Here’s a recipe that went down very well in our household! I’ve always viewed sloppy joes as kids’ food, food for picky children unable to force down anything green. It’s also one of those recipes from America that never really made the trip across the Atlantic and so I’ve only learned about it through television sitcoms and online. Still, it was something I’d never made before and it would add to my minced meat recipe repertoire! I cooked them one weekend late last year and served it up with tater tots and sauteed Brussels sprouts on the side. Perfect sloppy food for a sloppy weather Sunday and yes, we even ate in front of the telly. The meat was extremely tasty (how can it not be with all the ingredients in the sauce) and not as junky as I imagined it would be. Yes, it was a bit messy to eat but isn’t that the point?
Once again, this is a recipe that can be tinkered easily: I used mostly what I had around – a diced green pepper would also be good in here and feel free to season it to your liking. Like it more ketchupy? Go ahead! Maybe even some barbecue sauce would be good!
Sloppy Joes
inspired by a recipe from Dinner with Julie
serves 4
454g ground beefsteak (1 lb)
80 mL (1/3 cup) ketchup
250 mL (1 cup) tomato passata
1 tbsp sugar (I increased this to 2 tbsps as my ketchup was low sugar, low sodium)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
2 tbsps chili sauce (optional, or a few dashes of Tabasco)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 buns (hamburger buns or those roughly that size)
Heat about 2 tbsps of oil in a large saute pan and sweat the onion, carrot and celery. A chopped green pepper would also be good here but I didn’t have one. You want the vegetables soft and this should take about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown the meat, breaking it up in the process, about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the buns) and stir through. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. You’ll probably want to taste it right about now to adjust the seasonings and if it’s a bit too thick, add some water. While it’s simmering, you can also slice in half and toast the buns. Sandwich the sloppy meat in the buns and serve immediately.
I served these with tater tots on the side. And, no, go find your own!
Sat, 31 Jan, 2009 at 00:13
Reminds me of chili con carne! Delicious.
Sat, 31 Jan, 2009 at 01:29
yummy, I just made some the other week!
Sat, 31 Jan, 2009 at 01:33
Looking really really good!
Sat, 31 Jan, 2009 at 11:33
I think messy is kind of the point, really – casual and fun, and YUMMY!
Sun, 1 Feb, 2009 at 22:33
pigpigscorner: Yup! But with ketchup!
kat: Yes, I remember that but yours were much more sophisticated!
aixxx: Thank you!
aforkfulofspaghetti: Yes! I love just about anything that you can eat with your hands.
Mon, 2 Feb, 2009 at 02:48
I used to eat this a lot as a kid, my mom would make it a couple of times a month (although it wasn’t as tasty as your recipe sounds.)
Mon, 2 Feb, 2009 at 15:42
I’ve always wanted to give these a go but never got round to it. It looks great!
Tue, 3 Feb, 2009 at 15:23
I’ve had cravings for these for years, even though I’ve never eaten them before. Maybe this will be the push I need.
Tue, 3 Feb, 2009 at 22:49
Austin: 🙂 But now that you’re not a kid? So this really is mainly a kid dish?
Lizzie: Go for it – a good way to use up any minced meat lying around.
Joshua: Isn’t it funny, those cravings for something one has never tried? I get them all the time, especially when I’m browsing Flickr!
Wed, 4 Feb, 2009 at 18:41
this is fantastic. my wife would flip for this meal. she loves to make this (come to think of it, she’s cooking tonight … maybe this is on the menu!) and really any other excuse to add some tater tots to the mix. three cheers for comfort food!
Sat, 7 Feb, 2009 at 04:50
I have been seriously craving sloppy joe’s like nobody’s business. Haven’t eaten it in decades! Need to go make some.
Wed, 11 Feb, 2009 at 23:41
alec: Hip hip hooray! You know what’s great too? Potato croquettes. Mashed potatoes in a croquette shape, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Aw yeah.
Michelle: 😀 Hope you get a sandwich soon! Is it common in restaurants/cafes?
Sun, 15 Feb, 2009 at 16:36
i laughed out loud when I saw the picture. Sloppy joes are a classic dish served to kids at a birthday party. I guarantee you that not one single american parent has ever served them with brussel sprouts!
Tue, 17 Feb, 2009 at 23:16
rooney: 😀 Maybe kids will actually like roasted Brussels sprouts?! Birthday party food, eh? That’s new to me! I only ever got pizza.
Wed, 18 Feb, 2009 at 13:23
maybe that’s because i’m probably thirty years older than you.
Fri, 20 Feb, 2009 at 22:33
rooney: Oh! 😀 I think I’d have preferred Sloppy Joes to some of the dull pizzas I had!
Fri, 4 Jun, 2010 at 15:26
I am making this for he first time ever right now (onion, carrot and celery are in the pan). I hope it turns out as good as in your picture 🙂
Tue, 18 Oct, 2011 at 20:09
[…] colleague ordered the Howdy Pard’ner, an open faced Sloppy Joe with a poached egg served with fries. He seemed pleased with […]