Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole gives you saucy ground beef under a golden, tender cornbread topping for a weeknight dinner you can scoop straight from the baking dish. You get the familiar sweet-tangy sloppy joe flavor, but the cornbread catches the sauce instead of a bun.
How to make Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole: Cook the sauced beef, spread cornbread batter over it, and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Check the middle of the topping before you serve it.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick dinner: The recipe is planned as a 30-minute meal, with 5 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking.
- Two textures in one scoop: You get soft cornbread on top and saucy beef underneath.
- Short shopping list: Corn muffin mix, eggs, milk, ground beef, and sloppy joe sauce are all you need.
- Easy to portion: The filling and topping bake together in a 9×13-inch dish, so you can scoop out dinner without filling individual buns.
Ingredient Notes
Corn muffin mix: Buy 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix, 17 ounces total. I would keep both boxes in this recipe: that is the amount of batter intended to cover the beef in the baking dish. Using less mix would change the topping, so don’t rely on the baking directions below for a smaller batch.
Eggs and milk: You need 2 large eggs and 2/3 cup milk for the topping. Stir them into the mix until blended, then leave the batter alone while you cook the beef. I like having the eggs and milk ready beside the bowl before starting, so the batter can go onto the filling as soon as the sauce is cooked.
Ground beef: Use 1 pound. You’ll brown it in a skillet, check it with a food thermometer, and drain excess grease before adding sauce. I drain it before opening the sauce; that way, the liquid I spread into the dish is the sloppy joe filling, not grease left in the skillet.
Sloppy joe sauce: Buy a 15-ounce can of Manwich sloppy joe sauce. The measured can matters here because it supplies the sauce for the pound of beef without adding another liquid to the filling. Keep the sauce with the meat rather than stirring it into the cornbread batter.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix, 17 ounces total
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can Manwich sloppy joe sauce, 15 ounces
How to Make Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Get out a 9×13-inch baking dish, a large skillet, and a mixing bowl so you can move the filling into the dish while it is hot.
2. Mix the cornbread batter. In the bowl, stir the corn muffin mix, eggs, and milk until blended. Set the batter aside while you work on the filling; it will go over the meat, not underneath it.
3. Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef in the skillet over medium heat. Use a food thermometer to check that the beef reaches 160°F, then drain any excess grease. Don’t use its brown color alone as your check.
4. Add the sauce. Stir the Manwich sauce into the drained beef and cook for another 5 minutes. You should have beef coated in sauce that you can spread across the dish, rather than a separate layer of plain meat.
5. Layer the casserole. Spread the sloppy joe filling across the bottom of the 9×13-inch dish. Spread the prepared cornbread batter evenly over it. I pay particular attention to the middle when spreading: you want batter there as well as around the edges.
6. Bake and check the center. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread layer comes out dry, with no wet batter. Before serving, check that the casserole reaches 165°F with a food thermometer.
How to Check the Cornbread Center
The browned edges are tempting, but they are not where you decide whether this casserole is ready. Push a toothpick into the center of the cornbread layer and pull it back out. If you see wet batter, the middle still needs more time in the oven.
You’re looking for a golden surface and a cooked-through center above the saucy beef. I use the toothpick for the batter and the thermometer for the casserole; each tells you something different. A dry toothpick alone does not give you the temperature of the dish.
If the top becomes dark while the middle still has wet batter, tent the dish loosely with foil and continue baking until the center is done. Keep the foil loose rather than pressing it against the soft topping. Then you can scoop down through tender cornbread into the glossy filling without finding uncooked batter in the middle.
Tips for Success
Why is there grease around my beef filling?
You may see oily liquid collecting beside the sauce. That happens when excess grease stays in the skillet after the beef cooks. If you notice it before layering, drain the beef, then stir in the sauce; the finished filling should look saucy, not oily.
Why is there bare filling at the edge of my dish?
The batter may have been left in a mound instead of spread across the meat. Before baking, look over the whole dish and gently move batter toward any exposed patches. You want cornbread across the top so a scoop includes both layers.
Why did the topping turn dark while the middle stayed wet?
The surface can brown before the center cooks through. A toothpick from the middle will show you wet batter even when the edges look finished. Tent the top loosely with foil and keep checking the center rather than judging it by color alone.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. If you freeze portions, thaw them in the refrigerator, not on the counter; reheat leftovers until a food thermometer reads 165°F.
What to Serve With It
This is a filling dinner on its own. If you’re planning other casual meals for the week, keep slow cooker sloppy joes and Philly cheese steak sloppy joes in mind. For more casserole nights, try ground beef noodle casserole, beef and corn casserole, hobo casserole, or pierogi and sausage casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the cornbread go on top of the sloppy joe filling?
Yes. Spread the saucy beef in the dish first, then spread the cornbread batter over it. The batter bakes into a golden layer that soaks up a little sauce from below.
Can I assemble the entire casserole the day before?
Prepare the beef filling ahead, but wait to mix the cornbread batter until you’re ready to bake. Keep the filling covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and warm it until hot on the stovetop before assembling the dish.
Can I use a smaller baking dish?
Use a 9×13-inch dish for these ingredient amounts. A smaller dish would make the filling and topping deeper, while the bake directions here are for the stated dish size.
Final Notes
Keep a toothpick beside the oven so you remember to check the middle rather than stopping at the golden edges. If you have a question or make the casserole, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix 17 ounces total
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can Manwich sloppy joe sauce 15 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, eggs, and milk until blended. Set aside.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Check that the ground beef reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, then drain any excess grease.
- Stir in the Manwich sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Spread the sloppy joe mixture across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the prepared cornbread batter evenly over the meat.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread layer comes out dry, with no wet batter. Check that the casserole reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before serving.
