The deliciousness of sloppy joes, all without needing any buns! Grain-free winning! A one-skillet meal that is incredibly kid friendly! Anything that has ketchup and is topped with crispy tater tots is sure to win over any child under the age of 99. Gluten, dairy, egg, peanut and tree nut free–this is also great for those with food allergies and dietary restrictions that want a filling casserole without a lot of work.
Sloppy joes were in regular rotation at my house growing up. However, sadly–I’ve not been able to incorporate it at my house, since I have yet to find a bun that works for my son’s food allergies. (PS–if you can find me a bun that is wheat, dairy, egg, peanut, tree nut, oatmeal, buckwheat, millet free–I will give you a big ol’ hug! ) I got desperate one time and tried it with just his regular bread, and it was so, so sad and falling apart.
So, this recipe was practically a God-send.
My son loves potatoes and all variations of them, so I knew the tater-tots would be a win-win. Add to the bottom of it a ketchup-like sauce and we were golden. Both of my children have been known to eat ketchup plain (EWW!!) so I broke out the ingredients and had a sigh of relief that for this would be a meal I wouldn’t have to argue with them about.
It’s mom-friendly too, as it only takes one pan, and it sneaks in a few vegetables.
This makes a ton (at least for my small family) and for once my boys were eating leftovers! My husband and I are HUGE into leftovers. I mean–I literally don’t know what it’s like to make lunch. I just eat leftovers pretty much every day of my life. (#Confessions) If I’m going to go to a lot of trouble at night, I sure as heck don’t want to go to that much trouble twice in one day. My microwave, tupperware and I are best friends. But–my kids have yet to see the light. They’ll do it sometimes, with a few of their other favorites like Asian Quinoa Meatballs, or lemon garlic tilapia (recipe coming soon!) but that’s about it. I was so glad to have another leftover they’ll gladly eat. As per their request–I put a fresh drizzle of ketchup on it and they both gobble up big portions.
And, it may be my Idaho roots, but I LOVE ME a good casserole. Hello comfort food. But, I feel like 99% of them depend on layers of cheese to make them edible. Seriously, just google “casserole” and you’ll see all sorts of cheesey pictures (both literally and figuratively). So, I was glad that this packed enough sauce and flavor to not need that anaphylactic-inducing ingredient.
Finally, we cannot do beef, so I used ground chicken (plus much healthier) but if that’s what you want to use, it’s great too! Also, if you can do cheese, check out Heart Beet Kitchen’s Tater Tot Hotdish Recipe.
Break out that cast iron skillet and set the oven to broil, it’s time to get your sloppy joe on!
Kid-Friendly Skillet Sloppy Joe Casserole (GF, DF, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nut Free)
The deliciousness of sloppy joes, all without needing any buns! Grain-free winning! A one-skillet meal that is incredibly kid friendly! Anything that has ketchup and is topped with crispy tater tots is sure to win over any child under the age of 99. Gluten, dairy, egg, peanut and tree nut free--this is also great for those with food allergies and dietary restrictions that want a filling casserole without a lot of work.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 16 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce* make sure this is gluten free, as some are not!
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- One 32 oz package of frozen, seasoned tater tots *see note
Instructions
- Take the tater tots out to thaw while you prep the rest of the dinner.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Using a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil to medium heat. Add the chicken, onions and bell pepper and cook until the chicken is done and the vegetables are soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the tater tots and mix well.
- Use 3/4 to the entire bag (depending on how much you want) of the tater tots on top.
- Place in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the tater tots are cooked through. You don't have to worry about the sauce, since you cooked the chicken through already, you're just letting those flavors meld.
- Once the tots are cooked, turn on your broil and move the casserole pan to the top shelf. Allow the broiler to really crisp and brown your tots to your liking.
- Serve with additional ketchup, if desired. Leftovers keep well for several days in an air-tight container.
Notes
*Unseasoned tater tots would work well too.
Many people ask what tater tots we use. We've had no problems with Ore-Ida Golden Tater Tots
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1488mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 23g
Adapted from: Real House Moms
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
Jane
Can this be made as a frozen casserole to be eaten later? If so, what changes would there be?
Megan Lavin
Hi Jane! That is a fantastic question. I’ve never tried it to say from experience. My guess would be to make it, cool it and freeze, so that the meat is already cooked, that way you only have to warm it through. Please report back after you try it. Bon appetit!
Beatrice
Hi!
Do you think leaving out the Worchestershire sauce will significantly alter the taste of the recipe? We also have a fish allergy, and the Worchestershire sauce I have contains anchovy, so I won’t be able to use it. Looking forward to making this recipe!!
Megan Lavin
No, it should still taste great. Not that big of a deal. Happy cooking!
Sarah
If I prepped and froze this, do you know what the cooking time would be? I wasn’t sure if thawing it would mushify the tots.
