| |

Easy Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe with Noodles

This Easy Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe with Noodles features a delicious homemade Sloppy Joe sauce, seasoned to perfection and a melty cheese layer in the middle and on top of this easy weeknight meal.

We love easy weeknight dinners like this beef noodle casserole, baked ziti with meatballs and this easy baked enchilada casserole with ground beef!

If you’re a Sloppy Joe lover, be sure to try my Garlic Texas Toast Sloppy Joes next!

An Easy Twist on A Family Favorite!

This easy sloppy joe casserole recipe is the ultimate comfort food. It’s a family favorite and the homemade sauce is well worth the effort. It will have the whole family back for seconds. No Manwich sauce in this recipe – it’s completely made from scratch!

This recipe is a bit different than traditional sloppy joes and has bowtie pasta which is hearty and satisfying.

Looking for other easy weeknight family dinners? Try my creamy beef and shells, garlic bread sloppy joes, beef noodle casserole and beef enchilada casserole next!

Overhead view of sloppy joe casserole on a white plate with a fork.

Why You’ll Love This Sloppy Joe Bake

  • hearty and satisfying – perfect for busy weeknights. Easy to reheat if you have kids coming and going for sports and classes.
  • easy to make – simple ingredients and instructions.
  • crowd-pleasing – this recipe gets a ‘g.o.a.t.e.d’ rating from my teenagers – that’s ‘greatest of all time’. Serve it up with my cheesy stuffed garlic bread and you’ll be a dinner-time hero!
Sloppy Joe Casserole on a white palte with a fork.

If you love easy casserole recipes, these are great choices for busy weeknights:

Cheesy Taco Pasta Bake

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ultimate Mac & Cheese Casserole

Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients & Substitutions

Made with simple ingredient that you can easily find in the grocery store I’ve listed the ingredients below with substitutions and you can find a full printable version on the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Labelled ingredients for sloppy joe casserole.
  • Olive oil – use good quality olive oil for best flavor
  • Ground beef (lean or extra lean).
  • Green bell pepper – you can easily swap out for red, yellow or orange bell peppers.
  • Onion – I like to use sweet onions or yellow cooking onions.
  • Garlic – fresh garlic adds delicious flavor in this delicious casserole.
  • Tomato paste – thickens the sauce perfectly!
  • Tomato sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce – adds delicious flavor to the sauce.
  • Brown sugar – for just the right amount of sweetness.
  • Dry mustard
  • Chili powder
  • Paprika
  • Salt & Black Pepper – add more to taste when serving.
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Bowtie pasta – switch up to your favorite pasta shape or whatever you have on hand. Rigatoni, ziti, macaroni, and rotini are all great choices.
  • Colby Jack cheese – you can substitute with your favorite cheddar or any of the best cheeses for melting.

What can I substitute for the ground beef?

You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken in this recipe.

How to Make Sloppy Joe Casserole

You can find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this page. I like to include step by step instructions with tips to help with the recipe.

Uncooked ground beef, onions, garlic and green pepper in skillet.

STEP ONE – Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with a light coat of butter or spray with cooking spray.

STEP TWO – Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

STEP THREE – (While the pasta is cooking) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add ground beef, green pepper, onion & garlic. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink and onions have softened. Drain off any grease before adding next ingredients.

Cooked ground beef with tomato sauce, tomato pasta and spices added to the mixture.

STEP FOUR – Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard, chili powder, salt & black pepper and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes (to thicken) over medium heat, stirring often.

Cooked pasta bow ties are added to the sloppy joe meat sauce.

STEP FIVE – Next, add the cooked pasta to the sloppy joe mixture. Stir gently until pasta is coated with the sauce.

Pasta and meat mixture in bottom of casserole dish, covered with shredded cheese.

STEP SIX – Transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the bottom of prepared baking dish, then top with half of the shredded cheese. Top with remaining pasta mixture, then top with remaining shredded cheese.

Baked sloppy joe casserole in baking dish with melty cheesy on top.

STEP SEVEN – Bake the casserole for 25 minutes until cheese is completely melted and casserole is heated through.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley (optional) and enjoy!

Scoop of sloppy joe casserole on spoon held over casserole dish.

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Cover leftover casserole plastic wrap or transfer to airtight container and refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, cover with foil and heat in 350°F for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave on a plate for 30-second intervals until heated through.

Can you freeze sloppy Joe caserole?

You sure can! Bake casserole as directed and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Bring to room temperature and heat in 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Sloppy joe casserone on white plate with fork and remaining casserole in the background.

More Casserole Recipes to Enjoy

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Taco Pasta Bake

Million Dollar Chicken

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

Chicken Cobbler with Cheddar Bay Biscuit Topping

Chicken Hashbrown Casserole

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Sloppy joe casserole on a white plate.

Easy Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe with Noodles


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Sandra Flegg
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Description

This Easy Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe with Noodles features a delicious homemade Sloppy Joe sauce, seasoned to perfection and a melty cheese layer in the middle and on top of this easy weeknight meal. 


Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. ground beef (lean or extra lean)

1 cup green bell pepper, diced

1 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 ounces bowtie pasta, cooked and drained

2 and 1/4 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded (or cheddar, Gouda)


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with a light coat of butter or spray with cooking spray.

  2. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. 

  3. (While the pasta is cooking) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add ground beef, green pepper, onion & garlic. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink and onions have softened. Drain off any grease before adding next ingredients.
  4. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard, chili powder, salt & black pepper and red pepper flakes.  Simmer for 5 minutes (to thicken) over medium heat, stirring often. 
  5. Next, add the cooked pasta to the sloppy joe mixture. Stir gently until pasta is coated with the sauce. 
  6. Transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the bottom of prepared baking dish, then top with half of the shredded cheese. Top with remaining pasta mixture, then top with remaining shredded cheese.
  7. Bake the casserole for 25 minutes until cheese is completely melted and casserole is heated through.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Cover leftover casserole plastic wrap or transfer to airtight container and refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, cover with foil and heat in 350°F for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave on a plate for 30-second intervals until heated through.

Freezing instructions:  Bake casserole as directed and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Bring to room temperature and heat in 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dinner recipes
  • Method: Oven Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 generous serving
  • Calories: 572
  • Sugar: 9.9 g
  • Sodium: 739.3 mg
  • Fat: 26.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 13.3 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45 g
  • Fiber: 4.1 g
  • Protein: 39.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 115.2 mg

5 Comments

    1. Thanks for asking this question! Hit the ‘print’ button, in the top left you will see ‘print options’ and a title below with “Include in Print” – then you can unclick whatever you don’t want in the printed version. ie’ you can omit the notes, images. P.S. The ads should never print in the recipe print. Thanks!

  1. Yes, I did make this meal…….it is delicious! But it is not fast; it is not easy at all for me-

    – it seemed very complicated ! (- even with 2 people juggling with the preparation ) AND your pantry had best be stocked with the wide range of particular ingredients that make it special !

    It is delicious & I hope to tweek it a bit & make it again soon……it is well worth the hassle! I think I’ll add peas to the pasta mixture…the bow ties are a keeper pasta ingredient for sure !

    Yes, very flexible as noted…..but again, I did not find it quick or easy at all

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star