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This sloppy joe casserole is such an easy twist on a childhood favorite! The whole family loves this one at my house! Check out my video below and see how easy this is to make, too!
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What is it about this time of year that makes me want to throw open my windows, decorate with pumpkins, and start baking all manner of casseroles and comfort foods?
Fall is my thang, man. I love it. Mostly because it means that I can bust out all of my favorite recipes that require cranking up the oven. Nobody likes a hot oven in summer. Nobody.
You’re probably going to want to bust out your elastic pants because this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole is going to make your tummy very happy. We couldn’t get enough of this one.
What is a Sloppy Joe?
Okay, if you don’t already know what a sloppy joe, is I feel very sad that you’ve been missing out on them your whole life! Here goes: a sloppy joe is traditionally known as a sandwich made of ground beef that’s seasoned and tossed in a tomato sauce with onions and other spices.
The origin of the sloppy joe seems to date back to a restaurant in Sioux City, Iowa where a cook named Joe sold “loose meat sandwiches” which eventually were called sloppy joes.
Some people say the sloppy joe dated back before that, it just didn’t go by that particular name. The name really took off in the 1960s when Manwhich started selling a prepackaged sloppy joe sauce at stores. The rest is history, as the sloppy joe has become a household name, allowing me to bring this amazing sloppy joe tater tot casserole into your life.
How To Make A Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
Over medium-high heat, brown beef until cooked, drain any fat, remove and set aside. Then, in the same pan, saute onions and garlic until translucent. Next, you’ll add red bell pepper and corn and cook until soft. Add beef, Sloppy Joe sauce, cream cheese, paprika and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
To keep things extra easy, this recipe uses canned sloppy joe sauce. Try it with my homemade sloppy joe recipe instead if you have a little extra time!
You’ll then simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Once done simmering, pour the beef mixture in a 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly. Top it off with a layer of cheese, arrange the tater tots and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Lastly, bake until the tater tots are crispy and golden, dish and serve hot. Enjoy!
(Full recipe and instructions in the recipe card below)
What to Serve With A Tater Tot Casserole
Want to know the best thing about casseroles? You can pair them with almost anything, and serve them for almost any occasion. Whether, you’re making a weeknight dinner, or have a potluck to go to, this tater tot casserole has you covered.
It can be served up along with some classic dinner table sides, like baked asparagus and a salad with honey mustard dressing.
Or it can be served on the main dish table at a party, with more of your favorite party staples like Italian pasta salad and crockpot mac and cheese. The gist of it is, that you can serve this casserole with anything your heart desires.
You’ll Love The Ease of This Tater Tot Casserole
My entire family gobbles this up, which is saying something because my daughter and husband are two of the pickiest people I’ve ever met.
Depending on whose around to complain, I sometimes leave out the onions. My husband will flat out refuse his dinner if he sees a chunk of onion. It’s ridiculous. A good compromise is a hefty sprinkling of onion powder. A lot of times people don’t mind the flavor, as long as they don’t have the crunch. Weirdos, right?
This comes together quickly for those busy nights when you’re going every which direction and just want to get something hearty and delicious on the table! Check out my video above to see just how fast you can whip this up and get your family fed.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
I love dinner’s that can come together in a flash, and I’m sure you do too, because honestly, who doesn’t love easy dinners? Since I love making my life easier, and yours too, here are a few of my favorite quick and simple dinners the whole family will love.
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 15 ounces canned corn drained
- 15 ounces sloppy joe sauce
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese grated
- 16 ounces tater tots
- Chives for sprinkling on top as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the peppers and onions until the meat is cooked through. Drain the fat and return to the heat. Stir in the corn, sloppy joe sauce, and cream cheese. Cook over low heat until the cream cheese is melted.
- Pour the sloppy joe mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the grated cheese.
- Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped chives if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in August 2013 and has been updated in 2019 with new photos. Original photo above.
Kimberly says
What size of Sloppy Joe sauce??? 15 oz or 24 oz???
Karly says
15 ounces.
Kimberly says
OOOPS!!!! It was very good with 24 oz too! LOL
Karly says
Haha! Sorry I didn’t specify. I don’t think you can go wrong with extra sauce though. ๐
Deb says
We put all filling into one tub and then used half one night in a glass pie dish as recipe was written and then second night added a can of medium Rotel tomatoes. ย Really made a difference for us. We like a bit of heat and liked the addition diced tomatoes. ย
Lori Horner says
I don’t have tater tots, will Crispy Crowns work ok?
Karly says
Yep.
Maureen Wheatley says
This sloppy joe tater tot casserole sounds wonderful. My children didn’t like green peppers or onions, so I just put them in a blender and whipped the heck out of it. They never said a word about it having those items. This will be a great supper for when it gets colder. Much to warm here in Delaware to put oven on for to long. Thanks for sharing.
Karly says
Oh, that’s brilliant!
HANMooncake says
Wow thank you so much for such wonderful recipes you provided <3 Would you mind if I take it and print? I will use it to cook for my family, and show it to my neighborhood as well as my close friend?
Karly says
Yes, of course. ๐
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Daniel Geach says
I will be using your sloppy joe sauce recipe with this one this weekend. Made the recipe with a different sloppy joe sauce before and it was great! I have faith that your sloppy joe sauce is excellent, just like all the other meals I’ve prepared from your site. Thank you so much for these recipes!
Karly says
Thanks, Daniel! Hope you enjoy!
OhioWolverine says
Oh my goodness this was SO good! I used my own homemade sloppy joe sauce but otherwise kept the recipe the same. The cream cheese makes all the difference!! The meat portion was so good I kept eating it before putting the tater tots on top! I did thaw tater tots before cooking. Thanks for an incredible twist on an old favorite. I get so sick of the same ol’ same ol’ and so many recipes taste alike anymore. This was delish!
Karly says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed!
MOM BEBEE says
i loved your bio. another women how tells it like it is! ย and supper witty! FUNNY!
Karly says
Well, thank you! ๐
Marleypaw says
Does this recipe stay moist and taste good the net day? I love to make dishes that can last for a few days, so I can take a break from cooking.
Karly says
@Marleypaw,
Yep, this should reheat great!
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Heather says
It’s ok!! I went ahead and thawed them just in case so I guess you could do it either way because it turned out fantastic! The family loved it! Thano for sharing the recipe ๐
Melanie says
This is a family favourite! I am so glad I came across this! YUM!
Karly says
@Melanie,
So glad you enjoy it! ๐
Amy says
My husband demolished this in less than 24 hours – he was in rare form! Thanks for sharing this delicious + simple recipe.
Karly says
@Amy,
Glad to hear he liked it! ๐