Okay, so did any of you watch The Next Food Network Star during the summer of 2008? You know, with Kelsey, the perky little blonde girl (and now that it’s 6 years after I wrote this post, you know, Kelsey who has a best-selling cookbook and her own show on The Cooking Channel and an amazing line of products?) The one who made Sloppy Joes for a challenge and then had to serve them to Martha Stewart? And Martha Stewart wouldn’t eat them? (Click here for a very astute defense of the Sloppy Joe in reference to this incident.) Yeah, that’s kind of how I’m feeling today. The inner Martha in me is saying, “Really, Kate? Sloppy Joes?” And yet…what can I say? I think these are delicious. Like make-myself-another-half-sandwich-even-though-I’m-not-hungry delicious. Like sneak-into-the-kitchen-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-see-if-the-mixture-tastes-good-cold delicious. Top it off with the fact that Sloppy Joes just feel like fall to me–you know, something warm and family-friendly that can simmer while everybody’s out trick-or-treating or something you can fill a thermos with and enjoy at a chilly football game.
One thing I love is that it’s versatile–you can make it in about 30 minutes, it can be semi-prepared and frozen and then cooked in the crockpot, or it can simmer in the crockpot for a few hours, whatever works best for you.
You’re going to need a medium onion, a green bell pepper, 3-4 cloves of garlic…
Some lean ground beef (I use 90% or 93% lean), seasoning salt (I actually use McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning), ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, red vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.
Chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the beef and brown it, stirring frequently, with the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt.
Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns (we actually love them topped with pickles and served as sliders on King’s Hawaiian Rolls). If you want to make your own buns, try this recipe–it’s all kinds of amazing.
Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- Seasoning salt to taste
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1/2 green pepper minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 3/4 c. ketchup
- 1 tsp. mustard
- 3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6-8 hamburger buns
- Pickle slices
Instructions
- Chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the beef and brown it, stirring frequently, with the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt.
- Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns (we actually love them topped with pickles and served as sliders on King's Hawaiian Rolls).
Questions & Reviews
My kid developed a taste for sloppy joes at Boy Scout camp. Do you think I could make these with turkey? Maybe I’d cut back on the sugar, too.
Sloppy joes and French fries was our Halloween meal every year. I did the same with my kids and now my grandkids. They all think it wouldn’t be Halloween without sloppy joes.
7 years later and this is still our favorite Sloppy Joe recipe hands down!!
Awesome!
this recipe was really awesome thank you are the best.
My husband liked it but since it was too sweet, all I could do was add more acid so I added more vinegar & threw in more Worcestshire. I didn’t have peppers & we aren’t really fans either so that didn’t matter. Next time, I’d cut back on the sugar.
Yum! I made these for a dinner tonight and they were a hit with the whole family! I think I might use just a touch less sugar next time, just personal preference, but they were pretty tasty as is. Sloppy Joes are one of my husband’s favorites and he really liked these. Glad I have a homemade version to make now! I think next time I’ll plan to double the recipe and freeze half per your instructions. It would be nice to be able to pull a batch of these from the freezer!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I got halfway into this recipe when I realized I didn’t have any brown sugar! I used molasses instead and they still turned out great. Thanks for the recipe, Kate!