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This 4-ingredient crescent roll Sloppy Joe casserole comes together in just minutes for an easy weeknight dinner! It’s a simple one dish meal that you will turn to again and again when you need to feed your family…fast.
Table of Contents
You can’t beat a quick ground beef casserole when it comes to nourishing loved ones. In addition to this easy sloppy joe casserole, we have so many other favorites as well. Be sure to check out our ground beef and corn casserole, this chili dog casserole with cornbread crust, and everyone’s go-to recipe for taco pie!
Why You’ll Love This Sloppy Joe Casserole with Crescent Rolls
- You only need 4 affordable ingredients to make this economical dinner.
- It’s kid-friendly, thanks to the buttery crescent roll crust, the sweet and savory Sloppy Joe filling, and plenty of cheese on top.
- You can adapt the ingredients to suit your preferences. For instance, add veggies like diced onion and diced green bell pepper to bulk it up, or use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of the ground beef.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy sloppy joes casserole recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Crescent roll dough: if you can find it, use a Pillsbury crescent dough sheet, which doesn’t have the perforations that you’ll find in a regular can of crescent roll dough. If you can’t find the sheet of dough, just use the regular crescent rolls and pinch together the seams.
- Ground beef: or substitute with ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground sausage if you like.
- Sloppy Joe sauce: I use Manwich brand, but any similar variety will work. If you prefer, make a homemade sloppy joe sauce to use in this recipe.
- Grated cheese: just about any cheese will work, but we prefer the flavor of a Mexican cheese blend. Other nice options include classic sharp cheddar cheese, pepper Jack cheese, Monterey Jack, Colby, and Colby Jack cheese.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Casserole
This recipe is adapted from our favorite crescent roll ground beef casserole, which I received from a blog reader many years ago. It continues to be a hit for weeknight meals! I’ve included detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Unroll the crescent dough and press it into a 13 x 9-inch or 11 x 7-inch casserole dish.
- Brown ground beef; drain off excess grease.
- Stir about 1 cup of Manwich sauce into the meat.
- Spoon the beef mixture over the crescent roll crust.
- Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
What to Serve with Sloppy Joe Casserole
Pair the sloppy joes casserole with any of these sides for your next easy weeknight meal:
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Sour Cream Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Corn Sticks, Honey Cornbread, Broccoli Cornbread, or Cornbread Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Cathead Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits, or Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread {No Knead, No Yeast!} or No-Knead Honey Beer Bread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Corn Salad, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Fried Corn
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cranberry Muffins or Mom’s Cranberry Orange Bread
- Kale Apple Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing, Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Southern Caesar Salad, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or Classic Caesar Salad
- Roasted Cabbage, Braised Cabbage with Apples and Bacon, or Fried Cabbage
- Homemade Applesauce, Southern Fried Apples, or Baked Apple Slices with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon
- Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens with Bacon
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, Southern-Style Green Beans or Roasted Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, Roasted Broccoli, or Broccoli and Cheese
- Creamed Peas
- Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- Summer Corn Salad or Corn and Black Bean Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salad, Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, or Cucumber Radish Salad
- Homemade Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Roasted Yellow Squash or Sauteed Zucchini
- Three Bean Salad
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Store the leftover crescent roll bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The bottom of the crust will get soggy as it sits, so this meal is best enjoyed immediately.
- To extend the life of your leftovers, freeze the casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- You can also freeze the casserole before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as instructed, or (if using a freezer-to-oven-safe dish), bake directly from frozen. If baking a frozen casserole, keep the dish covered in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the cover and continue baking for 20-25 more minutes.
- To reheat the casserole, cover the dish with foil and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat individual squares in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Recipe Variations
- Prep ahead! Make this dinner in advance and just leave it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it later that same day. You can even prepare the ground beef mixture over the weekend and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days before you need to assemble and bake the casserole.
- Use homemade Sloppy Joe sauce instead of a can of Manwich.
- Substitute 1 lb. of ground turkey, ground chicken, ground sausage, or ground pork for the hamburger meat.
