Sloppy joe dip for 16: a cool, tangy layer of cream cheese and sour cream on the bottom, sweet-and-tangy sloppy joe beef with green pepper and onion in the middle and Colby Jack melted on top. Build it in a foil pan the night before and heat it on the cool side of the grill. Scoop it with tortilla chips or toasted slider buns.
Feeds: 16 · Hands-on: about 35 min · Total: about 1 hour 5 min, including 30 minutes on the grill
Home gear: a 9 × 13 in. foil pan with a lid, a large skillet
Pack for the lot
- Dip, covered, in the cooler
- Green onions, in the cooler
- Chips or slider buns
- Instant-read thermometer
- Heat-proof gloves and a serving spoon
- Charcoal and a chimney starter, or a full propane tank
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: a covered grill, charcoal or gas, with one cool side. Toast the slider buns on the hot side while the dip heats.
- Holding: cold, it rides at 40°F or below in the cooler. Hot, it stays at 140°F or above on the cool side with the lid down. Toss what's been out 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F.
- Fridge life: built and unheated, it keeps 2 days. Cooked ground beef keeps 3 to 4 days on its own.
- Drain the beef: 85% lean gives flavor, but leave the fat in and the dip turns greasy.
- Cleanup: the foil pan goes in the trash bag.
- Neyland Stadium: the guide lists no grill rule for UT lots, so read your lot's signs before you light anything. If grills are out, heat the dip at home in a 350°F oven to 165°F and carry it in a towel-wrapped pan inside an empty cooler. Neyland Stadium guide.
- A grill with a lid for the pan: the Monument G22 is a two-burner tabletop propane grill with a lid and a built-in thermometer, so the pan can sit over one low burner with the lid down. Its grates cover 200 square inches, per Monument.
Can you make sloppy joe dip ahead?
Yes. Build it in the foil pan up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Heat it at the lot until the center reads 165°F.
How do you keep sloppy joe dip hot at a tailgate?
Leave the pan on the cool side of a covered grill once it's hot. Check it now and then; it should stay at 140°F or above.
How much sloppy joe dip for 20 people?
Make 2 pans, enough for 20 with seconds: 16 oz of cream cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, 4 lb of beef, 2 onions, 2 bell peppers, 2 cups of ketchup, 1 cup of water, 6 tbsp of brown sugar, 2 tbsp each of mustard and Worcestershire, 2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp each of garlic powder and salt, ½ tsp of pepper, 4 cups of Colby Jack and 4 bags of chips. Put the second pan on when the first is half gone.
Can you use ground turkey?
Yes. Cook it to 165°F instead of 160°F. Turkey is lean, so there's nothing to drain.
Can you grill at Neyland Stadium?
The Neyland Stadium guide grill row reads "No grill rule in UT's 2026 game-day info. Check your lot's signs and pass terms." We don't have a grill rule to quote, so check your lot. If it allows grills, heat the dip as written. If not, heat it at home and serve it within 2 hours.