Megan Lavin
Hi Sarah. Thanks for stopping by. I can’t say for sure as I haven’t done this, but would think it would be OK. I’ve def gotten out a bag of frozen tots before and forgot and let it sit and thaw and they still cooked up well. If they’re not looking done, you can always turn on your broiler at the end to crisp the tops. Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Amanda
We just do sloppy joes on “canyon” brand bread that’s gluten, dairy and egg free for our girl! We use regular bread for ourselves when we run out of buns too so that’s where we got the idea. Hope that helps! Thanks so much for your awesome blog!! It’s nice to not feel alone in our cooking/ allergy/recipe swapping struggles
Megan Lavin
Hi Amanda! Canyon Bake House contains egg. The only egg free brand I know of is Ener-G bread and Little Northern Bakehouse, but those are expensive and I have to ship them. If you know of any other brands, please let me know!
Their burger buns list the ingredients as: “INGREDIENTS: WATER, BROWN RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, CANE SUGAR, CULTURED BROWN RICE FLOUR, EXPELLER PRESSED CANOLA OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: EGG WHITES, XANTHAN GUM, YEAST, SEA SALT, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, POTATO FLOUR, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), EGGS, ENZYMES.CONTAINS: Egg” Taken from: https://canyonglutenfree.com/product/burger-buns/
Otherwise, yes, their bread (and buns) are excellent for those just needing gluten and dairy free.
Wendy Badgley
I was so excited to get back to the store today and find they had tater tots! I have been waiting 2 weeks before I head back to store since we are shelter in place. This meal was A HUGE hit with my family! My 4 and 2 yr old boys just kept eating!!! Thank you for Helping us keep
Food safe and yummy!
Megan Lavin
Thank you so much. I’m glad your grocery store finally had some so you could enjoy it. If you haven’t already, and wouldn’t mind, please rate the recipe as well by clicking the stars in the recipe card. Thanks for the kind feedback.
laila
Can’t wait to try this for my kids! I have a good feeling about this dish 🙂
[email protected]
Hope you and your kiddos like it. From my kids to yours! 🙂
Amanda
I love this! Honestly I was that person who just ate the sloppy joe meat without the bread, I’m just not a huge bread person, but I am definitely a potato person and can’t wait to try this!
[email protected]
Thanks! Yes, the tater tots are a fab combo for non-bread people.
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet
Ohhhh my goodness I am in love with this! Such a great idea!
[email protected]
Thanks Lauren!!
Sigrid
Where do you find GF, DF and EF tater tots?
[email protected]
We’ve never had a problem with Ore-Ida Golden Tater Tots. Be sure to read labels and follow your own dietary needs.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
This is creative!
[email protected]
Thanks Megan (great name!)
Heather
Such a creative idea!
[email protected]
Thanks so much Heather!
Nutrimom
Love this twist on the family-favorite recipe!
[email protected]
Thank you Nutrimom!
Elizabeth DiBurro
I can’t wait to try this recipe! We love tater tots!!! I’ve added them to shepherds pie and pizza with huge success! Thanks for the safe new recipe!
[email protected]
Great idea to add them to Shepherd’s Pie!
Alisa Fleming
I don’t know what possessed you to use tater tots as a casserole topping, but it was pure genius!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
Can’t wait to try this! This will probably become a classic.
[email protected]
Thanks Lane & Holly! Yes, it’s definitely going to be a regular at our house too!
K
Hi! What brand tater tots do you use? I’ve yet to find a reliable allergy friendly one 🙁
[email protected]
Hi K, We’ve had no problem with Ore-Ida Golden Tater Tots (we can do soy). Hope you can find one you like.
Kaila (GF Life 24/7)
I love potatoes too! And, what a great use of tater tots to replicate a classic dish. This looks like it will be a hit with any family! Yum!
[email protected]
Thanks Kaila! It is a great way to have an excuse to eat more tots! 🙂
Brianna Hobbs
My kids will love this! Great easy dinner recipe.
[email protected]
Thanks Brianna! Yes, it’s very kid-friendly.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yum! I haven’t had tater tots in years! So fun!
[email protected]
I hadn’t either. I was glad to have an excuse to eat them 🙂
Jordan
How do you reheat them?
Megan Lavin
Hi Jordan, it depends on how you like it. I don’t mind just reheating it in the microwave. But, if you want a crispier bite to the tater tot topping, you might want to use a toaster oven instead.
Kristen Chidsey
When my son’s allergies (egg, wheat and dairy) kept us from eating bread I made sloppy joes in baked potatoes–this is even better!
[email protected]
Kristen–what a great idea. I’ll have to keep that in mind if we ever run out of tots!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog
I’m always on the hunt for new casserole recipes to try and this one looks great!
[email protected]
Yes, you can never have enough casserole recipes. Thanks Sharon!
Ricki
What a great idea for a kid-friendly casserole dish! I’ve got lots of friends whose kids would swoon over this. 🙂
[email protected]
Thanks Ricki! Yes, it’s nice to have a kid-friendly meal up your sleeve!