Sloppy Joe Squares

I've got a great recipe for you, and it's not difficult at all! Don't you love those kind? I sure do, especially on week nights. This recipe is a bit time-consuming, but doesn't require much effort to make. And the parts that take the most time - simmering and baking - are steps that don't require you to stand there and babysit it so you can go about your business and get other things done.

Yep, it's a sloppy joe.... in square form. I love this idea of turning sloppy joes into a casserole. You can skip the usual buns because the rolls on top make the 'buns' in this dish.

We made some changes to the original recipe, such as upping the onion amount, cuz we are onion folk. We added minced garlic, cuz, well, garlic makes everything better. We also didn't have any brown sugar so we just substituted Sweet Baby Ray's honey bbq sauce. And we also didn't have red wine vinegar so we used apple cider vinegar instead. The mixture, while cooking in the skillet, was a bit too liquidy since we used bbq sauce, so you may want to stick to the original ingredient and use the brown sugar instead of the bbq sauce (or cut back on the water). Since we didn't like how liquidy it turned out before simmering, I've kept the original ingredient of brown sugar in the recipe below. Top those bad boys with some shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and you're good to go.

Sloppy Joe Squares

adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cans of Pillsbury Big & Butter crescent rolls
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + more for garnish
• sour cream, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter and then add in the chopped onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the beef and cook until browned. Drain the grease.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. In a 9x13 ungreased baking pan, roll out the first roll of crescent roll dough. Press into the bottom to completely cover and also press 1/2 inch up on the sides. Pour the hot sloppy joe mixture on top and spread evenly over dough. Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese evenly over the mixture, and then cover with the other roll of dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before eating.

Printable Recipe

We enjoyed this twist on sloppy joes. It was a nice way to spruce up the old tried and true sloppy joe recipe. If you want the more traditional sloppy joe, then check out this recipe!

Peace, and bacon grease!