An incredible, made from scratch Sloppy Joe filling is topped with cheese and baked between layers of crescent roll dough. These Sloppy Joe Squares will be a hit with your family or at your next potluck gathering!
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Boy # 4 started back to school today. The first day of his last year of high school and the first of many lasts for us this year. His older brothers will return to their respective colleges within the next couple of weeks. Summer is officially winding down.
I always like to plan a special menu full of good, hearty, kid friendly (or teenage boy friendly) meals for the first week of school that are centered around the boys and cater to their tastes. Meals like this are much needed after the stress, excitement, and first day jitters that inevitably come each new school year. And somehow it makes me feel better too. This recipe is a great one to feed your hungry Back to Schoolers and it’s also a great choice for all those upcoming school potlucks or banquets.
I came across a similar recipe a loooonnnnggg time ago in a magazine that no longer exists. It was called Hometown Cooking, from the folks at Better Homes & Gardens. I’m still trying to get over the fact that this magazine is no longer published. It was my favorite cooking magazine and every issue had a gazillion recipes I wanted to try. I still refer back to issues that are now over 10 years old, for inspiration.
The recipe calls for Sloppy Joe filling so I use my all time favorite, hands down, no contest cause it’s the winner, recipe for Cajun Sloppy Joe’s.
Just slice, serve… enjoy!
Put a plate of this in front of them and ask them about their day. If you have a son, and he says more than three words in response, you are truly blessed.
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More recipes for Sloppy Joe fans:
Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes | Belly Full
Sloppy Joe Sliders | Valerie’s Kitchen
One Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet | Spicy Perspective
Taco Sloppy Joes | Lemons for LuLu
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Sloppy Joe Squares
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper adjust amount as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 8 ounce packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 1 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onions, and bell pepper until meat crumbles and no pink remains. Drain well and return skillet to heat.
- Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and fresh ground pepper. Stir well to combine and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and spray a 13 x 9 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Press one can of the crescent roll dough into the prepared pan, pressing with your fingers to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture on top of the dough in pan and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Carefully place the 2nd sheet of crescent roll dough on top of the cheese, lightly pressing the seams together and pulling the dough out to the edges of the pan. Brush the top of the dough with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake, uncovered, for 13 to 15 minutes till nicely golden brown. Serve immediately.
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Meg says
August 20, 2012 at 8:00 amMy husband would eat that up!
Valerie says
August 20, 2012 at 8:29 amIt is totally adult friendly as well. We love it!
April @ The 21st Century Housewife says
August 20, 2012 at 8:05 amThis looks so good! I know that it will go down very well indeed at my house!!
Cookin' Cowgirl says
August 20, 2012 at 8:19 amI love anything with crescent roll dough….this sounds so good and homey! YUM!
Anita at Hungry Couple says
August 20, 2012 at 8:21 amWhat a great recipe. Simple, comforting and delicious. Saving this one! 🙂
Valerie says
August 20, 2012 at 8:29 amIt’s super easy Anita. You can throw it together in under an hour.
Angie says
May 19, 2013 at 4:33 pmIt sounds very delicious, but it’s WAY too many ingredients for busy working moms. I might make it when I have a couple of days off.
Valerie says
May 19, 2013 at 5:17 pmIt’s actually very quick and easy to put together. I hope you give it a try Angie! Enjoy 🙂
Donna says
January 13, 2016 at 2:33 pmFound this recipe years ago, in a “Manwich” cookbook. Just a simplified version of the one here…crescent rolls, can Manwich & cheese . Sesame seeds on top. Feel free to fry onions etc with ground beef. I’ve even brushed the top with garlic butter for a little change. 🙂
Valerie says
January 13, 2016 at 6:03 pmYou could use Manwich but it is oh, so good, with a homemade filling!
Imalee Crow says
June 24, 2013 at 4:13 pmI have made this for years. Use bottled BBQ sauce. Very quick. Travels well in a lunch and good cold as well.
carrie says
March 13, 2014 at 9:47 amI made this but not all those ingredient just sloppy joe mix, cut up onion and cheese, all the other stuff I left out and it was great
Megan's Cookin' (@MeganPires) says
August 20, 2012 at 9:31 amSounds like a winner. :love the Cajun twist. I have a daughter that just started her Senior year. Only 4 classes and she’s home by noon. She needs to learn to make this for me! LOL
Valerie says
August 20, 2012 at 11:50 amSounds like a great idea Megan! Take pictures and send them to me so I know what it looks like to see a teenager cooking dinner 🙂
Beckie Bergeron says
August 20, 2012 at 11:34 amMy husband will be all over this! Thanks, Valerie!
