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
I'm addicted to your blog. Thanks for all the great recipes. I just nominated you for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Check it out here:
http://livinginmoments.blogspot.com/2009/10/kreativ-blogger-award.html
Looks very much like my sloppy joe recipe… which over the years, has turned into throwing stuff into the pan without measuring, and adding different chopped veggies, depending on what I have around. But the fact is, I LOVE SLOPPY JOES. I would rather eat them than a burger. Even a homemade burger fresh off the grill. And I make a mean burger. But sloppy joes… a little sweet, a little savory, saucy… maybe some grated cheese on top. I LOVE THEM. I am definitely not a S.J. Snob.
Not only that, but in a pinch, you can make sloppy joe meat into other meals. Add a can of grean beans, top with mashed potatoes and grated cheese and bake it for a few minutes, and it is Shepherd's Pie, American Style. Add a can of olives and a tablespoon of chili powder and some cumin, and pour cornbread batter over the top… and it is Tamale Pie. Not very highbrow. Martha would not approve. Tasty and family-friendly? YES.
How rude of Martha! But then what do you expect of an ex-con:-) Really this is comfort food.
Mmmmm, good! My mouth is watering : )
Sloppy joes are my second favorite childhood sandwich (next to grilled cheese)! The only thing I do differently is not adding green pepper, but finely diced celery instead. Celery salt is a fine substitute as well.
BTW- Love the blog. I may have only commented one other time, but I always mean to! :o)
I LOVE sloppy joes and am so excited to try this recipe out. I have one that I really like but my husband is burnt out of it. So glad to have a new one to try.
Oh, and poo on Martha Stewart. Love the counter argument from the link.
I have tried several made from scratch recipes, but DH didn't care for them. I am going to give yours a try next week. I am really wanting this to work, as all the canned varieties have HFCS in them. I am not anti HFCS, but I try to limit our intake. ALSO, we love ours with dill pickle slices and cheese on the bun. Yum yum!
I've gotta try these. I love Sloppy Joe's but the last time I got a can of the sauce and made them we were so disappointed…It was like the brand I have always bought, had changed the recipe or something.
haha Becca, that was funny 🙂
Molly- you guys are gluten free, right? Is there some kind of gluten free pita you could use?
This looks great. Any ideas for serving sloppy joes on something besides bread? My kids love the mix, but can't eat bread.
There’s rice tortillas(not sure of the name) like a flat bread only made of rice and use them in a roll-up.. also a lettuce roll-up is good.