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Homemade Sloppy Joes make the perfect meal that reminds you of dinner when you were a kid. Within just a few minutes, you’ll have perfectly flavored beef that’s sweet and tangy. Add a hamburger bun to eat as a sandwich, or serve it open faced. This sloppy joe recipe is perfect for a gathering or any weeknight dinner.
HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES
This sloppy joe recipe is one you will love to pull out for those nights when you are needing to have dinner on the table in a hurry. Even though it can be super messy, my family craves this simple, made from scratch meal. It’s filled with bold flavors, just like my Frito Pie Casserole, another family favorite that is quick and easy that can be on the table in no time.
The other great thing about this dinner is that it only takes a few ingredients to whip up a batch of zesty sloppy joes. You probably have everything in the pantry right now.
SLOPPY JOES RECIPE
This homemade sloppy joe recipe is so addicting your family will be asking for more, trust me, mine do. Make this recipe once and you’ll be asked for it again!
I love making sloppy joes because it is fun, quick, and an easy meal to make when I need to have dinner on the table in a jiffy. It’s also perfect for a party, BBQ, or anytime you have guests over. A little goes a long way!
SLOPPY JOES RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Ground beef – When grabbing your ground beef at the store, pick a leaner choice for this recipe. This will help reduce the amount of grease left behind in the dish and makes it an overall healthier dish.
Onion – Onion helps add flavor to the ground beef for this simple Sloppy Joe recipe. Dice the onion finely so that while cooking it becomes transcendent (and it is easier to hide them from the kids!)
Sugar – The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes from the ketchup and creates an overall more balanced sauce.
Yellow mustard – Yellow mustard is used to help flavor meats and in this meal helps bring an undertone of sweet flavor brought to this Sloppy Joe Recipe.
Celery salt – The use of celery salt helps add a secret flavor that you will not regret. You will find yourself wanting to add this to other recipes you make from scratch.
Paprika – Paprika is used to help bring a reddish color to sloppy joes as well as adds the perfect seasoning to this dish.
Worcestershire – Worcestershire is a great addition to any recipe when wanting to bring a bit of tangy, spice, and a savory flavor.
Ketchup – Ketchup is the base of this dish and helps bring the flavorful taste that we all love to this dish.
Vinegar -Vinegar not only helps bring flavor but also helps tenderize the beef.
Water – The addition of water helps dissolve the seasonings and add some moisture to the base.
HOW TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES
- Chop the onion finely on a cutting board and put the onions into a medium skillet over medium heat and saute for a few minutes.
- Add your ground beef to your medium skillet that has the onions already simmering and cook until browned.
- Drain the meat and onions in a strainer to drain the meat of excess grease.
- Stir in the water, vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire, paprika, celery salt, yellow mustard, and sugar into the already cooked meat in the medium skillet and stir until all combined.
- Simmer on medium to low heat for 30-40 minutes. Be sure to occasionally stir to keep the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
TIPS AND NOTES FOR MAKING SLOPPY JOES
- Choosing leaner meat will help cut down on the grease left behind in the dish.
- Serving on hamburger buns make for the tastiest way to serve.
- Adding a slice of cheese on top can help bring a new way to enjoy this simple dish.
HOW DID SLOPPY JOES GET ITS NAME?
The world may never know how Sloppy Joes originally got its name. There are many suggestions of where it originated from. The first being from a man in Iowa named Joe in the 1930s.
Key West even has a restaurant called Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Florida that has also served Sloppy Joes since they opened in 1933.
We may never know who invented the first sloppy joes, but do we really care? All that matters is that we have this delicious meat flavored mushy sandwich that’s amazing.
HOW DO YOU SERVE SLOPPY JOE’S?
Sloppy Joe’s are typically served in classic form on hamburger buns. You may even want to try toasting your bun before serving to add a new way of eating. If you want to try your sloppy joes this way just simply add your buns to a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 1-2 minutes.
If you are feeling adventures and like to change it up try serving them as a quesadilla. If you want to try a sloppy joe quesadilla just add your meat mixture to two large tortillas and brown in a pan long enough to brown the tortillas.
Personally, I love to eat my sloppy joe on an open faced bun and eat with a knife and fork!
WHAT SIDES DO YOU SERVE WITH SLOPPY JOES?
Sloppy Joes are perfect to serve by themselves but if you are looking for sides to serve with them you may try adding:
- Fresh cut fruit like apples or whatever is in season.
- Green beans
- Fries
- Tater tots
HOW DO YOU STORE SLOPPY JOES?
In order to store Sloppy Joes properly, you will want to make sure you store sloppy joes in the refrigerator using an airtight container and no longer than 4 days. Cooked ground beef is only good for a few days.
CAN YOU FREEZE SLOPPY JOES?
Yes, you can freeze Sloppy Joes after it has completely cooled in the refrigerator first. After the beef mixture has cooled completely spoon the mixture into a zip top bags and seal after letting as much of the air out of the bag as you can.
After you have sealed them, label them, and lay them flat in your freezer and you can store them frozen for three to six months. You can store them longer in the freezer if you use a vacuum bag system.
LOOKING FOR OTHER GREAT DISHES? BE SURE TO CHECK THESE OUT!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef lean
- 1 sm onion
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 4 Tablespoons worcestershire
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Chop onion and put in medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Add, the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
- Let simmer 30-40 minutes.
Nutrition
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