Modified: Oct 21, 2024 · Published: Jul 10, 2024 by LaKita · This post may contain affiliate links.

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole (Video Tutorial)

Name: Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 8.5 ounces cornbread mix; 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1/3 cup whole milk; 1 large egg; 1 can cream-style sweet corn (14.75 ounces); 1 24 ounces sloppy joe sauce, divided in half; 1 tablespoon butter; 1/2 cup yellow or white onion, diced; 1 large green bell pepper, chopped into smaller pieces; 1 pound lean ground beef; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

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This hearty and comforting Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole is easy to make and sure to satisfy the whole family. It's loaded with sloppy joe beef, sweet cornbread, and shredded cheddar cheese.

If you're craving more quick and easy casserole recipes, then be sure to try making a Chicken and Broccoli Casserole or Meatball Casserole. For more yummy cornbread recipes, try making some Barbecue Cornbread Muffins or a batch of Sweet Potato Cornbread.

Overhead view of finished casserole in white baking dish topped with fresh chopped parsley.

If you've just made it home from a long day at work before realizing that you still have to prepare dinner for your family?

I know the last thing that you want to do is spend time making something overly complicated that requires multiple ingredients and dishes. And let's not even get started on the hassle of cleaning up afterward. It's no wonder we prefer ordering a pizza or take-out and calling it a night.

But if you prefer to cook something that's super simple and requires very little effort, then let me tell you right now that there are a few dinners that you can whip up in minutes and sloppy joes just so happens to be one of them.

Now making sloppy joe the good old-fashioned way is perfectly acceptable, but this sloppy joe cornbread casserole recipe puts a new twist on an old classic by adding corn, cornbread, and cheese!

Let's get started!

Sloppy Joe Bake Ingredients

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make casserole in separate bowls and containers.

Cornbread Mix - Use any box of cornbread mix that you prefer. You may select a savory or sweet version, but I prefer to use a single box of regular Jiffy cornbread mix/Jiffy corn muffin mix for this recipe. It's a little sweet but balances out the rest of the ingredients really well.
Cheddar Cheese - Adds a sharp and cheesy flavor to the hearty cornbread as well as topping the casserole. You may grab the pre-shredded bag of cheese, but I prefer to shred a bulk/block of cheddar using a box grater because it melts better and doesn't contain any additional ingredients.
Milk - Use whole milk to make the sweet cornbread crust that serves as the base of the casserole.
Egg - A single large egg is all that's needed to make the delicious cornbread and help it bind together.
Corn - A single can of cream-style corn is added to the cornbread batter to bulk it up and add an additional vegetable with a slight amount of sweetness. This ingredient also helps the casserole to come together.
Sloppy Joe Sauce - You may use a can of premade sloppy joe sauce or make your own.
Ground Beef - Try to use a pound of lean ground beef to mix with the sloppy joe sauce to create the meaty portion of the casserole.
Butter - Needed to saute the onion and bell pepper and add a nice buttery flavor to the delicious sloppy joe casserole. If you prefer to substitute with oil instead or omit it, then you may do that as well.
Onion - Select any yellow onion or a white onion to add to the hot beef mixture for additional earthly flavor.
Bell Pepper - Chop a green bell pepper to saute along with the onion to add to the beef mixture. If you know anything about sloppy joe, then you know that bell pepper is a classic component. You may substitute with red bell pepper instead if you prefer or use a combination of both green and red.

Optional Ingredients

These ingredients are not required if you want to keep the recipe simple, but if you want to add more flavor, these are a few options:

Spices - Add more spices to the meat mixture to make it more to your taste. Try adding in a little bit of chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper.
Savory - To give the meat mixture a more savory and umami flavor, add some Worcestershire sauce.
Cheese - I prefer using sharp cheddar cheese, but feel free to use any that you prefer such as Monterey jack, pepper jack, or gouda cheese.
Toppings - Before placing the casserole on the dinner table to serve, top it with some chopped green onions, freshly chopped herbs, pickled red onions, or jalapeno peppers.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

Overhead view of sloppy joe casserole in white baking dish topped with chopped parsley.

How to Make Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

Begin the casserole recipe by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. and lightly spraying a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the box of Jiffy mix, half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, milk, egg, and a whole can of cream-style corn.

Ingredients to make cornbread added to large glass baking dish on black tile surface.

Stir well until combined.

