Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole is an easy weeknight recipe the whole family will love! It combines tasty sloppy joes with tater tots and shredded cheese. It making the ultimate easy meal.
If you love wimpies like we do, try my Sloppy joe cheese sandwich or my Simple sloppy joe recipe.
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Why this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole Recipe is a Keeper
This cheesy tater tot casserole is real crowd pleaser. Joe tater tot casserole combines sloppy joes, veggies, potatoes and cheese; All of your family’s favorite flavors!
- Delicious Flavor: This weeknight dinner tastes amazing and is a hit every time.
- Consistent Results: The sloppy joe casserole recipe turns out well every time you make it.
- Freezes Very Well: Easy tater tot casserole great for making ahead and freezing for later.
- Can Feed a Crowd: It can easily be scaled up to feed a large group, making it perfect for gatherings for kids and adults alike.
- Comforting: It has a comforting, homey feel that makes you want to return to it.
How Do I Keep the Tots Crispy?
A great way to keep the tater tots extra crispy is to bake them for a few minutes before adding them to the casserole.
Ingredient Notes to Make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
You will need just a few super simple ingredients to make this recipe. They’re all easy to find at the store, but you may even have some of the ingredients in your kitchen already.
- Ground Beef: Use a lean blend of ground beef for this recipe so that you don’t have much extra grease to drain.
- Tater Tots: Your favorite bag of frozen tater tots really make the casserole irresistible.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions to Make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole Ahead of Time
Preparing a delicious recipe ahead of time can be the best way to go! Make a recipe in advance to be able to enjoy it whenever you’d like.
- Assemble: You can assemble the casserole dish ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Shred Cheese: Shred your own block of cheese for the freshest flavor of casserole without using pre-shredded cheese.
Pro Recipe Tip
Broil for the Final Touch: After the casserole has baked, broil it for a few minutes to get the tater tots extra golden brown and crispy.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Casserole with Tater Tots
This recipe comes together in just 4 easy to follow steps. This sloppy joe mix with tater tots and cheese are so easy and delicious, you’ll come back to them again and again.
These are the basic steps for making Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Preheat Oven and Brown the Ground Beef
Preheat oven to 450℉. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with onions and green bell peppers until it’s no longer pink. Be sure to drain well and return to skillet.
2. Simmer Ingredients and Prep Pan
Add ketchup, celery seed, dry mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste to the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer everything for 15 minutes. While mixture is simmering, spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Assemble Casserole
Pour the beef mixture into the baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Spread half of the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the beef mixture, arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
4. Bake the Casserole
Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until the tater tots are golden and crispy, and cheese is melted.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers either in the oven or in the microwave!
- Using Leftovers: Enjoy leftovers with Amish Broccoli Salad.
Variations and Substitutions for Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe Recipe
This sloppy joe mixture casserole is super easy to customize to make it your own! Try taking it to the next level by trying different variations or trying more vegetables and flavors of sloppy joes.
- Ground Beef: Substitute ground turkey or chicken in place of the beef to make the sloppy joes from scratch.
- Tater Tot Topping: Use cauliflower or broccoli tots for the casserole instead of potato tots. They will still be the crispy tater tots on top.
- Veggies: Sneak in some vegetables such as mushrooms or more peppers in the sloppy joe meat.
Recipe FAQs and Reader Interactions
Serve this tater tot wimpies casserole with Velveeta Mac and Cheese, Sour Cream Ranch Dip or Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers.
Yes! Freeze the tater tot sloppy joe casserole to enjoy in the future.
Your casserole may be greasy if you didn’t drain the beef well enough. Be sure to drain off any excess grease to prevent your casserole from being overly greasy.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Toppings: Garnish the casserole with chopped green onions, diced tomatoes or a dollop of sour cream.
- Parmesan: Top the casserole with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for extra flavor and a touch of cheesiness.
- Flavors: Experiment with different flavors by including a little yellow mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder, tomato sauce or Worcestershire sauce to make the homemade sloppy joe sauce.
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
Video
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 Green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Onion, chopped
- ¾ cup Ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Celery seed
- 1 teaspoon Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 30 ounces Frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉.
- In a large skillet, brown beef with onions and peppers.
- Drain well and return to skillet.
- Add ketchup, celery seed, dry mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Spread the beef mixture into an even layer.
- Spread half of the cheese on top of the beef mixture.
- Arrange the frozen tater tots in an even layer on top of the cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the tater tots.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tater tots are crispy and browned.
Christina’s Notes
- Toppings: Garnish the casserole with chopped green onions, diced tomatoes or a dollop of sour cream.
- Parmesan: Top the casserole with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for extra flavor and a touch of cheesiness.
- Flavors: Experiment with different flavors by including a little yellow mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder, tomato sauce or Worcestershire sauce to make the homemade sloppy joe sauce.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.