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Close-up recipe card image of homemade sloppy joe bake showing a spoonful of cheesy ground beef casserole with flaky golden crescent roll crust, sesame seeds, onions, and green peppers.
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Sloppy Joe Bake

This sloppy joe bake is a hearty weeknight dinner with seasoned ground beef in a rich homemade tomato sauce, layered between two golden crescent roll crusts with melted cheddar in the middle.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time32 minutes
Total Time52 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 704kcal
Author: Shauna

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion diced (about ½ cup)
  • 1 small green pepper diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Crust

  • 16 ounces refrigerated crescent roll dough 2 cans
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
  • In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat.
  • Add the onion, green pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
    Ground beef, diced green pepper, and onion cooked together in a cast iron skillet, stirred with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened.
    Sloppy joe filling simmering in a cast iron skillet, thick and glossy with visible pieces of green pepper throughout.
  • Open both cans of crescent dough. Pinch the seams together on each piece, then roll flat on parchment paper to approximately 9x13 inches.
    Crescent roll dough pressed and rolled flat on parchment paper with a wooden rolling pin, seam lines still visible across the surface.
  • Press the first dough sheet into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, pushing it slightly up the sides. Bake for 7 minutes until just beginning to turn golden.
    Pre-baked crescent roll dough lining the bottom of a glass 9x13 baking dish, light golden with seam lines still visible.
  • Spoon the filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle with the shredded cheddar.
    Sloppy joe filling spread over the pre-baked crescent roll crust in a glass baking dish, topped with a generous layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Lay the second dough sheet over the cheese layer, stretching it to the edges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
    Second sheet of crescent roll dough laid over the filling in a glass baking dish, brushed with milk and sprinkled with sesame seeds, ready to bake.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top crust is deep golden brown.
    Fully baked sloppy joe bake in a glass dish on a wire cooling rack, top crust deep golden brown and scattered with sesame seeds.
  • Rest for 5 minutes before slicing into squares and serving.
    Overhead view of homemade sloppy joe bake in a glass baking dish, topped with golden flaky biscuit crust and sesame seeds, with one square lifted out to show the cheesy seasoned ground beef filling.

Notes

  • For the best melt, shred the cheddar from a block rather than using pre-shredded. Bagged cheese has an anti-caking coating that can make it grainy when melted.
  • Crescent dough sheets are an easier swap if you can find them. Same amount of dough, no seams to deal with.
  • The filling should be thick enough that it doesn't run when spooned into the dish. If it looks watery after 15 minutes, give it a few more minutes to thicken up.
  • Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to four days and freeze well for up to three months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 704kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1758mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1046IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 333mg | Iron: 6mg