This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole has tons of veggies, ground beef and that famous Sloppy Joe Sauce, all mixed together and topped with crispy tater tots for the ultimate dinnertime casserole meal.
Serve this tater tot casserole with a fresh Olive Garden Salad or some Garlic Green Beans and a side of Garlic Bread to stretch this complete skillet meal even further.
Classic Sloppy Joe Flavor
I’ve shared several Sloppy Joe recipes, like Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza and of course classic Sloppy Joes. But I think I have a new favorite with this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole. It’s got all the delicious sweet and tangy flavors I remember about Sloppy Joe night as a kid, in an updated one-skillet version with a crunchy tater tot crust.
Do you remember eating sloppy joes as a kid? I remember always being super excited about Sloppy Joe night – those sandwiches were always so fun to eat! My kids love the sweet and tangy taste of sloppy joe sauce too, and I love how versatile the sauce is. I can make anything from Pizza to pasta to this Skillet Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole. It’s similar to a Shepherd’s Pie, with lots of meat and veggies in a rich and flavorful sauce and topped with potatoes – I just happened to opt for the tater tot variety instead of the mashed kind that take another hour to make. It’s all about the time savers friends!
Super easy to make, super easy to serve (just take the skillet right to the table!) and super easy to clean up. Plus there are a bunch of fresh veggies so you know you’re serving your family a complete meal.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
The best part of this recipe is that it all cooks in one skillet, making for super easy clean-up.
- First cook up the ground beef and vegetables. I like to use a leaner ground beef to reduce the amount of grease let behind.
- Drain any grease from the pan, then add the Manwich sauce, pinto beans and corn. Let it all simmer together for a few minutes to thicken, then top it off with frozen tater tots. You can just sprinkle them on top or create a pretty design like I did. Then top that with shredded cheese.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, and dinner is done!
Tater Tot Casserole Top Tips and Variations
- If you are short on time or just don’t have fresh vegetables on hand, frozen mixed veggies works great too. Just add 1-2 cups when you add the sauce.
- If you don’t have or can’t find Manwich bold, regular BBQ sauce will work. You may need to thin it with a couple tablespoons of water.
- The beans can also be swapped for kidney beans, black beans, even chili beans.
- Ground turkey can be used in place of the beef for a lighter Tater Tot Casserole.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef & Noodle Stir Fry
- Hamburger Soup
- Tex Mex Ground Beef and Rice Skillet
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 bell pepper any color, seeded and diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup fresh green beans trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 medium carrot peeled and sliced
- 1 15- ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15- ounce can Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce
- 1 16- ounce package frozen tater tots
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Fresh parsley for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet oven medium heat. Crumble ground beef into the skillet and cook for several minutes; add diced onion, carrot, green beans and bell peppers. Cook over medium heat until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are soft. Drain grease from the pan (I just push the meat and veggies to the side and use paper towels to soak up the grease).
- Stir in frozen corn, pinto beans and Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes, until mixture is slightly thickened. Spread evenly around the pan. Arrange frozen tater tots on top of the beef mixture. Sprinkle with sharp cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tots are crispy and cheese is melted.
- Cool for several minutes and garnish with fresh chopped parsley (if desired) before serving.
Wow wow wow SO good! I also threw in some other random veggies like mushrooms and zucchini that were about to go bad and such a hit with the fam!
Thank you Lauren! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
this recipe suggestion was GREAT! being as I only had 30 mins total from start to finish and limited ingredients, I only used 1 bell pepper, 1/2 an onion, 1 tomato, few cloves of garlic; sauted the veggies, added and seasoned the beef using 90/10 so verry little grease if any to drain off, then added the sloppy joe sauce, placed in preheated oven into an 9×13 baking dish, heated on 425 about 10 minutes; for the tots, I used a deep fryer to crisp them up then placed on the mixture before placing into the oven, served w/ onion rings on the sided
Love that you made it work with what you had!
This is a winner in my book! Tots and Sloppy Joes are both foods that I ate as a child. Now to have them combined into one delicious is amazing! And to top it off it all cooks in one pan.
My husband is standing over my shoulder drooling. I guess I know what I need to make soon.
Yes, you should!
I totally grew up eating manwich as a kid!! I want to try that bold flavor and let my kids try one of my childhood favorites. Thanks for the recipe!
They’ll love it!!
Looks like such a fun family meal! Such yummy comfort food.
Looks pretty AND delicious. A real winner! 🙂
Thanks Lise!
Now THIS is going to happen. I am going to stop at the store after work and get me some Manwich!!!
You’ll love it, so good!!
This is such a great dinner recipe. My whole family would love it. My husband and kids in particular LOVE tater tots (and I love sloppy joe’s) so I’m going to make this for them 🙂
It’s a delicious way to combine two favorites!