Two family favorite recipes join forces to create this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole! This easy recipe is layered with homemade sloppy joes, melty cheddar cheese and crispy tater tots for a weeknight dinner that's a winner with kids and adults alike.
If you’re not from the Midwest, you might not understand the deep fondness and nostalgia us flyover-country babies hold for the tater tot casserole. For many of us, this mixture of ground beef, canned soups, cheese, and crispy tots was a staple for weeknight dinners and family get-togethers.
Whether it was the original Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole or a more adventurous Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole, these comforting casseroles were as much a part of our childhoods as Cabbage Patch Dolls and the TGIF TV lineup.
So of course we couldn’t resist creating perhaps the most Midwestern of all the tater tot casseroles, a Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole. This recipe combines two beloved classics and kid favorites into one winner of a dinner.
Why Your Family Will Love Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- It’s easy to make. This is the most important ingredient of any Midwestern casserole, right? We’ve got to be able to throw this thing together while schlepping kids to and from soccer practices, youth group, and 4-H.
- It’s got great flavor. Tangy sweet sloppy joe AND melty cheese AND crispy tots? Yes, please.
- It can be prepped ahead of time. This can be prepped the night before or morning of, or even frozen for a super fast weeknight dinner.
Key Ingredients
- Ground beef- You can use lean beef, or not. Whatever you have on hand is just fine.
- Green pepper and onion- We don’t always include the green pepper, but the onion is pretty crucial for the flavor of the sloppy joes.
- Brown sugar- We like a little sweetness in our sloppy joe mix.
- Mustard- This is what brings the tang!
- Ketchup- Ketchup is the base of most homemade sloppy joe recipes, and this one is no different.
- Worcestershire sauce- This adds some extra savory flavor to the sloppy joe mix.
- Apple cider vinegar- The final burst of tangy flavor!
- Shredded cheddar cheese- Melty, sharp, and so good with sloppy joe!
- Tater tots- Pick these up in the frozen food aisle at your grocery store. You can use the classic cylinder shape or the flat rounds for this recipe.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Saute veggies and beef. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Push the veggies over to the side and add the ground beef, breaking it into chunks spread evenly across the pan. Cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes until the beef starts to brown. Break the beef into smaller pieces and continue to cook the beef and veggies together, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the sloppy joe sauce. Add the brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire, and apple cider vinegar to the pan. Stir well to coat the beef. Cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
- Assemble the casserole. Spread the mixture across the bottom of the pan. Top with all but about ¼ cup of the shredded cheese. Spread the tater tots in even rows across the top. Sprinkle the tots lightly with salt and the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cheese is melted and tater tots are crisp and golden brown.
Make Ahead, Leftover, and Freezing Instructions
- To make sloppy joe casserole ahead of time- Assemble the casserole completely, cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as usual.
- To store and reheat leftovers- Leftover casserole can be stored in the pan or individual containers. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes to recrisp the tots, or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- To freeze the casserole- Assemble the casserole in a freezer to oven safe dish, cool, then wrap in saran wrap then foil. Freeze for up to four months. Bake from frozen, adding an additional 10-20 minutes to the bake time.
FAQs
Can you make this in the crock pot?
Unfortunately tater tots don’t crisp well in the crock pot, but the sloppy joe mixture can absolutely be made in the crock pot.
We use this Crock Pot Sloppy Joes recipe, which makes a double batch of sloppy joes. You can use half for the casserole and then freeze the rest and make sloppy joe sandwiches on another night.
What pairs well with tater tot casserole?
We like to serve tater tot casserole with a simple veggie side dish like easy garden salad, garlic green beans, easy carrot saute, or even just fresh veggies and dip.
Can you double this sloppy joe tater tot casserole?
Absolutely, the recipe can easily be doubled and split between two 9x13 inch pans. You can freeze one, or gift one to new parents or families who could use a little extra help.
More Sloppy Joe Favorites
Sloppy joe is such an easy weeknight dinner, we love mixing up the flavors to have variety. Here are a few of our other favorites.
- Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
- Sloppy Joe Sliders
- Korean Sloppy Joes
- Big Mac Sloppy Joes
- Mississippi Roast Sloppy Joes
📖 Recipe
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- Olive oil (to coat)
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ green pepper (diced (optional))
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Most of a 32 oz. bag of frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Push the veggies over to the side and add the ground beef, breaking it into chunks spread evenly across the pan. Cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes until the beef starts to brown. Break the beef into smaller pieces and continue to cook the beef and veggies together, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire, and apple cider vinegar to the pan. Stir well to coat the beef. Cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
- Spread the mixture across the bottom of the pan. Top with all but about ¼ cup of the shredded cheese. Spread the tater tots in even rows across the top. Sprinkle the tots lightly with salt and the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cheese is melted and tater tots are crisp and golden brown.
Notes
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- Make ahead instructions- Assemble the casserole completely, cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as usual.
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- To store and reheat leftovers- Leftover casserole can be stored in the pan or individual containers. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes to recrisp the tots, or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
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- To freeze the casserole- Assemble the casserole in a freezer safe dish, cool, then wrap in saran wrap then foil. Freeze for up to four months. Bake from frozen, adding an additional 10-20 minutes to the bake time.
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