Lynna says
August 20, 2012 at 11:52 pmTHIS. THIS is all i need…. TOO GOOD to be true!
mjskit says
August 21, 2012 at 7:59 amWhat an absolutely clever dish! I love it! With the crust on the top and the bottom it is like eating a Sloppy Joe but not near as messy. Can I be a kid in your kitchen? 🙂
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
August 21, 2012 at 8:29 amI haven’t had sloppy joes in ages and this is making me crave it. Great recipe!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
August 21, 2012 at 1:58 pmThis sounds like some wonderful comfort food!
Aggie says
September 11, 2012 at 5:15 pmMy husbands favorite meal is sloppy joes!! This looks so so good, and a great twist.
I love how you plan your meals around comfort the first week of school…it’s true, so many feelings, emotions & energy packed into school days, so nice for kids to come home to meals like this.
Rhonda says
November 19, 2012 at 10:44 ami was actually thinking of doing sloopy joes or chili or chili today after a marathon day of cooking duck and sausage gumbo, tater salad, rice, homemade from scratch frenchbread and a apple, cranberry, raspberry gallette! whew, this looks perfect for today….going to make it wth baked mac n cheese and a salad…thanks -)
Linda says
January 19, 2013 at 6:07 pmI’m making lots of your recipes! I made this one tonight and we really liked it. Really yummy ingredients! Thanks for another success. Lots of love.
RoadLord says
February 10, 2013 at 8:05 pmI made this for dinner tonight. Been craving Sloppy Joe’s for awhile now, so figured, whatthehey. Cheated a little on the sauce, just used Manwich, but stuck to the rest of the recipe pretty faithfully, and, whattyaknow? It came out great, looked just like the picture. Never used unrolled crescent roll dough for a crust before, was delicious, even the bottom baked up nice.
Thanks.
bikerfamily says
February 24, 2013 at 1:01 pmValerie: I made this a couple nights ago. Well, pretty close. We don’t eat much spicy, so I used my normal Sloppy Joe recipe. The family loved it!
Angie says
March 23, 2013 at 10:30 amI make something similiar but use frozen bread dough thawed for the top and bottom layer and put in all in a jelly roll pan. the trick to rolling out the frozen bread dough is to havee it at least at room temperature. Many times I will put in in the micro for about ten seconds to warm it up. We call these Spoonburgers and the kids go crazy for them as well as the adults.
Valerie says
March 23, 2013 at 11:08 amSounds good Angie!
Lillian @ My Recipe Journey says
April 25, 2013 at 8:22 pmVery cool recipe! I love this idea! Great post!
MaryAnne says
June 6, 2013 at 4:05 pmSloppy Joes are not found here in Australia (at least, I’ve never heard of them except on American websites), but this looks good. Mince meat is a staple for pies, casseroles, stews etc. But what’s puzzling me is the dough you use. I’ve never seen it here, nor have I heard of it. We only get the choice between puff and shortcrust pastry in the supermarkets. Would either work?
Valerie says
June 6, 2013 at 8:12 pmHello MaryAnne. I don’t think puff pastry would be right for this. It’s somewhat delicate and very flaky which is quite different than the crescent roll dough. Although I’ve never had any experience with shortcut pastry, I assume it is similar to pie crust. I’d be inclined to try that over the puff pastry. Best of luck!
Kim Osorio says
June 24, 2013 at 4:07 pmThis looks awesome. I buy better homes and gardens magazines at home depot
Imalee Crow says
June 24, 2013 at 4:17 pmI have made this using finely chopped ham, cooked, chopped cooked brocolli and swiss cheese. I’m sure you could dream up other fillings as well.
Rosalyn Crawford says
July 31, 2013 at 1:45 pmI’m making this right now can’t wait till we eat dinner
Regan Tutolo says
August 3, 2013 at 5:05 pmmaking this with the Grands biscuits wish me luck.
Valerie says
August 3, 2013 at 6:47 pmI’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Good luck!
J Henderson says
August 22, 2013 at 5:51 amThis is going to be on the menu today….love it
Randall Kovacs says
September 14, 2013 at 5:21 pmIt’s not sloppy joe’s without sweet pickle relish in it ;-).
Marsha Hanzel says
September 25, 2013 at 10:33 amI miss that magazine, too. I loved it and always looked forward to each new issue.
