Sloppy Joes are probably one of my favorite childhood memories of food, and I love indulging in them still every once in a while, but they are often not as great as they once were. I think my adult tastes have expanded, and yet I still crave the soft texture of this dish when I have it.
It's a challenge to consider changing anything about it, but most of these alternative options have me convinced I can up the ante to keep this old favorite delivering the adult sophistication I enjoy!
Classic Sloppy Joes
I guess the classic recipe gets passed around so much that my original version of this has been reduced to only three ingredients – meat, condensed tomato soup, and bread buns! I love how this one actually looks like it would taste more homemade and less out of the can…
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Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking the meat into fine crumbles, until the beef reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat if present.
- Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then add ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, water, salt and pepper.
- Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring, until the sauce clings to the beef and a spoon leaves a brief path across the skillet.
- Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden.
- Divide the hot filling among the toasted buns and serve immediately.
Homemade Sloppy Joes with Fresh Tomato Sauce
You don't use diced tomatoes from a can here; you actually use fresh plum tomatoes! I looked for the sugar right away, which I know from experience will take away any of the bitterness that comes from straight-up tomatoes. The salt is definitely intentional; it will add the flavor that is also missing when it comes to cooking with plain tomatoes.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss tomatoes, onion and garlic with oil and roasting salt on a rimmed baking sheet; roast for 25 to 30 minutes until softened and browned at the edges.
- Blend the roasted vegetables and their juices smooth with an immersion blender in a deep heatproof container, keeping the blade submerged.
- Brown beef in a large skillet for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it into fine crumbles, until it reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
- Add the fresh tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper and filling salt. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until thick enough to mound on a spoon.
- Toast the split rolls in the still-warm oven for 3 to 4 minutes, divide the filling among them and serve.
Sloppy Joe Noodle Casserole
Don't have buns on the counter? This noodle substitute makes sense. Egg noodles are just the epitome of comfort food.
I am not a picky eater, but I don't think I would want to add bell pepper to my version of this, especially with the cheese. I think the simpler, the better!
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook noodles in a large pot of water with the tablespoon salt until 2 minutes short of the package time, then drain.
- Meanwhile, brown beef, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet for 8 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess fat.
- Add tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, sauce salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly thickened.
- Fold in the drained noodles and transfer to the baking dish. Scatter cheddar evenly over the surface.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until bubbling and golden in places. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Sloppy Joe Sliders
This is the funnest way to serve Sloppy Joes because of the bun prep! I'm serious – do not buy individual rolls for this one. You want your buns connected so you can slice them as one big sandwich!
I think the risk here is making sure you get rid of as much liquid as possible before you throw them in the oven.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Brown beef, onion and pepper in a skillet for 7 to 8 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F, breaking it into fine crumbles; drain excess fat.
- Stir in ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar, water, salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thick enough to mound.
- Slice the connected rolls horizontally as one slab. Place the bottom half in a snug baking dish and distribute the hot filling evenly across it; replace the top slab.
- Mix melted butter and garlic powder and brush over the rolls. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 4 to 5 minutes until the tops are golden. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut between rolls; each slider counts as one serving.
Sloppy Joe Bowls
I like my Sloppy Joes simple, and so do most kids, and I got a bit nervous when I first reviewed this recipe! I was really worried about mixing in carrots and cabbage, and I might have skipped it if it were not for step four in the method – make a coleslaw for a side! I love that the rice becomes the base for this version, and I'm good with this layered look.
Ingredients
Method
- Combine rice and its 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 18 minutes; rest covered for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brown beef and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire, filling vinegar, brown sugar, filling water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until thick and spoonable.
- Whisk mayonnaise, slaw vinegar, granulated sugar and remaining salt in a bowl. Toss with cabbage and carrot just before serving.
- Divide rice among four bowls, top with hot sloppy joe filling and add a small portion of slaw alongside.
Turkey Sloppy Joes
I'm excited to give this one a try because I tend to prefer cooking with ground turkey to ground beef. I was a bit worried about the lack of moisture in ground turkey, but apparently the mushrooms keep the traditional texture of this version nice and gooey!
Also, I like everything soft when it comes to my Sloppy Joes, so I will not toast my buns… but to each his own!
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms and onion for 7 to 8 minutes until their released water evaporates and the pieces start to brown.
- Add turkey and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles.
- Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until thick and the turkey reaches 165°F.
- Toast the cut sides of the buns in a dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Divide the hot turkey filling among the buns and serve immediately.
