Description
Hearty sloppy joe casserole combines classic comfort with easy preparation. Cheesy layers and rich ground beef create a satisfying meal home cooks will devour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground chuck
- 8 oz (226 g) pre-shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 cups)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 small garlic cloves, grated (around 1 tsp)
- 1 tbsp dill pickle relish
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes (from 1 [14.5-oz] can)
- 2 tbsps yellow mustard
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2½ tsps kosher salt
- 2 tsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
- 12-oz package of Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls, each roll split in half
Instructions
- Sizzle Protein: Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high temperature. Brown ground beef until caramelized, breaking apart the meat thoroughly. Transfer cooked beef to a separate plate and discard excess drippings.
- Vegetable Transformation: In the same skillet, sauté diced onions and bell peppers until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and quickly stir to release its aromatic qualities, creating a fragrant base for the dish.
- Flavor Fusion: Integrate canned tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, sweet pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder into the vegetable mixture. Return cooked beef to the skillet, allowing all ingredients to simmer and develop a rich, complex flavor profile for approximately 3 minutes.
- Cheese and Bread Arrangement: Generously distribute shredded Cheddar cheese across the surface of the mixture. Strategically place dinner rolls on top, creating an overlapping pattern. Brush rolls with melted butter to ensure a golden, crisp exterior.
- Final Bake: Slide the skillet into a preheated 400°F (204°C) oven. Bake until dinner rolls are perfectly warmed and cheese melts into a luxurious, bubbling layer, typically requiring 10 minutes of cooking time.
Notes
- Optimize Meat Browning: Ensure ground beef develops a deep caramel color by avoiding overcrowding the skillet, which helps create rich, concentrated flavors.
- Vegetable Texture Trick: Sauté onions and peppers until just translucent to maintain their subtle crunch and prevent turning mushy.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Sprinkle cheese evenly before adding rolls to create a perfect melted base that binds the casserole together.
- Roll Placement Pro-Tip: Overlap dinner rolls slightly to create a beautiful golden-brown top and maximize crispy edges.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg