I hope you aren’t on a sugar-free, carb-free, dairy-free diet right now. Because I’d hate to tell you that this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole will blow it up.
This sloppy joe casserole recipe is one that the whole family will enjoy. It’s the ultimate comfort food and one of those great recipes that you entire family will request over and over again.
Tater tot casseroles are always popular (if you aren’t on a diet) and this time I am taking them out of the breakfast category and putting them in the dinner/snack/party category. Although I wouldn’t judge you if you did eat this Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole for breakfast.
This dish has four main elements: tater tots, sloppy Joe mix, cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Think sloppy joes meet tater tots. What can go wrong here? Nothing… clearly. You can even add crispy, crunchy bacon to the top if it pleases you.
You know I am a nut for making things from scratch (read… butter and mayonnaise) but tater tots are one of the few things I prefer to buy frozen. Homemade tots take so much time and there are so many quality frozen versions on the market.
But the sloppy Joe mix, that I will beg you to make from scratch and not skimp on the can. This is for several reason. The first being that my homemade sloppy Joes are made with beef and ground sausage, adding more flavor and texture.
The second is that even when making them at home they have sugar and salt, it is way less than if you were to buy it in a can. Lastly, (I know I said there were only two reasons…) it is down right easy and fast.
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole Ingredients
Busy weeknights call for an easy recipe. And easy recipes require simple ingredients. With only FOUR in this recipe, it doesn’t get much easier!
- Frozen tater tots – Personally, I prefer crispy tots- especially when they’re going to have sloppy joe mix that might make them a bit soggy.
- Sloppy joe mix – You can use Manwich or make your own! Homemade sloppy joe sauce consists of ingredients like tomato sauce, yellow mustard, tomato paste and chili powder.
- Cream cheese – While classic sloppy joes aren’t creamy, tater tot casserole recipes generally are! And the cream cheese really takes this easy dinner to the next level.
- Cheddar cheese – To top it off, we add a layer of melty cheese. Shredding your own cheese is preferable. The pre-shredded version has an additive that prevents it from melting smoothly.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- Prepare oven and casserole dish. Preheat oven and coat the inside of the dish with cooking spray.
- Bake tater tots. Place tater tots in a single or double layer, your choice. Bake until tater tots are golden brown.
- Add rest of ingredients. Remove and top with sloppy Joe mix. Dollop sloppy Joe mix with cream cheese evenly and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered. Continue to bake, uncovered until cheese has melted.
- Rest. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Like most hearty casserole recipes, allowing them to sit helps them to set up a bit.
Variations
- Meat – I personally use a lean ground beef for this recipe, but you could substitute for any ground meat. Ground turkey would be a nice alternative.
- Vegetables – This sloppy joe tater tot casserole recipe is far from healthy. But if you’d like to throw some veggies into the meat mixture, tray adding bell peppers, yellow onion or even black beans for extra protein.
- Flavor – If you want to take the flavor up a notch, add a tablespoon worcestershire sauce into the mix. You could also add onion powder or brown sugar for added flavor.
- Cheese – You don’t have to use cheddar. You could use mozzarella or pepper jack, or whatever kind you prefer. Just make sure it melts well.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freezing: This casserole also freezes well. Check out my tips for freezing a casserole!
More Easy Casseroles
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
French Onion Chicken Casserole Recipe
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 1 1/2 cups sloppy Joe mix
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Decide if you will be using a 9×9 square dish or a 9×13 rectangular dish. Coat the inside of the dish with cooking spray.
- Place tater tots in a single or double layer, your choice. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until tater tots are golden brown.
- Remove and top with sloppy Joe mix. Dollop sloppy Joe mix with cream cheese evenly and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Continue to bake, uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
- Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- If you have tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
This recipe is awesome! I added onion powder, garlic powder, and added extra cream cheese. We are die hard Wisconsin cheese heads, so extra cheese is necessary! We also topped with some sour cream and a dash of chives:
Thank you so much for this easy DELICIOUS quick recipe! It will be a regular for us 💙
Thank YOU for coming back to let us know!
My family would love this.
This looks really delicious and fairly simple to make! Can’t wait to try it out! thanks for the recipe 🙂
Great recipe, everyone in the family loved it. Thank you for sharing it.
A fun and tasty meal for any night of the week. Loved by kids and adults for sure. Tater tots are fun.
Delicious and family friendly meal.
Wow what a casserole – total indulgence but looks amazing, and so many handy tips for making it too!
Luckily I’m not on any of those diets either! This looks crazy good! You’re so right about homemade sloppy joes – so much better than using a mix!
My kids are going to love this one! So easy and flavorful!
That looks like a lot of fun, to make and eat. Great idea and so simple for a weeknight!
This is pure comfort food! I love that you added cream cheese to the top of this. YUM!