I used to be terrified of sloppy joes. It's true. When I was a little girl, I got it in my head that sloppy joes were demons, and that if I ate them I'd become possessed and die.
Okay, listen. I know that sounds crazy. But thanks to my best friend Becky, who was a strong Baptist, demon possession was among the largest of my childhood fears. Becky and I thought my parents' basem*nt was possessed, she thought Vogue magazine was possessed, and I, in turn, came to believe sloppy joes—yes, thecomfort food favorite made with ground beef in aDutch oven—were possessed.
I've since come to see the light. I've made my peace with sloppy joes. And Becky's made her peace with Vogue magazine. We've both grown a lot in our faith.
There's absolutely nothing gourmet or fancy (or demonic) about these sloppy joes, and the balance of ingredients is just right! If you like some spice in your filling, add an extra sprinkle of red pepper flake or dash of hot sauce. And if you're the opposite, add just a little or leave those ingredients out all together. Make it your own! I like to grill the buns, but you don't have to. This is the perfect family dinner recipe!
What exactly is a sloppy joe?
It's just a thick, slightly sweet, tangy meat sauce that you put between two buns and eat like a sandwich—a simple, easy, 30-minute mealthat everyone loves!
What is the sloppy joe sauce made of?
It's made with ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, garlic, dry mustard, and a little Tobasco (if you want). That sauce coats the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to make the filling.
How long are sloppy joe leftovers good for?
The leftover meat sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's best to reheat it on the stove over low heat, but you can reheat it in the microwave if you'd rather. Try spooning leftover meat sauce over a baked potato (or even baked sweet potato!) for something totally different.
Can you freeze sloppy joe filling?
Yes, you can. Just let the meat sauce cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and free for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat it on the stove over low heat.
What's a good side dish with sloppy joes?
Serve with just a sack of kettle cooked potato chips, or make something cool, fresh, and crunchy like broccoli salad or classic coleslaw. Macaroni salad or potato salad would be terrific too!
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- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Cook Time:
- 20 mins
- Total Time:
- 30 mins
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp.
butter, plus more for buttering rolls
- 2 1/2 lb.
ground beef
- 1/2
large onion, diced
- 1
large green bell pepper, diced
- 5
garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 c.
ketchup
- 2 Tbsp.
brown sugar
- 2 tsp.
chili powder, plusmore to taste
- 1 tsp.
dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp.
red pepper flakes, plusmore to taste
- 1 c.
water
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp.
tomato paste (optional)
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste(optional)
- 8
Kaiser rolls
Kettle cooked potato chips, for serving
Directions
- Step1In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.
- Step2Add the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until the vegetables begin soften.
- Step3Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Step4Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon the meat mixture over the rolls, topping with a slice of cheese if it makes your skirt fly up. Serve hot with kettle cooked chips!
Here's what you need: As you can see, I accidentally left a couple of items out of the Cast of Characters shot. And you know what they say: it ain't a party till somethin' gets left out of the Cast of Characters shot!
First, add the butter to a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Dump in the ground beef and cook it till it's brown.
When the meat is brown, drain out most of the fat. Look at all of this!
You wanna make your cardiologist happy? Send him a photo like this.
Next, cut a medium onion in half from root to tip. Lay one half of the onion face down on a cutting board, then make several vertical slices across the onion.
Then cut in the other direction to dice it.
It's been awhile since I showed you how to dice an onion.
It was time.
Now cut off the top and bottom of a green pepper or two (depending on the size). Cut the round in half and lay the halves flat.
Cut the halves into strips…
Then cut up the strips to create a small dice.
I love dicing bell peppers. If I could get a job that would involve my dicing bell peppers 24 hours a day, I'd jump at the chance!
I'd probably quit within two days, because, by then, I'd be really dang sick of bell peppers.
But it would be the best two days of my life.
Dice up some garlic, too—several cloves! Have courage!
Throw in the onions and peppers…
And the garlic! Cook this for a few minutes, until the onions and peppers start to get a little soft.
Measure a cup and a half (give or take) of ketchup. You can also a little jarred chili sauce, too, if you have some languishing in the door of your fridge.
Throw it into the meat mixture…
And stir it to combine. Add a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to spice things up a bit.
Add a cup or cup and a half of water…
And stir it in.
Next, add in a little brown sugar, some chili powder, and some dry mustard.
Stir it around and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, just to let the flavors all meld.
While it's cooking, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes to give the sloppy Joes some bada BOOM bada BING BANG BOOM!
But only if you’re into that sort of thing.
Along the way, you can also add in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, more salt and pepper if needed, and even (I do this often) a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to give it a little deeper tomato flavor. Taste and test along the way—you can even add a little Tabasco to really set things on fire.
To serve the sloppy Joes, I like to toast the buns first. It gives a little bit of substance and crispness to the sandwiches, and it creates more work for me, which is a hobby of mine.
No. Not really.
Be sure to use butter on the griddle!
Without butter, nothing matters in life.
Add a heapin’ helpin’ of the meat mixture.
Yummy! And no sign of Satan anywhere!
Plop on the top of the bun and serve it up with a big bunch of kettle cooked potato chips. The crunch is essential!
Oh, and if you're feeling particularly naughty… you can melt a slice of cheese over the top.
Enjoy these! They're scrumptious.
Love,
P-Dub