- Use a packet of taco seasoning mix and salsa for a Mexican-inspired meal.
- For an Italian twist on this dish, try this Italian Sausage Crescent Roll Casserole.
- Swap out the Sloppy Joe sauce and use bbq sauce instead.
- Try adding other toppings, vegetables, and spices to your casserole. Good options include chopped sautéed onions, garlic, and bell peppers, canned diced tomatoes, frozen or canned corn, or beans (such as pinto beans or black beans drained from the can).
- Make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to the beef mixture.
Tips for the Best Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe
- Look for a Pillsbury Crescent Dough “Sheet”, which is just like the crescent rolls, but without the perforations. That way you can just unroll the tube of dough and press it into the pan.
- If using crescent roll dough instead of the crescent dough sheet, make sure to press and seal together the perforations before using the dough as a crust.
- Use just enough Sloppy Joe sauce to moisten and flavor the meat. You don’t want the filling too “wet,” or it might make the crust soggy. I start with 1 cup of sauce, but you can always add more if you like.
- Garnish the crescent roll casserole with fresh herbs (such as parsley or chives), sliced green onion, or pickles.
More Sloppy Joe Recipes to Try
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
25 minutes mins
Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes
3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Slow Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes
4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
4-Ingredient Crescent Roll Sloppy Joe Casserole
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
You can't beat the ease of this crescent roll sloppy joe casserole for quick weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury crescent roll dough (I like to use the Crescent Dough Sheets, which don’t have any perforations)
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup Sloppy Joe sauce (such as Manwich brand)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
- Optional garnish: sliced green onion; chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, or thyme); pickles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. You can also use a 9 x 13-inch dish — it will just yield a slightly thinner crust and beef layer. Either works well, though! Unroll crescent roll dough and press into the bottom of the prepared dish to form a crust. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain any grease from the skillet. Stir in 1 cup of Sloppy Joe sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Spoon beef mixture over the crescent roll dough. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cut into squares, garnish, and serve.
Notes
- Prep ahead! Make this dinner in advance and just leave it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it later that same day. You can even prepare the ground beef mixture over the weekend and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days before you need to assemble and bake the casserole.
- Use homemade Sloppy Joe sauce instead of a can of Manwich.
- Substitute 1 lb. of ground turkey, ground chicken, ground sausage, or ground pork for the hamburger meat.
- Use a packet of taco seasoning mix and salsa for a Mexican-inspired meal.
- For an Italian twist on this dish, try this Italian Sausage Crescent Roll Casserole.
- Swap out the Sloppy Joe sauce and use bbq sauce instead.
- Try adding other toppings, vegetables, and spices to your casserole. Good options include chopped sautéed onions, garlic, and bell peppers, canned diced tomatoes, frozen or canned corn, or beans (such as pinto beans or black beans drained from the can).
- Make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to the beef mixture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 395kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 22gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 961mgPotassium: 387mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 156mgIron: 3mg
Hi Blair! I haven’t tried the recipe yet but can tell from the ingredients and directions that whatever I do with it will turn out great. I’ve been cooking for quite a few years, so adjust recipes to my family’s preferences. I follow quite a few food bloggers, but there are only a few that I totally trust their recipes. And yours is one of my favorites! Thanks!!
Thank you for saying that, Beverly. I hope that you enjoy the meal!
I have a question – should we cook the crescent roll layer on its own for just a few minutes to make sure it cooks through because I’ve made things similar to this and covering the crescent roll with meat and sauce would leave most of the crescent roll gooey and uncooked….. Should I cook it for a few minutes first just to be safe? I have tons of Sloppy Joe meat left over from our Sloppy Joe last night and thought this casserole would be perfect for the leftovers and something the kids would love – I just don’t want to ruin it.
Hey, Courtney! Yes, you can absolutely do that! I haven’t had the soggy crust issue with this particular recipe; however, if you want to be extra sure that the crust is cooked and crisp, you can give it a head start for 5-10 minutes before adding the meat on top. Hope your family loves it!