Sloppy Joe Squares are made with a flavorful, from-scratch filling, layered with cheese and baked between flaky crescent roll dough. This fun casserole is guaranteed to be a hit for family dinners and potlucks.
For another delicious kid-friendly meal, check out my Crescent Roll Taco Bake.
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 meals (also teenage boy friendly!) 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. It was my favorite cooking magazine and 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 Joes.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: You’ll need 2 pounds of lean ground beef. I like using 90% lean to prevent a filling that’s greasy.
- Vegetables: Diced yellow onion and green bell pepper add great flavor to the filling.
- Tomato sauce: This forms the base of the Sloppy Joe sauce and keeps everything saucy and cohesive.
- Ketchup: Adds that classic Sloppy Joe sweetness and tang.
- Yellow mustard: Just a small amount brightens the sauce and balances the sweetness.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds savory depth and a rich, umami flavor to the beef.
- Seasoning: A simple mix of my all-time favorite homemeade Cajun Seasoning or a store-bought blend. You’ll also need some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. This combo adds warmth and bold flavor without overpowering the Sloppy Joe sauce.
- Crescent roll dough: This creates the flaky top and bottom layers that turn the filling into easy, sliceable squares. Easy-peasy!
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar-jack melts into the beef for a rich, cheesy layer that holds everything together.
- Sesame seeds: Sprinkled on top after a quick brush of milk for a light crunch and that classic “burger bun” look.
How to Make Sloppy Joe Squares
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet with the diced onion and green bell pepper, breaking it up as it browns until no pink remains.
- Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and seasonings to the skillet and stir until everything is well combined.
- Simmer the mixture until thick and saucy, stirring occasionally.
- Press one sheet of crescent roll dough into the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Spread the prepared Sloppy Joe filling evenly over the dough.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the meat mixture.
- Place the second sheet of crescent roll dough on top, gently pressing the seams together and pulling the dough to the edges.
- Brush the top with milk and sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store leftover Sloppy Joe Squares in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through, or place them in a 350 degree F oven, covered loosely with foil, until hot.
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.
More Sloppy Joe Inspired Recipes
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
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning, or a store-bought Cajun or Creole Seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjust amount as needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces refrigerated crescent roll dough, 2 (8 ounce) packages
- 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 the meat crumbles and no pink remains. Drain well and return the skillet to heat.
- Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir well to combine and reduce heat to LOW. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and spray a 13- x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press one sheet 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 the 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 until nicely golden brown. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
My family would love this!
This 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.
I’m so glad to hear it worked out so well for you and thank so much for the tips!
How 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?
I would definitely have her thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then she can just cook it as directed.
thank 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.
It 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!
Do you think this would freeze ok before cooking?
I 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.
hmmm yummyy i like it,, thanks for sharing the recipes 🙂
Im 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
Excellent! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
My boys would LOVE this! What a great recipe idea – thanks for sharing!
WOOOOOW IT WAS AWSOME
this 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.
Great tip, Pattie!
This 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!
I’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!
Hi 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.
Since 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.
I miss that magazine, too. I loved it and always looked forward to each new issue.
I’m glad to hear that someone else remembers it! It was the best 🙂