This one was a WINNER at our house AND at our daughter’s too! 🤍
And this is exactly the kind of cooking I love - - double it while you’re already in the kitchen. Make one for now and one for later…or in this case I shared one with my daughter & her family.
When I made this Farmhouse Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole, I doubled the recipe and made two full casseroles. We had one for dinner, and shared one, but the second could have just as easily gone into the freezer for another day.
I also switched up the meat a little. Instead of using 2 pounds of ground beef for my doubled batch, I used:
1 pound ground beef + 1 pound ground sausage
So good! The sausage added another layer of flavor to the sloppy joe filling, and paired with melted cheddar and crispy tater tots, this one disappeared around our table.
Why Make Two?
If I’m already browning meat, chopping an onion, opening ingredients, and dirtying the skillet, it doesn’t take much more effort to assemble a second casserole.
That’s one of my favorite ways to build up freezer meals without spending an entire day doing traditional meal prep.
Cook once. Assemble twice. Eat tonight. Make another night easier.
While freezer meal sessions are wonderful, you don’t always have time for that. But, when you make One for Now - One for Later, even having one or two homemade dinners tucked away can make a huge difference on a busy day.
✨Farmhouse Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole✨
Easy • Family Friendly • Comfort Food Favorite
Ingredients — One Casserole
● 1 pound ground beef
● 1 small onion, diced
● 1 green bell pepper, diced, optional
● 2 cloves garlic, minced
● 1 can (15 oz) sloppy joe sauce OR homemade sloppy joe sauce
● 1 tablespoon brown sugar
● 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
● 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
● 1 bag frozen tater tots, about 32 oz
● Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Add-Ins
● Corn
● Jalapeños
● Bacon bits
● Pepper jack cheese
Want to Make Two Like I Did?
Double everything and assemble the casseroles in two separate 9x13-inch baking dishes.
For my doubled batch, I used 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground sausage instead of 2 pounds of ground beef. You do what you like.
Prepare the filling together, then divide it evenly between your two pans. Add the cheese and tater tots to each.
Casserole #1: Bake for dinner.
Casserole #2: Cover, label, and put it in the freezer.
One mess in the kitchen—and two family dinners taken care of. 🙌
Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce Option
If you don’t have canned sloppy joe sauce, you can make your own.
For One Casserole
● ¾ cup ketchup
● 2 tablespoons tomato paste
● 1 tablespoon brown sugar
● 1 teaspoon mustard
● 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
● ½ teaspoon garlic powder
● Dash of paprika
Mix everything together before adding it to the meat mixture.
If you’re making two casseroles, simply double the homemade sauce recipe.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper until fully cooked. Drain excess grease.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the sloppy joe sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 3–5 minutes.
5. Spread the meat mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
6. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
7. Arrange the frozen tater tots evenly across the top.
8. Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the tater tots are crispy and golden brown.
9. If you’d like, sprinkle a little extra cheese over the top during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Making Two?
Prepare the doubled meat mixture all at once and divide it evenly between two greased 9x13-inch pans. Finish both with cheese and tater tots.
Bake one and freeze the other unbaked.
Freezer Instructions: Your “Later” Casserole 🤍
Once the second casserole is assembled, cover it tightly with foil.
I like to label freezer meals with:
● Recipe name
● Date
● Baking temperature
● Basic baking directions
Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.
Bake From Frozen
Bake, covered with foil, at 375°F for about 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 20–25 minutes, or until the center is completely heated through and the tater tots are golden and crispy.
Freezer-to-oven cooking times can vary, so give it a little additional time if needed.
You could always put the casserole in the refrigerator the night before to thaw and then bake for supper.
Serve It With
Keep the rest of dinner easy:
● Simple salad
● Green beans
● Pickles
● Coleslaw
● Corn
● Fruit salad
One for Now, One for Later 🤍
This is the kind of meal prep that makes a lot of sense to me.
I don’t necessarily want to ALWAYS spend an entire day making freezer meals. (Though I love the results.) But if I’m already standing at the stove making one casserole, making a second one takes very little extra effort.
And future me is always happy when I open the freezer and see dinner already waiting.
This Farmhouse Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole was a definite winner at our house. The ground beef + ground sausage combination was delicious, everybody was fed, and I ended the night with another homemade casserole for someone else or it could have been tucked into the freezer for later.
One for now. One for later.
That’s a kitchen win in my book. 🤍
Enjoy!
🌿 From my kitchen table to yours,
Kelley ~ Farm Wife Favorites 🤍
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