Serve it with a side of your favorite vegetables (use frozen microwavable veg while you're at it) and you've got a stress-free plate of nostalgia for a busy weeknight.

Make it magical

This dish has hidden Queen of Pentacles energy. Since most of the ingredients are processed, I probably wouldn't call on them for much extra energy. What I would invoke with this recipe is honoring my recent ancestors. Specifically, it reminds me of those working moms of my mother's generation who still had to exist very much in a man's world. There was not much talk of sharing the load at home back them. Women really were expected to do it all.

So they turned to food like this to survive. I don't blame them one bit. The fact that they were able to feed anyone is a wonder. So with a dish like this, I want to honor all the mothers who made it possible for my generation to have more equity in the workplace and in the home. I honor their courage, strength, and resilience.

Tips for making Sloppy Joe Casserole

Since we're using mainly store bought ingredients, this is super easy. That's kind of the point of food like this. It's convenience above all. Start by preheating your oven and arranging a layer of crescent roll dough in the bottom of a square baking pan. You may have to trim it a bit depending on the dimensions of your dough. Don't sweat it. Put this in the oven to parbake for about 10 minutes while you get on with your meat.

Add your ground beef to a hot skillet and season it with salt and pepper. I also add a dash of cayenne to most things just because that's my style. Brown your meat, and then drain off the fat. Return the cooked meat to the pan, add your sloppy joe sauce, and let that simmer for about five minutes.

Once your bottom layer of crescent rolls has lightly browned, pull it out of the oven and pour over your sloppy joe mixture. Then you're going to arrange four or so slices of American cheese on top of that. Sure, you could substitute cheddar, but we really want that smooth, melty kind of cheese here. Finally, cover the top with another layer of crescent roll dough. Trim and arrange to make it work. Then pop the whole thing in the oven to melt the cheese and brown the top. Once it's golden brown and flaky, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

FAQ

My mom had a lot on her plate, and I wasn't an easy child to feed. I'm grateful she made this Sloppy Joe Casserole for me when I was little. Make it a memory for your family as well.

Looking for more awesome weeknight dinner ideas? Try some Chicken & Goat Cheese Pasta or a pot of Gnocchi Chili.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Print Recipe

This Sloppy Joe Casserole is a favorite from my childhood. That sweet and tangy beef gets baked between two layers of flaky pastry with some gooey melted cheese. It's freaking awesome.

• Author: Renee Rendall
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can sloppy joe sauce
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 4 slices American cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and lightly spray a 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Put a large skillet over medium high heat and add the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon and season it with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until completely browned, then drain off the fat and return the meat to the pan. Stir in the can of sloppy joe sauce.
3. While your beef is browning, unroll half of your crescent roll dough and spread it out on the bottom of your pan. Trim the dough if you need to in order to make it fit. Pop the bottom layer of rolls into the oven to bake while the meat is cooking.  Ten minutes is plenty of time. You want them to be just ever so slightly browned.
4. Take your parbaked layer of rolls back out of the oven and spread the sloppy joe mixture over the top. Arrange your four slices of cheese on top, and then add the other half of the crescent rolls on top.
5. Put the whole thing in the oven for about 12 minutes or until the crescent rolls are golden brown. Allow to cool for about five minutes before cutting and serving.

Equipment

skillet

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8x8 inch baking pan

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Keywords: Ground Beef, Sloppy Joe, Caserole

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