Recipe: Quick Homemade Sloppy Joes

When’s the last time you had a sloppy joe sandwich? For me, it’s been so long that I can’t even remember! Every time I hear the words “sloppy joe,” I immediately start singing the Saturday Night Live version of the “Lunch Lady land” song by Adam Sandler. “Sloppy joe, slop sloppy joe…” Is the song in your head now too?

While it would have been much easier to just open up the canned stuff, I made my version using ingredients I had on hand: tomato sauce, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and chili powder. It took about 20 minutes to make and it was really delicious! True to its name, these were messy to eat – so have lots of napkins on hand!

Recipe: Quick Homemade Sloppy Joes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

12 oz. of ground beef
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
Dash of freshly ground pepper
4 hamburger buns
Coleslaw (optional)

Procedure:

1. Dice green bell pepper into small pieces. Mince garlic cloves. Set aside.

2. In a frying pan over medium heat, add oil. When the pan is hot, add ground beef. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the pieces with a spatula. Add bell pepper and garlic to the pan.

3. Continue cooking beef for another 5-6 minutes, or until the beef no longer has any red in it. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, chili powder, and ground pepper. Adjust seasonings to your preference. I like mine super spicy, so I increased the chili powder amounts. Turn off heat.

4. Toast buns in another skillet (or in the toaster). Top with sloppy joes and serve with a vegetable side of your choice. I think the coleslaw was a great textural contrast to the softness of the sandwich. Enjoy!