In Cheesy Sloppy Joe Pasta Bake, ground beef is browned with onion (and often bell pepper), then simmered in a sloppy‑joe‑style sauce made from tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and Worcestershire.
Cooked pasta gets folded into this rich meat sauce along with plenty of shredded cheese, then everything is topped with more cheese and baked until the casserole is bubbling and the top is golden and gooey. The result is a one‑pan dinner that’s messy and comforting like a sloppy joe but easy to eat with a fork, perfect for feeding a crowd with minimal fuss.
Equipment
- Large skillet or Dutch oven for browning beef and making the sauce.
- Large pot for boiling pasta.
- 2½–3 quart or 9×13‑inch baking dish, greased.
- Colander to drain pasta.
- Wooden spoon or spatula and measuring cups/spoons.
Ingredients
This list follows classic sloppy‑joe pasta casseroles and “cheesy sloppy joe pasta bake” posts.
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (or ground turkey).
- 8–12 oz (about 225–340 g) short pasta, such as shells, elbows, rotini, or penne.
- ¾–1 cup finely chopped onion.
- ½–1 green bell pepper, diced (optional but common).
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
Sloppy joe sauce (homemade base):
- 1 can (8 oz / 225 g) tomato sauce.
- ½–¾ cup ketchup.
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard.
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar.
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (up to 1 tablespoon for deeper flavor).
- ½–1 cup beef or chicken broth or reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Cheese & seasonings:
- 2–3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided.
- ½–1 cup shredded mozzarella (optional, for extra melt).
- ½–1 teaspoon salt, to taste.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika (optional).
Optional extras:
- 1 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned, drained) for extra sweetness and texture.
- Cottage cheese layer (about 1–2 cups) for a lasagna‑like, extra creamy center, as in some sloppy joe pasta recipes.
Instructions And Steps
1. Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside. If it will sit for a bit, a tiny drizzle of oil can help prevent sticking.
2. Brown the beef and veggies
While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium‑high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onion (and bell pepper, if using). Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the beef is browned and the onion is softened, 5–7 minutes.
Drain off any excess fat if there’s a lot, leaving just a thin coating in the pan. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Season lightly with salt and pepper at this stage to start layering flavor.
3. Make the sloppy joe sauce
Stir the tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce into the browned beef mixture. Mix well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust the sweet‑tangy balance: you can add more ketchup or sugar for sweeter, or more mustard/Worcestershire for tangier.
Add about ½ cup of broth or water (or pasta cooking water) to loosen the sauce; you want it thick but still saucy so it will coat the pasta well. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors meld and the sauce slightly thicken.
If adding corn, stir it in now and heat through.
4. Combine pasta and cheese
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta, folding until all the shells or noodles are coated in the sloppy joe sauce. If the mixture looks very thick or dry, add a splash more broth or water and stir again; it should be creamy and saucy going into the oven.
Fold in about half of the shredded cheddar (and some mozzarella, if using) so it melts into the hot meat and pasta, creating a cheesy sloppy joe mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning one last time with salt, pepper, or paprika.
5. Assemble the bake
Grease a 2½–3 quart or 9×13‑inch baking dish. Spoon in half of the cheesy sloppy joe pasta mixture and smooth it into an even layer. If you’re using a cottage cheese or ricotta‑style layer, spread it over this bottom layer now, then top with the remaining sloppy joe pasta.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar (and mozzarella, if using) evenly over the top to create a generous cheesy cap. You can add a bit more cheese if you want a thicker, gratinéed top.
6. Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the casserole uncovered for about 20–30 minutes, until it is hot all the way through and the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.
If you’d like a deeper golden top, switch to broil for the last 2–3 minutes, watching closely so the cheese doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving; this allows the sauce to thicken slightly and the casserole to set up for easier scooping.
Garnish with chopped parsley if desired, then serve generous spoonfuls with a simple green salad or steamed vegetables on the side.
Tips And Tricks
Balance the sauce. Sloppy joe flavor depends on sweetness (ketchup, brown sugar) balanced by acidity and savory notes (mustard, Worcestershire, tomato). Always taste the sauce before mixing with pasta and adjust in small increments; it should taste a bit stronger than you’d want straight, since it will mellow once tossed with pasta and cheese.
Keep pasta al dente. Because the pasta bakes in sauce, it will soften further in the oven. Cooking it just to al dente in the pot ensures it won’t become mushy after baking.
Use enough sauce. The mixture going into the baking dish should look very saucy; dry sloppy joe pasta will only get drier in the oven. If you’re worried it’s too thick, add a bit more broth, water, or tomato sauce before baking.
Drain the beef but not too aggressively. Getting rid of excess fat keeps the casserole from being greasy, but leaving a spoonful or two of drippings in the pan boosts flavor and helps carry the seasonings.
Cheese choice matters. Sharp cheddar stands up best to the strong flavors of sloppy joe sauce; adding some mozzarella on top adds extra stretch and gooeyness but less flavor. Grating cheese from a block generally melts better than pre‑shredded, which often has anti‑caking agents.
Let it rest. Like most baked pastas, this casserole benefits from a few minutes on the counter after it comes out of the oven. The rest allows the sauce to thicken slightly and makes slices or scoops hold together better.
Variations
Manwich or canned sauce shortcut:
Instead of making the sauce from scratch, some recipes use a can of sloppy joe sauce and add diced tomatoes or extra ketchup/mustard to deepen the flavor. Mix this with browned beef, pasta, and cheese, then bake as usual for an ultra‑fast version.
Leftover sloppy joes:
As one easy bake suggests, you can turn leftover sloppy joe mix into a pasta bake by tossing it with cooked pasta, topping with mozzarella and cheddar, and baking until bubbly. This is a great way to repurpose leftovers from a previous meal.
Cottage cheese layer:
Taste of Home’s sloppy joe pasta casserole uses a layer of cottage cheese between two layers of saucy pasta before topping with cheddar. This adds creaminess and mild tang—similar to lasagna or baked ziti—and makes the bake feel more substantial.
One‑pot stove‑top version:
Several sloppy joe casseroles and one‑pot pastas cook the dry pasta directly in the sloppy joe sauce and broth in a Dutch oven. Once the noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, you stir in cheese and either serve straight from the pot or briefly bake with extra cheese on top.
Healthier/lighter:
Use lean ground turkey or extra‑lean beef, reduce the brown sugar, and use part‑skim cheese. You can also add extra vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or zucchini to bulk it out with more fiber. Some “healthy sloppy joe casserole” recipes also cut ketchup and rely more on tomato sauce to reduce sugar.
BBQ twist:
Swap part of the ketchup for BBQ sauce to add smoky sweetness, and add a pinch of chili powder or smoked paprika. This makes the pasta bake taste like a BBQ sloppy joe while keeping the same method.
Cheesy Sloppy Joe Pasta Bake keeps the nostalgic, messy goodness of sloppy joes but turns it into an easy, fork‑friendly casserole loaded with cheese and pasta, ideal for busy nights, potlucks, or whenever you need a pan of pure comfort.
