Sloppy Joe Cups
If you’re looking for a quick lunch, easy dinner idea, or game-day food that’s kid-friendly, try Sloppy Joe Cups. Easily scale this recipe to feed a crowd.
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Sloppy Joes are an easy meal that I serve on busy nights. These sloppy Joe cups are no more difficult to make than a sandwich. My cheesy pizza meatball cups are a popular recipe, so I thought making a sloppy Joe cup with crescent rolls would be a good idea. I was right because my family loved them!
Why you’ll love this recipe
If you’re a fan of sloppy Joes but feel like they are getting boring, this recipe takes them up a notch.
- A fun twist on a classic meal.
- They are kid-friendly and less messy than a traditional sloppy Joe sandwich.
- Individual portions are a fun way to serve lunch or dinner. It’s also great for portion control.
- Uses shortcut ingredients for an easy weeknight meal.
- Perfect for kids’ parties and game day gatherings.
- Easily scale the recipe for more servings.
- Ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients for Sloppy Joe Cups
All you need are five ingredients for these sloppy Joe crescent cups. Everything is readily available and fairly budget-friendly. After all, we can all use a little help in that department.
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Sloppy Joe Sauce or make a homemade sloppy Joe recipe.
- Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough or Crescent Sheets
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Equipment
- Skillet
- Muffin Tin
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife or Pizza Cutter
- Ice Cream or Cookie Scoop – an easy way to fill the crescent roll cups
Tips and Suggestions
Make these sloppy Joe cups with either ground turkey or chicken if you don’t want to use beef.
Use refrigerated biscuits instead of crescent rolls. To make sloppy Joe biscuit cups, flatten the biscuits and roll them, then press the dough so they fit into the muffin wells and up the side of each cup, forming a cup. You can use homestyle or buttermilk biscuits.
I like to drain the grease from the ground beef before adding the sauce. The flavor is much better.
Add-ins include: sprinkle additional Cheddar cheese in the bottom before scooping in the sloppy Joe mixture, saute bell peppers with the onions and ground beef, and add pickles to the top.
For a barbecue version, use barbecue sauce instead of Sloppy Joe sauce.
What to serve with Sloppy Joe Cups
If you’re serving them for game day, you could include other appetizers such as Cordon Bleu appetizers or mini Swiss quiches. Beer or a Michelada are great to serve for game day too.
Fried onion straws or garlic Parmesan fries are great side dishes if serving them as a meal.
More ground beef recipes
When you’ve taken out ground beef and you are looking for a new recipe, try my pasta skillet, meat lover’s skillet pizza, or beef enchiladas.
Can I make sloppy Joe cups ahead?
I would make the sloppy Joe mix ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. When ready to serve them, prepare the crescent cups and scoop the beef mixture into them. Bake as usual.
Can I use homemade sloppy Joe sauce?
Yes, use your favorite recipe or canned product.
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Sloppy Joe Cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup Sloppy Joe sauce, from a 15-ounce can)
- 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls (8 ounces)
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
- In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook the ground beef and onions over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain. Add sloppy joe sauce; cook until heated through. Remove from heat; cool slightly.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 cup Sloppy Joe sauce, from a 15-ounce can), ¼ cup chopped onion
- On a large cutting board, unroll the crescent rolls and press the seams together. Cut into 8 squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Line each muffin cup by pressing 1 dough square in the bottom and up the side of the muffin cup. Divide the sloppy joe mixture evenly into each cup, about 1/4 cup each. Top each evenly with shredded Cheddar cheese, about 2 tablespoons each.1 can refrigerated crescent rolls (8 ounces), 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until dough is deep golden brown and filling is heated through. Cool in pan 5 minutes; using metal spatula, run around edge of each muffin cup to remove from pan.
- Place the crescent cups on a platter for serving. Serve warm.
