Sloppy Joes. I don’t know if I ever used a recipe for the basic Sloppy Joe before. They always seemed to come from standing in front of the fridge and rummaging through the cupboards as the clock struck five, and I was wondering what to make for dinner! And ground beef seemed an easy answer. In goes a touch of mustard, ketchup, a little brown sugar. But you know what’s so much better? Essential Sloppy Joes!
Essential Sloppy Joes
My Mom used to make the old Campbell’s Gumbo Soup recipe and I have that on my site now. And I have another recipe on my site for a marvelous, long-simmering Sloppy Joe, Kaltenbach Farms Sloppy Joe, that serves a huge crowd (or gives you some for the freezer), but these Essential Sloppy Joes are now a go-to dinner save – and they are more along the lines of Manwich, except for really good! This is so easy, don’t buy that stuff!
About Essential Sloppy Joes:
Essential Sloppy Joes are soft in just the way a long-simmered Sloppy Joe should be. And they’re just slightly sweet with the just-right bit of a bite from the mustard powder (yep, mustard powder, as in my Top Secret Super Stealth Arsenal of Ingredients). Essential Sloppy Joes are really fab, and they’re going to be perfect for everyone from the littles up to a more sophisticated adult palate.
The Essential Sloppy Joe recipe is quick, too, so you can have it on the table in no time, especially if you have ground beef already thawed. Give it a bit of time in the microwave if you need a quick defrost. Oh, and you might just want to double the recipe; Sloppy Joes are one of those items that are even better the next day.
Make these Essential Sloppy Joes, and you’ll be making them again. And again. And loving every minute of it! At our house, we always serve our Sloppy Joes on the smaller, basic grocery store buns. Hey, they’re cheap, but they’re also so delish and squishy once the Sloppy Joe is on & it’s just the right amount so it can be finished before the bun gets, well, too sloppy! I have never said the word sloppy so many times in my life!!
Making Essential Sloppy Joes:
Check out this recipe; a handful of ingredients and minutes to make. I’d say if you’re quick it can be on the table in a hair over 15 minutes but count on 20. After all, there is a little onion to chop!
Definitely adjust the Essential Sloppy Joe recipe to your taste. I tend to go lighter on the sugar, so if you do enjoy your Sloppy Joes on the sweet side, add more. And of course, it goes without saying, any spice you add should be done while keeping in mind who will be at your table.
I always use a potato masher for my ground beef. The kind that has wires, not the flat kind with holes. It makes short work of breaking down ground beef (or other ground items, including sausage), and you probably have one around. If you don’t, they’re inexpensive, unlike the special ground beef mashers you can buy now – I just priced them out when I heard about them – $10.99 to $19.99 on Amazon. Wowza.
Essential Sloppy Joes
Saving Money on Groceries:
These days it pays to shop around and compare prices. Buyer’s clubs are great if you have a membership. Discount groceries like Aldi or Lidl are even better if available. Wherever you shop, remember that when you shop is important, too. The biggest sales are before holidays, so check out my post Win at the Grocer’s with links to what you might find on sale before any given holiday.
Ground Beef: Remember to buy items like ground beef on sale, and divide into portions and freeze, especially if you won’t be using them for burgers – personally, when I make burgers, I’d rather not use previously frozen beef. There’s no sense in buying ground beef at full price when it is so often on sale.
Bell Peppers: Watch for sales on bell peppers, too, and buy a few extra to last for the next week when you see them on sale. They do keep well in the fridge, usually for a week and maybe even a bit longer.
Onions: You’ll want to buy onions in the larger bags; they’re always less per pound. The onions themselves might be larger, too, which always helps speed things along when you’re making a recipe – less to peel.
Condiments: It’s a good idea to stock up on condiments like ketchup during the summer sales for the year. Yeah, they’ll never be lower; if you miss those great summer sales, watch around the Super Bowl when the stores want to draw you in with low prices.
Buns: And of course, I mentioned the soft, white squishy grocery store buns – they’re always inexpensive and often on sale can be bought for a pittance. If we have any leftover, I love to make my Family’s Parmesan Toast with them; even if they are a little stale, they work beautifully and crisp up on the top and get all soft in the oven.
Hi Guys! I hope you’ll enjoy this easy Essential Sloppy Joes recipe as much as we have over the years! It’s classic Americana as far as I’m concerned, and always reminds me of my own childhood – only better! Whether you’re making new memories with your family or reliving old ones, I’m so happy to share this!
Mollie
Essential Sloppy Joes
Essential Sloppy Joes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: sandwiches
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 half bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown the ground beef along with onion and bell pepper. Drain well. Add the rest of ingredients to taste, stirring well. Bring to a simmer and stir now and then for about 10 minutes or so until desired moisture level is reached.
Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
Serve on buns with pickle.
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- Scoops portion perfectly, maximize your time and help avoid a big mess.
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- I always break up my ground meats with the type of masher on the right. The other I use in this recipe to very finely work the ground beef into tiny bits.
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You know I’ll be bringing Essential Sloppy Joes to our Throwback Thursday #40 Link Party, hosted by Quinn of Dad What’s for Dinner, Meaghan of 4 Sons are Us, Alli of Tornadough, Carlee from Cooking with Carlee and Moi! That’s right – me!
I’ll also bring Essential Sloppy Joes to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, so check it out!
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