Crockpot Sloppy Joes
This meal is traditionally low-touch, so when you throw a crockpot into it, it makes it super easy! The only thing that might not be easy is finding unsulfured molasses in your kitchen when it comes to making this version; however, this ingredient packs a punch, and I'm game for it!
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until it reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
- Transfer beef to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in onion, pepper, tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, broth, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, stirring once if convenient, until the vegetables are soft and the filling is thoroughly hot.
- If the sauce is loose, uncover and cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring, until it clings to the beef. Keep hot at 140°F or above if holding for serving.
- Toast the split buns and divide the filling among them as people are ready to eat.
Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese
I'm a bit skeptical. This version of the Sloppy Joes calls for two of my Sunday afternoon easy meals for the kids to be mixed together. They like grilled cheese.
They love Sloppy Joes, but now I'm going to mix them together? Instead, I think this might be a comical but fun, and potentially gourmet version for us adults to enjoy the best of both worlds!
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 7 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
- Add ketchup, tomato paste, water, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until very thick, then let cool for 5 minutes.
- Butter one side of each bread slice. Set four slices butter-side down and layer each with one cheese slice, one-quarter of the filling and another cheese slice; add the remaining bread butter-side up.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook two sandwiches at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and the cheese is melted, pressing gently with a spatula.
- Rest for 2 minutes to settle the filling between cheese layers before cutting.
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers can be tricky. Usually presented to me as an ultra-healthy way to get your meaty meal in, but without the carbs… I'm not sure I'm falling for it, but that said, I'm loving the Cheddar toppings and curious about this version…
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Brush pepper halves with oil, arrange cut-side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bake for 15 minutes to soften slightly.
- Meanwhile, brown beef and onion in a skillet for 7 to 8 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
- Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thick.
- Divide the hot filling among the pepper halves and scatter cheddar over each. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more until the peppers are tender and the cheese melts.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then lift with a wide spatula and serve two pepper halves per person.
Philly-Style Sloppy Joes
I love my Philly-style sandwiches and wraps, so this is a promising twist on the classic Sloppy Joe. I'm in love with the idea of melted provolone, and I'm always a fan of onions and mushrooms. I'm going to say throw the green peppers into this one for a full, authentic alternative to the original!
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles. Transfer to a bowl and leave about 1 tablespoon fat in the skillet.
- Cook onion, pepper and mushrooms in the skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and the mushroom liquid evaporates. Return the beef.
- Whisk broth, Worcestershire, mustard and cornstarch until smooth, then stir into the skillet with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until glossy and thick, with the beef at 160°F.
- Toast the split rolls. Lay provolone over the hot filling, cover the skillet and remove from the heat for 1 minute until the cheese softens.
- Scoop the filling and melted cheese into the rolls and serve promptly.
BBQ Sloppy Joes
If you've never tried pork and beef together, you're missing out. This is an incredible combination of flavor for some reason, but don't ask me why! I think the fat in the pork is adding something that stands out in a traditional meat mixture, which makes it memorable.
I think the catch here is making sure you've got a nice cast-iron skillet, which not everybody has in their kitchen…
Ingredients
Method
- Heat an outdoor grill to medium, about 400°F, with a direct-heat area and a cooler indirect area. Warm a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over the direct heat for 3 minutes.
- Add beef, pork and onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking the meat into crumbles, until both meats reach 160°F. Lift the pan off the heat and spoon away excess fat.
- Stir in ketchup, molasses, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, salt, pepper and water. Move the skillet to indirect heat and close the grill lid.
- Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the sauce clings to the meat; lower the grill heat if the bottom starts sticking.
- Toast the cut sides of the buns over direct heat for 1 to 2 minutes, divide the filling among them and serve.
Sloppy Joe Cornbread Bake
I'm a sucker for cornbread and creature comforts, so this will make it into the rotation. This recipe isn't too intimidating, and yet you are baking bread right on top of the Joes! I think this will be a winner any night of the week!
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 2-quart baking dish. Brown beef, onion and pepper in a skillet for 8 minutes until the beef reaches 160°F; drain excess fat.
- Stir in ketchup, tomato paste, water, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, filling salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thick, then spread the hot filling in the baking dish.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Spoon the batter over the hot filling and spread gently to cover most of the surface.
- Bake for 22 to 27 minutes until the cornbread is golden and a tester inserted into the bread comes out without wet batter. Rest for 10 minutes before serving both layers together.
