Sloppy joes are a classic family favorite that are just as satisfying as they are delicious. For just about all of us, there is a fond childhood memory of blissfully munching down on sloppy joes on a school night. Make no mistake, sloppy joes are a truly quintessential comfort food dinner. They’re beautifully simple and absolutely flawless in their familiarity. However, for as classic and simplistically perfect as sloppy joes are, sometimes they can start to get a little boring and tired if you’re having them over and over again. In that case, you need a twist; you need something fun to bring a new spin onto an old favorite. For this task, enter this recipe for the brilliantly simple, exceptionally delicious sloppy joe casserole.
This fun, tasty recipe has all the elements of sloppy joes you already love, from the beefy filling, to the savory sautéed onions, to the rich tomato sauce, to the bread that soaks up all that flavor. But here’s the riff: instead of serving the ground beef in a sandwich, this beauty layers the beef into a casserole dish, bakes it, tops it with cheese, and swaps out the boring old hamburger buns with a topping of buttery, flaky biscuits that are seasoned with herbs and garlic before being toasted to a golden brown perfection. The result is a sumptuous sloppy joe experience, it’s just eaten in a bowl with a fork instead of on a sandwich.
As it cooks, the cheese gets molten and gooey and the biscuits provide a delightful crunch on the top while serving as a sponge for the delicious sauce on the bottom. As you dig into it, you get a chunk of soft biscuit and some oozing cheese to mix in with the classic sloppy joe filling underneath.
All of this deliciousness can come to you in 40 easy minutes, with only 20 minutes of prep time and just a few easy steps. All of the ingredients required for this recipe are cheap and easy to find, making this sloppy joe casserole an excellent meal for anyone on a budget. Since it’s such a filling dish too, you can stretch it and there’s no need to fuss around with side dishes. This is dinner for the entire family in one easy dish. Not only will this casserole serve as a great dinner for tonight, but it keeps and reheats exceptionally well, so you may very well get lunch out of it tomorrow too! After making this dish, you might even find yourself wondering if you’ll ever go back to making regular sloppy joes.
So, if you’re looking to reinvent a family favorite into something fun and different that the whole family will love, look no further. Sloppy joe casserole is not only delicious and satisfying, but it’s also cheap and easy to make and can stretch into several meals, checking all the boxes for the perfect family dinner!
Ingredients:
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup finely diced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 can of sloppy joe sauce (Manwich) 398ml
2/3 cup light shredded mozzarella cheese
1 7.5oz can of Pillsbury biscuits (In the 4 value pack, you can use bigger biscuits and weigh out or increase points)
1.5 Tbsp reduced calorie margarine
2 cloves fresh garlic, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 inch square casserole dish.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the beef, onions, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is lightly browned. Drain any excess liquid out from the meat.
Add the sloppy joe sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer on a low heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring it doesn’t burn.
Pour the meat mixture into the baking dish and spread across the bottom of the dish evenly. Top the beef with the shredded cheese, be sure to cover the entire top of the filling evenly with the cheese.
Lay 9 of your 10 biscuit dough pieces on top of mixture, being sure to spread them evenly and covering the entire dish. You will have one extra piece of dough left over.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. Just before removing the dish, use the microwave to melt the margarine in a small bowl. Mix the oregano and chopped garlic into the melted margarine to make a garlic butter.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and use a brush to baste the biscuits with the garlic butter. Be sure to spread the butter evenly and cover all surfaces of the biscuits.
Return to oven and bake for more 6-8 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately while hot.
Cook time: 20 mins
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 9
5pp or 7sp per serving (same on freestyle unless you use chicken/turkey)
Yield: 9 servings at 7 freestyle smart points or 5PP
Nutritional info: (adapted from my fitness pal) Per serving: Calories: 204, Fat 9.3g, Saturated fat: 3.6g, Carbohydrates: 17.5g, Fiber: 1.8g, Sugars: 5.5g, Protein: 13.2g
Low-Fat Cooking Tips
Unfortunately, for sloppy joes are not exactly the lowest fat foods. By using reduced calorie margarine and light mozzarella cheese in this recipe, you can take a little bit of the normal fat out. You can also make sure you’re using a low fat cooking spray to grease your pan and cooking your meat in a low-fat olive oil. However, the best way to take fat out of sloppy joe casserole is to substitute the ground beef for ground turkey or even chicken. Turkey and chicken are much leaner meats than beef, so they are the best bet to reduce fat in this recipe. But don’t you worry, the recipe will still turn out amazing with turkey!