Overhead view of cornbread ingredients combined in glass mixing bowl with spatula.

Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Cornbread ingredients added to white rectangle baking dish.

Place it into the preheated oven to bake for about 15 minutes, until it begins to softly set.

Cooked cornbread in white rectangle baking dish on black tile surface.

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While the cornbread base is baking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions and bell pepper.

Butter, onion, and green bell pepper in large white braiser pan.

Cook until it begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pound of ground beef to the skillet and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat/oil if necessary.

Close up side view of ground beef mixture in larger white braiser pan.

Add half of the can of sloppy joe sauce to the pan along with the beef and cook until it is heated thoroughly. Carefully remove the golden brown cornbread from the oven and use a fork to prick holes all over the top of the cornbread.

Overhead view of sloppy joe meat mixture in large white braiser.

Pour the remaining half of the sloppy joe sauce evenly over the top of the cornbread.

Sloppy joe sauce added to the top of the cooked cornbread in white casserole dish.

Evenly add the ground beef mixture over the baked cornbread and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.

Shredded cheese added to top of beef and cornbread in white casserole dish.

Return the casserole to the oven to bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Overhead view of baked casserole in white dish on black tile surface.

Remove from the oven and serve the sloppy joe casserole while it is still warm. Enjoy!

Black plate with serving of casserole on it by a fork on black tile surface.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Use a box of your favorite cornbread mixture. I prefer to use an 8.5-ounce box for a thinner cornbread crust, but you may also use a 15-ounce mix as well for a thicker cornbread layer.
Try not to overcook the cornbread mixture, it will finish cooking once the sloppy joe meat is added and it's returned to the oven.
A traditional sloppy joe is made with ground beef, but you may substitute it with a pound of ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.

Storage

Storage. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating. Reheat the easy sloppy joe casserole in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees F. until warm or in the microwave for a quicker option.

Freezing. This casserole can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Remove it from the freezer the night before you're ready to serve to allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat in the oven as normal and have some additional sloppy joe sauce on hand to add if needed.

Close up overhead view of serving of casserole on black plate with fork in it.

More Recipes You'll Love

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ideas and ways to serve this Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

LaKita Anderson

This hearty Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole is easy to make and sure to satisfy the whole family. Loaded with sloppy joe beef, cornbread, and cheddar cheese.

4.88 from 16 votes

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Video

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 273 kcal

Equipment

1 large mixing bowl
1 large skillet or braiser
1 9x13-inch rectangle baking dish

Ingredients

1 8.5 ounces cornbread mix
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
⅓ cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 can cream-style sweet corn (14.75 ounces)
1 24 ounces sloppy joe sauce, divided in half
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup yellow or white onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped into smaller pieces
1 pound lean ground beef
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Begin the casserole recipe by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. and lightly spraying a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, add the 8.5 ounce box of Jiffy mix, ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ⅓ cup whole milk, 1 large egg, and a (14.75 ounces) whole can of cream-style corn. Stir well until combined.
Pour into the prepared baking dish. Place it into the preheated oven to bake for about 15 minutes, until it begins to softly set.
While the cornbread base is baking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the 1 tablespoon butter. Once the butter has melted, add the ½ cup diced onion and 1 large bell pepper.
Cook until it begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pound of ground beef to the skillet and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat/oil if necessary.
Add half of the 24 ounce can of sloppy joe sauce to the pan, about 12 ounces along with the 1 pound beef and cook until it is heated thoroughly. Carefully remove the golden brown cornbread from the oven and use a fork to prick holes all over the top of the cornbread.
Pour the remaining half (12 ounces) of the sloppy joe sauce evenly over the top of the cornbread. Evenly add the ground beef mixture over the baked cornbread and top with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Return the casserole to the oven to bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve the sloppy joe casserole while it is still warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a box of your favorite cornbread mixture. I prefer to use an 8.5-ounce box for a thinner cornbread crust, but you may also use a 15-ounce mix as well for a thicker cornbread layer.
Try not to overcook the cornbread mixture, it will finish cooking once the sloppy joe meat is added and it's returned to the oven.
A traditional sloppy joe is made with ground beef, but you may substitute it with a pound of ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.

Calories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 21gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 406mgPotassium: 374mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 498IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 228mgIron: 2mg

The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

Keyword sloppy joe casserole

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Original post date 04/09/2015. Updated 04/02/2018, 10/20/2022, and 07/10/2024.