Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie – Plain Chicken

Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie Recipe – the ultimate comfort food mashup! Tangy Sloppy Joe filling topped with cheesy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection. Easy, hearty, and perfect for a family dinner everyone will love!

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Sloppy Joes and Mashed Potatoes Casserole

Sloppy Joe Cottage pie is a comforting mashup of two classic favorites, and it tastes absolutely incredible. The rich, tangy Sloppy Joe filling, loaded with ground beef and that sweet-savory sauce, is topped with a fluffy layer of cheesy mashed potatoes. Each bite is a hearty, satisfying combination of sweet, savory, and creamy textures that feels like the ultimate comfort food. It’s a dish that’s cozy, flavorful, and sure to be a hit with the whole family.

How to Make Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie

This dish is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease. Add crushed tomatoes, ketchup, yellow mustard, garlic, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, beef broth, brown sugar, and tomato paste to the pan and stir well. Bring the meat mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer. Add a cornstarch slurry to the pan and cook until thickened – season with salt and black pepper to taste. Spoon ground beef mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together mashed potatoes and shredded cheddar cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mixture and bake in a preheated oven until heated through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie? Both are made the same way – a meat filling in a sauce that is topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. The only difference is that Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb instead of beef.
• Substitute ground turkey for lower calories.
• I use store-bought mashed potatoes. You can make your own mashed potatoes. Here is our recipe for Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes: https://www.plainchicken.com/instant-pot-mashed-potatoes/
• Add your favorite veggies to the meat mixture:
  • onions
  • peppers
  • mushrooms
  • green peas
  • frozen mixed vegetables – corn, peas, carrots, and green beans 
• Can I make Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie ahead of time? Yes. You can assemble the casserole, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
  • Bake the casserole as directed until heated through. 
  • It will take longer to heat the casserole in the oven after refrigerating.
• Can I freeze Cottage Pie? Yes. Assemble the casserole and cover the panwith plastic wrap and aluminum foil.  Store in the freezer for up to four months.
  • Thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
    • After thawing, you will need to cook the casserole longer than the listed time.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What to Serve with Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie

This casserole is comfort food at its best! The whole family loves it. Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie is a hearty, filling dish that pairs perfectly with lighter, fresh sides to balance the rich flavors. 

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Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie Recipe – the ultimate comfort food mashup! Tangy Sloppy Joe filling topped with cheesy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection. Easy, hearty, and perfect for a family dinner everyone will love!

• 1¼ lb ground beef
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• ½ (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes (use half of the can of tomatoes)
• ½ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 1 (32-oz) package precooked mashed potatoes
• 1½ cups shredded colby jack cheese divided

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

• Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease. Add crushed tomatoes, ketchup, yellow mustard, garlic, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, beef broth, brown sugar, and tomato paste to the pan and stir well. Bring the meat mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Whisk together cornstarch and water. Add to the pan and cook until thickened – about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Spoon the ground beef mixture into the prepared pan.

• In a bowl, stir together mashed potatoes and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mixture.

• Bake for 20 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining ½ cup of cheese and continue to bake for 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted.

• Substitute ground turkey for lower calories.
• I use store-bought mashed potatoes. You can make your own mashed potatoes. Here is our recipe for Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes: https://www.plainchicken.com/instant-pot-mashed-potatoes/
• Add your favorite veggies to the meat mixture:
  • onions
  • peppers
  • frozen mixed vegetables – corn, peas, carrots, and green beans 
• Can I make Sloppy Joe Cottage Pie ahead of time? Yes. You can assemble the casserole, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
  • Bake the casserole as directed until heated through. 
  • It will take longer to heat the casserole in the oven after refrigerating.
• Can I freeze Cottage Pie? Yes. Assemble the casserole and cover the panwith plastic wrap and aluminum foil.  Store in the freezer for up to four months.
  • Thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
    • After thawing, you will need to cook the casserole longer than the listed time.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steph