I love me a good sloppy joe. I have only the fondest memories of sloppy joes served up at childhood birthday parties, Halloween carnivals, and in the Wilson Elementary School cafeteria. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, I do remember all the other kids moaning and groaning about their sloppy joes and how freaking excited I was that it was sloppy joe day. I am Kate and I am a completely unapologetic lover of the sloppy joe.
Since my kids also harbor a deep and abiding love of sloppy joes, we eat them quite often around our house and sometimes, just sometimes I think, “We should mix this up a little.” And then I banish the treasonous, cheating thoughts, until it comes creeping in again. Hawaiian style.
I’m pretty sure there’s no such thing as a Hawaiian sloppy joe, or a Hawaiian-style sloppy joe, but this is my take on sloppy joes with a few little tropical twists. I’m using ground turkey and bacon (yep) instead of ground beef, although if ground turkey just isn’t your thing, ground beef would be equally delicious.
Preheat oven to 425. Lay each slice of bacon flat on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate,
reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
To make the sloppy joes, you’ll need an onion, a bell pepper, garlic, ginger, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, liquid smoke, and soy sauce.
Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and bell pepper…
Place the reserved bacon drippings in a large skillet and heat the skillet to medium heat. Add the ground turkey or beef, onion, and pepper and cook until the meat is about halfway cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the meat is completely cooked.
While the meat is cooking, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the browned meat and add the pineapple juice to the mixture, keeping in mind that the sauce will thicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the mixture is done simmering, crumble the cooked bacon and add it to the sloppy joe mixture. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve on sweet Hawaiian rolls with a slice of pineapple, a slice of red onion, and, if desired, a few banana pepper rings. Makes 6 servings.
Slow Cooker Instructions:Â
Brown the ground turkey or beef with the onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sauce and combine well. Before serving, add the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve as directed.
Freezer Instructions:
Brown the meat and onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger. Transfer to a heavy-duty Ziploc bag or freezer container. Add the sauce and crumbled bacon and freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 3-5 hours. Serve as directed.
Hawaiian Sloppy Joes
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 pound extra-lean ground turkey or beef (93% lean)
6 ounces center-cut bacon (about 1/2 package)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hickory-flavored liquid smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3-1/2 cup pineapple juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425. Lay each slice of bacon flat on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
Place the bacon drippings in a large skillet and heat the skillet to medium heat. Add the ground turkey or beef, onion, and pepper and cook until the meat is about halfway cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the meat is completely cooked.
While the meat is cooking, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the browned meat and add the pineapple juice to the mixture, keeping in mind that the sauce will thicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the mixture is done simmering, crumble the cooked bacon and add it to the sloppy joe mixture. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve on sweet Hawaiian rolls with a slice of pineapple, a slice of red onion, and, if desired, a few banana pepper rings. Makes 6 servings.
Slow Cooker Instructions:Â
Brown the ground turkey or beef with the onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sauce and combine well. Before serving, add the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve as directed.
Freezer Instructions:
Brown the meat and onion, green pepper, garlic, and ginger. Transfer to a heavy-duty Ziploc bag or freezer container. Add the sauce and crumbled bacon and freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 3-5 hours. Serve as directed.
 
