Sloppy Joe Biscuit Casserole

 

 

  Lately with all the sub-freezing temperatures, I've been thinking that I'd like to have some sort of casserole. Maybe something saucy on the bottom and bread on the top. I remember the chili bread casserole I did about a million years ago which had chili on the bottom and then corn bread baked right on top of it. Hmm... possibly. And then after a brief browse through the fridge and pantry, I saw that I have a can of Pillsbury biscuits and a few cans of Sloppy Joe sauce. oooooh NOW we're talking. Sloppy Joe on the bottom and biscuits on the top? Yes please! What's not to love?

 So I did a quick google search to see what similar ideas were out there. I immediately found a recipe on a blog called This Is Not Diet Food. Ok then! That'll work!

 So, the original recipe made the sauce from scratch, adding ketchup and brown sugar, etc. I opted to use my home canned Sloppy Joe sauce, since I happened to have it, but I'm sure the results are similar. You could even use your favorite store bought sauce like Manwich, and it'll be perfect. The basic recipe is still there. Tweak it however you like, and use what you have on hand. I'm sure it will still turn out great! It's definitely just the thing to have after you come in from being out in the cold!

 

 

 

2 lbs lean ground beef 

1 cup yellow onion, diced 

1 bell pepper, any color, diced

2 cups homemade or store bought sloppy joe sauce

1 cup French fried onion rings

2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend 

12 oz Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits

 

 

Heat oven to 375ºF. 

Place ground beef in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and peppers to the pan with the ground beef. Crumble the ground beef well as it cooks. When the ground beef is completely cooked, turn off the heat and drain the excess grease from the pan. Add sloppy joe sauce to the beef mixture. Add the French fried onions. Stir well until everything is coated in sauce. Pour the sloppy joe mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Open the package of biscuits and cut each one into 6 pieces. Place the biscuit pieces on top of the cheese, spacing them out as evenly as possible. Place the dish in the oven and bake the casserole until the biscuits are nicely browned. 22-25 minutes. Serve with a nice salad or veggie on the side and enjoy!

 

 

Tips:

Sometimes I like to mix things up by doing a pound of ground beef and a pound of bulk sausage.  Want to add some heat to it? Add a diced jalapeno pepper. Want it to be a little sweeter? Add 1/4 cup each of brown sugar and ketchup. Want it to be more savory? Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Don't have ketchup? Use canned tomato sauce. Make it however you like it!