Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe – An Easy & Cheap Meal To Feed The Family

If you are looking for an easy, budget friendly meal to feed the family then this Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe should be on your list. All the flavors of a traditional sloppy Joe sandwich made into a casserole that even the pickiest eater will love.

With grocery prices at a near all time high, many of us are searching for ways to feed the family without breaking the bank. Inexpensive items, such as pasta, rice and beans, are all starting to fly off the shelves at the supermarket.

Weekly grocery ads are being carefully examined, and coupon use has increased dramatically. However, we are still faced with multiple decisions about what to purchase and what not to purchase as we walk down each aisle of the store.

Therefore, I thought I would share one of my favorite, low budget recipes that can feed a family. In fact, in the area where I live, I can make this entire casserole for under $8 dollars!

Although that is without the use of coupons, there are some money saving tips that I do follow every time that I go to make this recipe.

Money Saving Grocery Tips For This Recipe

1. Purchase Ground Beef in Bulk.

Instead of buying a 1 pound package of ground beef, purchase a family pack instead. They are typically less money per pound.

Then when you get home, separate the meat into 1 pound portions. If you don’t have a Kitchen Scale, simply score and divide the meat equally based on the amount that you purchased.

For instance, a large family pack of ground beef typically comes in 3 pound packages. Therefore, when you get home, evenly score the meat into 3 even sections.

Then place each section in its own container. If you aren’t going to be using the meat by the ‘Best by Date’ on the label, place it in an air tight container and freeze it.

To keep the meat from becoming freezer burned, I seal my meat with the use of a Food Saver. It has saved me hundreds of dollars by not having to throw away food that is no longer good.

2. Purchase Produce at a Farmer’s Market or in Bulk

If you do a little planning, you may be able to save even more money when you go to make this Sloppy Joe Casserole by purchasing produce at a Farmer’s market rather than the grocery store.

Not only can you save money, you are also helping to support the local Farmer’s as well. However, be sure that you know what the prices are at the grocery before you head to the market.

Unfortunately, the cost of farming has increased considerably as well. Therefore the prices of fresh picked fruits and vegetables will also be on the rise at the local produce stands.

However, if you don’t have a Farmer’s market near you, there is another way to save money when buying produce. Instead of purchasing one single onion or green pepper, by them in packs.

It is easy to find a bag of onions at the grocery. And you can often find a 3 pack of both green and multicolor sweet bell peppers.

However, always confirm that the prices are actually cheaper when buying multi packs. On the rare occasion the weekly ad price of a single green pepper will actually be lower than the 3 pack.

3. Make Your Own Topping With Ingredients You Already Have On Hand

The topping for this Sloppy Joe Casserole can be made with a few ingredients that you are likely to already have on hand. It is a mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, milk, butter and egg.

Although some recipes will call for adding a box of Jiffy Cornbread mix on top, I find it easier to make my own topping. Yes, this popular cornbread box mix is inexpensive to purchase.

However, you still must add the egg and milk to make the topping. Therefore, instead, I use the ingredients that I have on hand and save money.

4. Use Canned Sloppy Joe Sauce

It may sound odd, but it is actually cheaper to use canned Sloppy Joe sauce for this casserole recipe. Although I traditionally make my own Homemade Sloppy Joes, it is often times more expensive to do so.

When you add up all the ingredients to make the homemade sauce, it actually costs more than buying a can at the grocery. And that is even true if you make Sloppy Joes Without Ketchup.

Although you can use an off brand can of sloppy joe sauce, you may find that a name brand, such as Manwich, is actually cheaper. I was able to purchase a can for one dollar at a Dollar General store.

Then when I went to a discount grocery store, the off brand cost was $1.33. Although it is only a 33 cents savings, it all adds up at the end of the day.

So now that you know how to save money on the ingredients, let’s get to the actual recipe!

Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound Ground Beef, lean 90/10 preferred
• 1/2 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 small Green Bell Pepper, diced
• 15 ounce can Sloppy Joe Sauce
• 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making this Sloppy Joe Casserole is to preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Then heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until half of the meat is no longer pink. Then add the diced onion and diced bell pepper and continue to cook the meat until it is browned.

Drain and return the meat mixture to the skillet. Next, add the can of Sloppy Joe sauce to the pan and stir until the meat is coated.

Turn the heat down to low heat and prepare the topping. In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.

Then stir in the milk, melted butter, and egg and whisk until well combined. Next, using a silicone spatula, fold in the shredded cheese.

Layer The Casserole

Pour the Sloppy Joe meat mixture into a 11 x 7 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray on the sides. You do not need to spray the bottom of the dish, only the sides to help prevent the topping from sticking.

Once the meat has been evenly spread in the bottom of the pan, carefully spoon the topping evenly over the meat mixture. Then spread the topping so that it goes from edge to edge of the pan.

Place the Sloppy Joe Casserole in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. The top crust should be light golden brown in color and cooked through.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit 10 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy this inexpensive meal as much as my family does! Be sure to check back often or sign up for recipes to be delivered right to your email, as I am planning to share more recipes that won’t break the bank!

Enjoy! Mary

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