Skillet Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

Skillet Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole is a less messy way to enjoy a classic dish! It’s an easy 30-minute meal that’ll have your family asking for seconds!

Growing up, Sloppy Joes frequently made an appearance on the dinner table. Almost as often as my mom’s favorite easy Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe. They were easy to make, messy, and I loved the slightly sweet and tangy zing from the sauce. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve started to fiddle with my childhood favorite to enjoy in fun news ways. This Skillet Cornbread Sloppy Joe is less mess, ready in about 30 minutes, and OMG it’s so good!!

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This first time I made this sloppy joe cornbread casserole recipe I used a canned sauce. I know, but semi-homemade is okay. I’m not the judging type. I did add a few spices to the sauce to give it my flavor spin. Now I’ve created my own sauce and it’s just as easy to make as opening a can. But if you’re into the canned stuff, I recommend Manwich Bold sauce. It’s not as sweet as the regular sloppy joe sauce which is what I’m going for in this recipe.

Ingredients for Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

• Ground beef
• Red & green bell peppers
• Corn
• Water
• Ketchup
• Brown sugar
• Dijon mustard
• Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Cumin
• Worcestershire sauce
• Cornstarch
• Salt & pepper
• Shredded cheese
• Cornbread mix + ingredients to prepare

I really like the addition of the bell pepper and corn to this recipe. It’s an easy way to get more veggies in our dinner, which can be a struggle at my house when the boys give our meal the side-eye. If you like beans in your sloppy joes, you’re welcome to add in a can of kidney beans that’s been drained. Make it how you like it.

How to Make Cornbread Topped Sloppy Joe Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or oven-safe skillet) over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
3. While beef is cooking, dice the bell peppers. Then whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Prepare cornbread batter and set aside.
4. Add the bell peppers and corn to skillet. Stir to combine. Pour in the sauce and stir everything together. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the sloppy joe mixture. Pour the cornbread batter over the cheese and then spread into an even layer over the top of the skillet. (Just do your best, it doesn’t have to reach every nook and cranny of the top.) Sprinkle cornbread batter with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cornbread is set and the sloppy joe is bubbling. Carefully remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Serve warm. (We like our casserole with a dollop of sour cream!)

The first time I made this casserole I used an 8.5-ounce box of Jiffy cornbread to top the sloppy joe casserole. It makes for a thinner crust like a pie would have. Not SUPER thin, but there’s more emphasis on sloppy joe than cornbread. I have used a 15-ounce package of cornbread as well. I prefer the thicker “crust” because I’m a cornbread lover. It’s all about your preference.

Thick cornbread crust: use a 15-ounce mix prepared according to package directions. Cook the casserole for 20 minutes.

Thin cornbread crust: use an 8.5-ounce box and prepare according to package directions. Cook the casserole for 15+ minutes.

This skillet sloppy joe casserole is so great on busy weeknights. I love that I have pretty much all of the ingredients on hand at any given time. Since it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish I don’t have to spend all night cooking. Instead, I can help the kids with homework, or take a minute for myself.

Pro Tip: Do your prep while the ground beef is cooking. You’ll have 5 to 8 minutes to make the sauce, cornbread mix, and chop up your veggies. You don’t need to get everything prepped before you start. Save a couple of minutes.

Where’s the beef? 

• Baked Beef Taquitos
• Instant Pot Old Fashioned Pot Roast
• Bourbon Bacon Roast Beef Sliders
• Beef Burrito Skillet
• More beef recipes…

More of my favorite easy dinner recipes!

• Seasoned Chicken Tacos
• Pizza Muffins
• Mexican Lasagna Recipe
• Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo
• More dinner recipes…

Skillet Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

Julie Kotzbach

Skillet Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole is a less messy way to enjoy a classic dish! It's an easy 30-minute meal that'll have your family asking for seconds!

4.60 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 792 kcal

Equipment

• Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• ½ red bell pepper diced
• ½ green bell pepper diced
• 15 ounces canned corn kernels (1 can) drained
• 1 cup Colby jack cheese shredded (divided)
• 15 ounces cornbread mix prepared according to package directions
• Fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish

Sauce

• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (2-3 dashes)

Instructions

 

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• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or oven-safe skillet) over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
• While beef is cooking, dice the bell peppers. Then whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Prepare cornbread batter and set aside.
• Add the bell peppers and corn to skillet. Stir to combine. Pour in the sauce and stir everything together. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the sloppy joe mixture. Pour the cornbread batter over the cheese and then spread into an even layer over the top of the skillet. (Just do your best, it doesn't have to reach every nook and cranny of the top.) Sprinkle cornbread batter with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cornbread is set and the sloppy joe is bubbling. Carefully remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Serve warm. (We like our casserole with a dollop of sour cream!)

Notes

For a thick cornbread crust, use a 15-ounce package of mix. For a thinner crust, use an 8.5-ounce box of Jiffy cornbread mix.

Nutrition

Calories: 792 kcalCarbohydrates: 84 gProtein: 33 gFat: 37 gSaturated Fat: 13 gTrans Fat: 0 gCholesterol: 131 mgSodium: 1810 mgPotassium: 565 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 31 gVitamin A: 752 IUVitamin C: 23 mgCalcium: 185 mgIron: 3 mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Keyword beef, casserole

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