Some nights you just need a win and that’s where this Sloppy Joe recipe comes in. This is a 20 minute meal that is easy to make, inexpensive and kid-friendly. For me sloppy joes will always remind me of summer camp as it’s the type of meal that would be served in a cafeteria style setting. This is total comfort food mixed with nostalgia for me.
If you aren’t familiar a sloppy joe is a type of sandwich made with ground beef and tomato sauce. It’s sort of cross between spaghetti sauce and chili but served like a hamburger.
Related: If you like the classic next try our baked vegetarian sloppy joe recipe.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Tomato sauce
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar
You will also want hamburger buns or slider buns to serve with. Or you could serve this sloppy joe filling over chips or noddles like chili.
How to make Sloppy Joes
Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. In a large sauce pan or skillet heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper until softened, 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove the cooked veg to a bowl.
In the same pan cook the ground beef until no pink remains, until it’s cooked through.
In a medium bowl stir together the sauce ingredients: tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.
To the pan of cooked meat add the sauce and cooked vegetables. Continue to cook for a few minutes until everything is hot.
Toast the buns before adding the sloppy joe filling. Enjoy!
Tips and Notes
- You can substitute the ground beef or any ground meat including turkey or chicken.
- I used two shallots in this recipe but 1/2 a yellow or red onion would work well too.
- I use green bell pepper but any color works. You can also omit the bell pepper although I like the slight crunch it adds to the filling.
- Sometimes I will add a little hot sauce, like Frank’s, to the sauce.
- I don’t drain the pan of the fat / juices from the cooked ground beef before adding the sauce and veg. But if you want your sloppy joe filling to be a little lighter and thicker (less liquid) then drain it before adding.
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Easy, kid-friendly sandwiches made with ground beef and tomato sauce.
Instructions
-
Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic.
-
In a large sauce pan or skillet heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper until softened, 2-3 minutes.
-
Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove the cooked veg to a bowl.
-
In the same pan cook the ground beef until no pink remains, until it’s cooked through.
-
In a medium bowl stir together the sauce ingredients: tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.
-
To the pan of cooked meat add the sauce and cooked vegetables. Continue to cook for a few minutes until everything is hot.
-
Toast the buns before adding the sloppy joe filling.
Notes
- You can substitute the ground beef or any ground meat including turkey or chicken.
- I used two shallots in this recipe but 1/2 a yellow or red onion would work well too.
- I use green bell pepper but any color works. You can also omit the bell pepper if you like.
- Sometimes I will add a little hot sauce, like Frank’s, to the sauce.
- I don’t drain the pan of the fat / juices from the cooked ground beef before adding the sauce and veg. But if you want your sloppy joe filling to be a little lighter and thicker (less liquid) then drain it before adding.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Sloppy Joe
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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