alright, so I have to tell you about this casserole I threw together last Wednesday because my kid had three friends over and I had like zero time to actually cook anything fancy.
so, you know how sloppy joes are already messy and kinda chaotic? I basically just dumped everything in a baking dish with some biscuits on top and called it dinner. My mom saw it on FaceTime and was like “that’s not how you make sloppy joes” but guess what everyone ate it and nobody complained so I’m counting it as a win.
Contents
Why This Thing Actually Works
You make one pan and feed like 8 people without doing a bunch of individual sandwiches
The biscuit topping soaks up all the sauce so it’s less messy than regular sloppy joes which is saying something
Takes maybe 30 minutes total if you don’t keep stopping to check your phone
Tastes better the next day when the flavors get all mixed together or whatever
My picky eater ate it because I told her it was pizza casserole and she didn’t question it lol
What You Need
| Ingredient | Amount | My Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | about 2 lbs | or turkey if you’re into that |
| Onion | 1 big one | I use the frozen chopped kind honestly |
| Green bell pepper | 1 pepper | sometimes I skip this |
| Tomato sauce | 15 oz can | the plain kind |
| Ketchup | maybe 1/2 cup | I eyeball it |
| Brown sugar | couple tablespoons | makes it sweet |
| Worcestershire sauce | few shakes | however you pronounce that |
| Mustard | tablespoon-ish | yellow mustard |
| Garlic powder | some | sprinkle it |
| Cheddar cheese | 2 cups | shredded, more is fine |
| Refrigerated biscuits | 1 can | the kind you pop open |
| Salt and pepper | whatever | to taste I guess |
How I Make It
Preheat your oven to 375 or maybe 400 degrees. I always forget to do this first and then have to wait around.
Brown the ground beef in a big skillet with the onions and peppers. Medium high heat. Break it up with a wooden spoon. This takes like 8 minutes probably. Drain most of the grease but I always leave a little because it adds flavor.
Dump in all the sauce stuff – tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic powder. Stir it around and let it simmer for maybe 5 minutes. Taste it. Add more ketchup if it needs it. Mine’s always different every time.
Pour everything into a 9×13 baking dish. I spray mine with cooking spray first but sometimes I forget and it’s fine. Just gets stuck a little.
Sprinkle the cheese on top. Like a lot of cheese. I ran out once and only did one cup and everyone was disappointed so don’t skimp here.
Now here’s the part my kids think is fun. Open the biscuit can – you know that pop sound that’s kinda scary? Cut each biscuit into quarters with kitchen scissors. Just plop them all over the top of the meat mixture. They don’t have to be perfect. Mine never are.
Bake it for like 20-25 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through. Sometimes the ones in the middle are still doughy so I give it extra time. Whatever.
Let it cool for a few minutes before serving because the sauce is like lava hot.
Done.
Stuff That Helps
- Add pickles on top when serving – my husband does this and swears it’s better
- Use crescent rolls instead of biscuits if that’s what you have (I’ve done this when I grabbed the wrong can at the store)
- Throw in some corn or black beans to make it stretch further
- Leftovers are really good heated up in the microwave with extra cheese melted on top
Storage and Leftover Drama
Keep it covered in the fridge for like 4 days maybe. It actually gets better after sitting overnight.
Funny story – I made this for a potluck last month and brought home this mystery casserole dish that I thought was mine but turned out to be someone else’s green bean thing. Took me three days to figure it out. Now I put a piece of tape with my name on everything like I’m in kindergarten.
You can freeze portions in containers but the biscuits get kind of weird and soggy when you reheat them. Still tastes fine just not as fluffy.
Nutrition Info
| Per Serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | around 450 maybe |
| Protein | 25g-ish |
| Carbs | 35g |
| Fat | 22g |
| Fiber | 2g probably |
honestly these are rough estimates because I never measure anything exactly
Questions I Get Asked
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yeah for sure. Assemble everything the night before and keep it covered in the fridge. Just add like 10 extra minutes to the baking time since it’s cold. I do this when we have early soccer games.
What if I don’t have biscuits?
Use cornbread mix on top instead. Or just eat it without any topping and put it on rice or whatever. I’ve done both and it’s fine.
Is this freezer friendly?
Kind of? The biscuit part gets mushy but if you freeze just the meat mixture without the biscuits and cheese then add those fresh when you bake it that works better.
Can I use ground turkey?
Yep. It’ll be less greasy which some people prefer. I think it’s a little dry but my sister only uses turkey and her family likes it so do what you want.
