This Sloppy Joe Casserole is the ultimate comfort food! It's an easy weeknight meal that your entire family will love. The combination of ground beef, pasta, cheese, and sloppy joe sauce creates a delicious flavor.

If you love homemade sloppy joes you'll love this version as well!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ Convenient way to enjoy the flavor of classic sloppy joes with a pasta twist.
✔️You can assemble this dish ahead of it, and keep in the fridge to pop in the oven when you are home on busy weeknights.
✔️ There's no need to worry about a trip to the store for hamburger buns with this hearty casserole.

Ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- ground beef
- onion
- red or green bell pepper diced
- farfelle pasta
- Manwich sauce
- shredded cheese

Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of water to al dente. Drain well.
- Brown the ground beef, bell pepper, and diced onion in a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Drain excess grease.
- Add the Manwich sauce, cooked bowtie noodles, and half the shredded cheese. Stir the ingredients until well combined.
- Spoon into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Equipment
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- large pot or dutch oven
- casserole dish
- aluminum foil
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FAQ's
The difference between the two is that a Jane is make with ground turkey, and Joe is make with ground beef.
It's believed the dish was named after a cook from Sioux City, Iowa who created the original version of the dish in 1930. It is thought that this concoction was called "sloppy joe" because it had a sauce which made it "sloppy".
Yes, you can certainly leave the peppers in this cheesy casserole. It won't change the flavor of this casserole much.

Deb's tips
- I prefer the flavor of a red bell pepper in this dish, but you can use any color that you have on hand.
- Cheddar cheese is to my go to cheese for a casserole like this one, but you could also use Mexican blend, Colby Jack or even Pepper Jack if you want to add a little spice.
- If you want to save on dishes, cook the pasta first, then drain and set aside. And, then use the same pot the pasta was cooked in to brown your meat. Just make sure there are no pasta pieces in it.
- If you are using lean ground beef, you may need to add a little oil to your pot or large skillet to prevent it from sticking while it browns.
Variations
- You can switch out the beef for ground chicken or turkey instead to reduce some of the fat in this recipe.
- If you want to add more flavor to your Manwich, you can add a squirt of yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, or even tomato sauce if it is a little to sweet for you.
- You could also add some diced onion beef while it is browning if you want to give this casserole recipe a bigger punch of flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer - This casserole can also be made ahead and frozen. Cool it completely, wrap well in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat- To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. If refrigerated, simply place in a 350-degree oven until heated through about 20 minutes. Or you can reheat single servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

More tater tot casserole recipes
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Related recipes
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole is a simple twist on a classic recipe that is great when you are craving something simple yet hearty.
- This Taco Spaghetti Casserole is so flavorful, extra cheesy and packed full of delicious flavor in every bite. Your whole family will love this one.
- If you're looking for a great hearty meal, be sure and give the Hobo Casserole a try!
Serve with
- I love to serve a hearty casserole recipe with a fresh side salad like this Cucumber Tomato Salad recipe. It's fresh, tangy and super delicious.
- These Roasted Green Beans and Carrots are a flavorful and savory side dish that will add some color to your simple meal.
- End this comforting meal with a simple yet creamy dessert like this Butterscotch Pudding Dessert recipe. Its the perfect sweet treat to satisfy your sweet cravings.
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If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 10 ounces farfelle pasta uncooked
- 15 ounces Manwich sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheese
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of water to al dente. Drain well.
- In a large stock pot on medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, bell pepper, and diced onion. Drain excess grease.
- Add the Manwich sauce, cooked bowtie noodles, and half the shredded cheese. Stir the ingredients until well combined.
- Spoon the pasta and ground beef mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Michael Tauer
Happy Birthday Deb!
This looks like a great recipe! It will be fun to try it.
Stay cool in this HOT weather.
Michael
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Michael, I appreciate the birthday wishes. And definitely trying to stay cool, whew!!
Enjoy the Sloppy Joe Casserole and have a fabulous day!!! Deb
angela
This was so good and my whole family loved it! I didn't have bowties so I used elbow macaroni instead. Definitely adding this to my dinner rotation!
JimmyB
I made this tonite and it was very tasty. Even my picky eater liked it. What caught my eye was the bow tie pasta as that is one of my favorites. I did use the chopped red pepper as suggested in the recipe. My only comment is that the next time I make it I will use the larger size can of sloppy joe sauce. Thank you for posting this recipe.