Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
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Our Grandma Dorothy used to make the most amazing Sloppy Joes using chili sauce. She passed the recipe down to our mom and our mom passed it down to us. So, this here is a bonafide, Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes family recipe for y’all…and one that doesn’t involve a can of Manwich 🙂 Bonus: this recipe is pretty darn customizable for different dietary needs.
Note: If you love quick and simple sandwiches, be sure to try our incredible Roast Beef Sliders, our Turkey Burger Sliders or this simple Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. And if you’re in the mood or a Mexican-inspired dish, try our flavor-packed Steak Quesadillas!
🤔 What are Sloppy Joes?
The Sloppy Joe sandwich is an American dish that consists of ground beef, onion, a tomato-based sauce (like chili sauce or Ketchup) with Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings. It’s served on a hamburger bun. You may also recall Sloppy Joes as the “peacemaker food” from the beloved SNL skit “Lunch Lady Land” featuring Adam Sandler.
Apparently there is some debate about the origins of the Sloppy Joe sandwich, and why the sandwiches are called ‘sloppy joes’. The most popular theory traces the Sloppy Joe back to mid-20th century Iowa. According to wonderopolis.org, a chef from Iowa named Joe added tomato sauce to his “loose” meat sandwiches, and the Sloppy Joe was born!
Note: If your kids loves sandwiches, be sure to also check out these 10 Best Sliders for Kids! Quick, delicious and perfect for little hands!
🥫 What Goes into the Sauce?
While many Sloppy Joe recipes call for Ketchup or a simple tomato sauce, we prefer Chili sauce for its added spice and flavor. For our Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe, we combine our chili sauce with cheddar cheese, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
🍞Bread for this Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
We prefer traditional hamburger buns, but choose a bun that your family likes best! Brioche buns, pretzel rolls, sandwich rolls or even Texas toast are other great options. To make this dish even more kid-friendly, consider using slider buns which are perfect for little hands.
🛒 Ingredients
Notes on Ingredients:
- Sauce– We love the flavor of Heinz Chili sauce. However, a simple tomato sauce or Ketchup may also be used for the sauce.
- Meat– While we like ground beef in our Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe, ground turkey (i.e., a turkey sloppy joe!), pork or chicken can also be used. Beyond Meat’s Beefy Crumbles are an excellent vegan option.
- Bread– Traditional hamburger buns are ideal, but choose a bun that your family likes best!
Note: Consider holding onto your green bell pepper stem for this adorable Peppers Art craft.
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1. Sauté veggies.
Step 2. Cook meat.
Step 3. Make sauce.
Step 4. Assemble sandwiches.
*Note: For toddlers especially, these tasks require adult supervision and/or assistance, as items may be sharp, hot or otherwise dangerous.
🍟 What to Serve with Sloppy Joes
We love pairing this Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe with something crunchy, like potato chips or a simple pasta side, like this Creamy Vegetable Pasta or Pasta with Cream Cheese Sauce. Here are some other sides worth considering:
- Baked potato
- Fries or tater tots
- Grapefruit, Avocado and Arugula Salad
- Sliced fruit or fruit salad
- Bow Tie Pasta Salad
- Three Bean Salad
- Sliced cucumbers or carrot sticks
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Coleslaw
🧊 Storing and Reheating Sloppy Joes
Store-The sloppy joe mixture can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-4 days.
Freeze-The meat mixture can also be stored in the freezer in an airtight container (separate from buns) for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat– To reheat the meat mixture, simply place the meat in a saucepan, cover, and heat on low, stirring regularly. To thicken the sauce, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water or beef broth. Once the meat is warmed through, spoon onto buns and serve!
❓FAQ
Manwich is a brand of Sloppy Joe sauce that can be purchased in a can at the grocery store.
Many different toppings can be added to Sloppy Joes! It’s common to dress your Sloppy Joe like a burger, adding things like lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and pickles. The options are endless!
There are lots of potential variations to the sauce that goes into this Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe. You can use tomato sauce, Ketchup or tomato paste/water as the base of the sauce. Barbecue sauce may also be used instead of a tomato-based sauce.
🧂 Variations
- Make it Vegan! First, replace the meat with pea protein crumbles. I’m a huge fan of Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles. I’ve used them for years to make vegetarian chili and it is soooo delicious. I’m definitely a meat eater and I can’t tell the difference. Worth noting is that these crumbles are high in protein and also gluten-free. Second, worcestershire sauce is actually not vegan because it has anchovies. But Annie’s makes a really good vegan worcestershire sauce that you can use instead. Third, obviously eliminate the cheese. Violife makes a good vegan cheese substitute. Check out their vegan cheddar cheese.
- Make it Vegetarian! See above for replacing the beef with pea protein crumbles.
- Make it Gluten Free! All you have to do is buy some gluten-free buns. Everything else in the recipe is gluten free. Another idea is to serve the Sloppy Joe mix on top of rice…that’s delicious!
- Make it Dairy Free! Simply ditch the cheese. Violife makes a good vegan, non-dairy cheese substitute. Check out their vegan cheddar cheese.
Tips for Picky Eaters
- Scale to size! Anyone who’s ever had a Sloppy Joe knows that it’s supposed to be a big, hearty, messy sandwich. Little dudes may be more likely to eat it if you scale it to their size. Buy some King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and make mini Sloppy Joes. Kids will prefer a sandwich that’s their size and they’ll love the sweet flavor. It’s also easier to have seconds this way.
- Kids pick the sides! Popular picks for our kids are baby carrots, frozen peas, steamed broccoli, applesauce, mashed potatoes, and corn chips.
Craft For This Recipe
Tissue Paper Vase (cow-themed!)
Turn your recyclables into art with this adorable Cow-Themed Tissue Paper Vase! This recyclable craft can be a coin holder, vase, you name it!
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Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup chili sauce
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 Teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 dashes worcestershire sauce
- 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Heat a large pan on low-medium heat. Add cooking oil and then saute celery, pepper, onion and garlic with the salt for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Increase heat to medium and add ground beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink, breaking up the beef and stirring frequently. Strain the meat (I like the fine mesh strainer that comes with this set) or use a baster to remove excess liquid when done.
- Add in chili sauce, cheese, mustard and worcestershire sauce. Stir until well blended.
- Spoon beef mixture onto hamburger buns and serve.
Video
Notes
- To plate…serve on burger buns with desired toppings. FYI, using mini, slider buns makes this a fun meal for kids.
- If you can’t find chili sauce, you can use any of these instead: tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste & water mix, or BBQ sauce.
- You can easily replace the ground beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or Beyond Meat’s vegan Beefy Crumbles.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
It was an ok recipe, but just didn’t have enough flavor for us.
Hey Peggy! Sorry to hear that…it’s always been a favorite family recipe for us, but every set of taste buds is different 🙂 A couple ways to add more flavor: increase salt, use (extra) sharp cheddar, add some steak seasoning, or (and this is a fun one) crumble up some Doritos and add them on top of the meat before you put the top bun on! I actually make this recipe with ground turkey, and that always calls for extra salt.