Cheesy Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole
This rich and tangy sloppy joe casserole is comfort food at its finest, with saucy ground beef, a layer of bold cheddar cheese, and topped with crispy tater tots! It comes together in one pan to make things quick and easy, and the homemade sloppy joe sauce is made from pantry ingredients like ketchup and spices. The golden brown, bubbling pan is topped with chopped dill pickles to get the ultimate sloppy joe treatment.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15% fat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons worchestire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon packed lightly packed brown sugar
- 4 shakes tabasco sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 5 1/2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 package tater tots
- chopped dill pickles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Preheat oil in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 to 6 minutes until translucent and softened. Push to the side of the pan and turn heat up to medium high. Add ground beef and before breaking apart, evenly distribute salt and pepper over the top. Then start to break up and brown the beef until just cooked through.
- Turn heat down to medium low and add spinach stirring to wilt. This will just take a few minutes. Then add tomato paste, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, worchestire, dijon mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, and tabasco. Stir to combine and fully distribute everything.
- Add water and simmer gently for 3 minutes to thicken a bit. It will continue thickening in the oven. Smooth out mixture evenly in pan, top with cheese, then tater tots that are lined up next to each other.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until tater tots are golden brown. Top with finely diced pickles - this is a must to balance the flavors- and enjoy!
Notes
*I added baby spinach to the ground beef to help us get our veggies, but I promise you won't taste it ALL. It wilts down beautifully and blends into the whole dish seamlessly. It's one of my secrets to more veggie forward comfort foods.