Valerie says
September 25, 2013 at 5:16 pmI’m glad to hear that someone else remembers it! It was the best 🙂
Erin says
October 2, 2013 at 8:31 pmHi there this looks so delicious recipe. However I live in Australia and we don’t have that dough. What could I use in its place? Thanks so much.
Valerie says
October 5, 2013 at 9:49 amSince I’m not really sure what is available in Australia, it’s hard for me to say what you could substitute. I frequently use hamburger buns to make these into sloppy joe sandwiches instead.
Lynne D'Eramo says
December 28, 2013 at 2:56 pmThis has been a go-to meal @ least once a week since I found this recipe & your website a month ago! THANK YOU! Being a single mom with a very picky 17 year old daughter, you hVe been a life saver!
Valerie says
December 28, 2013 at 5:01 pmI’m so happy to hear that this recipe has worked out so well for you. We love it too. Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 Your feedback is so appreciated!
pattie h says
May 6, 2014 at 7:46 amthis is a great recipe and since there are only two of us I use an 8″ square pan and only have to use 1 tube of crescent rolls~~YUM a must try.
Valerie says
May 6, 2014 at 9:50 amGreat tip, Pattie!
GEORGINA says
June 13, 2014 at 1:08 pmWOOOOOW IT WAS AWSOME
Julie @ Lovely Little Kitchen says
June 18, 2014 at 9:26 pmMy boys would LOVE this! What a great recipe idea – thanks for sharing!
Esther says
July 14, 2014 at 3:00 amIm from the uk & i had my first taste of sloppy joes on a vacation visit 14yrs ago & have wanted to find a recipe to make them since.
We have all the ingredients too as i discovered crescent dough is the same as croissant dough.
I have 2 kids who I know would love this I’ll definitely be trying out this recipe sometime over the summer
Valerie says
July 14, 2014 at 9:14 amExcellent! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Brenda says
March 4, 2015 at 1:28 amhmmm yummyy i like it,, thanks for sharing the recipes 🙂
CD says
January 13, 2016 at 2:48 pmDo you think this would freeze ok before cooking?
Valerie says
January 13, 2016 at 6:05 pmI can’t say that I’ve ever tried freezing crescent roll dough. I think I’d be more inclined to make and freeze the filling and then assemble it just before baking but if you give it a try, be sure to let me know how it works out for you.
Monica Stone says
February 14, 2016 at 2:59 pmthank you for this recipe. It was delicious. My husband loved it. I have all my Mom’s recipes, made a beautiful recipe book for myself and my sister’s, but the one recipe that I could never find was my Mom’s sloppy Joe recipe. Not quite like her’s, but delicious. thank you for sharing.
Valerie says
February 14, 2016 at 4:35 pmIt is so special that you’ve collected all of your mom’s recipes and taken the time to put them together this way. What a wonderful tribute to her 🙂 I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
michelle perry says
August 14, 2016 at 9:04 amThis is an excellent idea for dinner. my kids gobble up Sloppy Joe stuff any way they can have it. Have used cheddar mozarella cheese and sharp cheddar mixed with marble and it is awesome and yes you can freeze crescent rolls with it as I used Manwich filling before and it froze very well as I had made a double pan and froze one as my company didn’t show up so we had the leftovers reheated from thawing the other pan out. it was as good as the first fresh one reheated up and went great with a tossed salad.
Valerie says
August 14, 2016 at 12:22 pmI’m so glad to hear it worked out so well for you and thank so much for the tips!
Jaclynne says
September 5, 2016 at 4:00 pmHow long do you cook it after you froze it? I made this to give to a friend and figured to freeze it so that they can make it whenever. Should I tell her to thaw and cook or can it go right in over but for longer?
Valerie says
September 5, 2016 at 5:18 pmI would definitely have her thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then she can just cook it as directed.
Amy @Belly Full says
March 4, 2017 at 8:29 amMy family would love this!
Judy Tonnies says
April 3, 2017 at 6:49 pmI tried this tonight and it is wonderful! We run a restaurant and I plan on using this in place of juicy burgers! Thank for posting.
Don says
August 18, 2017 at 10:03 amCan the red and green peppers be left of as I can’t tolerate the after effects of peppers.
Valerie says
August 19, 2017 at 10:17 amSure! Modify the filling to suit your taste.
Julie says
March 14, 2018 at 7:12 pmI’m so glad I took the time to make the filling instead of using Manwich – which I was considering. We could taste the difference. Very good, easy, kid friendly…thank you!