Sloppy Joes

If you're craving a reliable, nostalgic, easy (and cheap) weeknight dinner, then there’s no debate: A sloppy Joes’ night is in order. The perfect answer to, “How far can I stretch this package of ground beef?” sloppy Joes only require a handful of simple ingredients (that you most likely already have on hand) to create a classic family dinner. Our tried-and-tested recipe uses the unstoppable sloppy Joes trio—ground beef, tomato flavors, and onion—to create a flavor-packed meal that’s for way more than just sandwiches. Here’s what you need to know:

The key to the best sloppy Joes.
Our most important tip? Build a good foundation. The first steps of the recipe are crucial—don’t skip them. If you don't give the onions and bell peppers enough time to cook down and become soft, then your sloppy Joes will taste overly oniony and raw, which definitely is not what you’re going for. 

The sloppy Joe sauce.
The key to the best sloppy Joes? It’s all in the sauce. Our recipe uses ketchup, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato sauce, and plenty of spices to create the perfect balance of flavors. When making your sauce, don’t skip taking the time to cook down your ketchup! Reducing until it becomes a thick paste makes the sugars caramelize, deepening the overall flavor of your sloppy Joe sauce. 

Think beyond sandwiches.
If you’re looking to go classic, you can’t go wrong serving this recipe between simple hamburger buns (or toasted brioche buns if you’re feeling fancy). But it doesn’t stop there, this family dinner staple can do SO much more. We’ve used it in our sloppy Joe cups for the ultimate party appetizer, transformed it with our sloppy Joe meatball bake, and even turned it into an extra kid-friendly sloppy Joe pasta dinner. Don’t be shy—there’s no limit to what sloppy Joes can do, so have fun with it.

Serving ideas for sloppy Joes.
If you really want to get saucy, serve up some baked beans with your sloppy Joes for the ultimate classic combo. We also love tater tots or homemade French fries with these sandwiches to really home in on the comfort factor, but our classic potato salad or our Southern baked mac & cheese would also be delicious alongside them at any summer BBQ.

Make ahead and storage.
This recipe is an easy weeknight staple for a reason: It’s so simple to make ahead of time and makes for great leftovers (your future self will LOVE you). Freeze it for around 2 months, or store in the fridge in an airtight container for around 5 days. 

Made this classic comfort food recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!