Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This Sloppy Joe cornbread casserole is an easy dinner recipe that the entire family will love! An affordable sweet and tangy ground beef filling is finished with a golden brown Jiffy cornbread topping. Serve the casserole with a simple green salad for a quick weeknight meal!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Cornbread Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Ingredients
- Why We Precook Ground Beef for a Casserole
- How to Make Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole with Jiffy Mix
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole Recipe
- Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole Recipe
If you’re looking for even more cornbread casserole recipes be sure to try this wildly popular Jiffy corn casserole, our favorite farmhouse chicken cornbread casserole, a bbq and baked bean cornbread casserole, this pulled pork casserole with cornbread topping, a Jiffy cornbread taco bake, and this ground beef casserole with cornbread, too!
Why You’ll Love this Cornbread Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Easy. Sloppy Joe recipes should be quick and simple, and this casserole definitely meets that criteria! Thanks to kitchen shortcuts like a can of sauce and a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, this dinner is ready for the oven with minimal prep time.
- Budget-Friendly. Thanks to easy-to-find, affordable ingredients, this hearty and satisfying dinner won’t break the bank.
- Cozy. It’s tough to beat a ground beef casserole when it comes to warming, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. This family-friendly supper will warm everyone at the table.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this sloppy joe casserole with cornbread. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Ground beef: You can use any type of ground beef that you prefer in a casserole. I typically use 85% lean beef (or “ground round”). If you like a leaner meat for a healthier dish, that’s fine. If you like a less-expensive ground beef with a higher fat content, that will work, too — you’ll strain off any extra grease from the pan.
- Onion, green bell pepper, and garlic: fresh, savory aromatics that add great flavor to the filling.
- Sloppy Joe sauce: I prefer Manwich brand, but any similar variety will work.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: for a melty, cheesy, flavorful addition. You can omit the cheese if you prefer, or sub with a different type of cheese such as Monterey Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, mozzarella, American, or Swiss cheese.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Jiffy corn muffin mix: just a small 8.5-oz box is all you need.
- Egg and milk: the extra ingredients called for on the Jiffy cornbread package to make the cornbread batter.
Why We Precook Ground Beef for a Casserole
Cooking the ground beef mixture in a skillet before adding it to the casserole dish serves two main purposes. First, it ensures that the meat is cooked through by the time the topping is done. Second, precooking the meat allows you to drain off the fat from the pan so that your casserole filling isn’t too greasy.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole with Jiffy Mix
This easy sloppy joe and cornbread casserole can be prepared in advance or baked right away, and you only need a handful of pantry staples. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick overview:
- Prepare the Sloppy Joe filling in a skillet.
- Pour the sloppy joe meat into a greased 8-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
- Stir together the jiffy cornbread mix.
- Spoon the cornbread mixture over the sloppy joe mixture.
- Bake the casserole for 18-20 minutes, until the topping is cooked through.
Serving Suggestions
The sloppy joe cornbread bake goes well with any of these sides:
- Potato chips or French fries
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits
- Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Muffins, Cranberry Muffins, or Apple Muffins
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, a Classic Caesar Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Southern Caesar Salad, or a Wedge Salad
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Cucumber Radish Salad, Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, or Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad
- Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens with Bacon
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
- Roasted Broccoli
- Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion or Braised Red Cabbage
- Sauteed Kale with Bacon or Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Arkansas Green Beans, or Southern-Style Green Beans
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the filling in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Do not put the cornbread batter on top of a cold filling. Instead, warm the filling on the stovetop until hot and bubbly, and then proceed with the recipe directions when ready to bake.
- Storage: A casserole with ground beef will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The casserole can be frozen after baking. Wrap any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Thaw frozen casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Place the casserole in a 325°F oven and heat just until warm — about 20 minutes. If the topping starts to get too brown before the filling is heated through, cover loosely with foil. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds.
Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe Variations
- If you’d like to make your own Sloppy Joe sauce from scratch, you can use this homemade Sloppy Joes recipe for the filling.
- We love the flavor of sharp cheddar cheese in this casserole, but you can omit the cheese if you prefer, or sub with a different variety. Good options include Monterey Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, mozzarella, American, and Swiss cheese.
- Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground sausage, or ground pork.
- Instead of the green bell pepper, use red bell pepper or canned, fresh, or frozen corn.
- Jazz up the cornbread by stirring extra shredded cheddar cheese, green chilies, or sliced jalapenos into the batter.
- Add extra spices to the filling, such as chili powder, taco seasoning, garlic powder, or cayenne pepper.
- Cooking for a larger family? Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch dish. You’ll need to increase the total baking time by a few minutes.
Tips for the Best Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole Recipe
- For a sloppy joe cornbread skillet, use a deep 8-inch or 9-inch cast iron skillet to cook the ground beef filling. Add the cornbread batter on top, and transfer the skillet to the oven. This gives you one less dish to wash at the end since you don’t need the casserole dish.
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste preferences. For instance, you might like to add cayenne to make it spicy, or a dash of cumin for a smoky flavor.
- Garnish the casserole with your favorite fresh toppings. Good options include fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped green onions or minced red onion, grated cheese, chopped pickles, sour cream, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced black olives.
- Insert a toothpick in the center of your casserole to make sure that the baked cornbread crust is completely cooked through before removing the dish from the oven. You shouldn’t see any wet batter on the toothpick.
- If the top of your casserole starts to get too dark before the cornbread is cooked through, tent the top of the dish loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
More Sloppy Joe Recipes to Try
Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
25 minutes mins
Crescent Roll Sloppy Joe Casserole
35 minutes mins
Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes
3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
This sloppy joe cornbread casserole with Jiffy mix is a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
SLOPPY JOE FILLING
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup total)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup total)
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 1 teaspoon total)
- 1 (15 ounce) can Sloppy Joe sauce (such as Manwich brand)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
CORNBREAD TOPPING
- 1 (8.5 ounce) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- Optional garnish: additional grated sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, parsley or cilantro, chopped red onion, sliced green onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
PREPARE THE SLOPPY JOE FILLING
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent (about 7-10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the Sloppy Joe sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Transfer the beef mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with shredded cheese.
PREPARE THE CORNBREAD TOPPING
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cornbread mix, egg, and milk. Spread batter over the beef mixture.
BAKE THE CASSEROLE
- Bake the casserole for 18-20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and cooked through. Let the dish stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish individual servings with optional toppings.
Notes
- For a sloppy joe cornbread skillet, use a deep 8-inch or 9-inch cast iron skillet to cook the ground beef filling. Add the cornbread batter on top, and transfer the skillet to the oven. This gives you one less dish to wash at the end since you don’t need the casserole dish.
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste preferences. For instance, you might like to add cayenne to make it spicy, or a dash of cumin for a smoky flavor.
- Garnish the casserole with your favorite fresh toppings. Good options include fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped green onions or minced red onion, grated cheese, chopped pickles, sour cream, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced black olives.
- Insert a toothpick in the center of your casserole to make sure that the baked cornbread crust is completely cooked through before removing the dish from the oven. You shouldn’t see any wet batter on the toothpick.
- If the top of your casserole starts to get too dark before the cornbread is cooked through, tent the top of the dish loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the casseroleCalories: 612kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 38gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 1072mgPotassium: 670mgFiber: 5gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 614IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 291mgIron: 5mg
I love all of your recipes and I use them thanks
Thank you very much, Evelyn! We’re so glad you enjoy them.
Your dish is the best,,, easy and delicious! Hubby always gets a big smile on his face when he sees this on the table!
That makes me happy to hear, Jennifer. Thank you!