Sloppy Joes are a simple and tasty choice for any casual meal occasion. They are easy to make, and just about everyone loves these spicy sandwiches. There are several different types of canned Sloppy Joe sauce that can be added to browned ground beef. However, it is also very easy to make your own Sloppy Joe sauce.

When you learn how to make sloppy Joes from scratch, you can customize the seasonings to match your family’s taste buds. You can also control the quality and types of ingredients.

Preparing the Meat for Homemade Sloppy Joes

The first thing you will need to do select and brown the ground beef that you will use to make your Sloppy Joes. It is best to use ground round or ground sirloin, to minimize the amount of fat that cooks out of the meat. However, you can use any cut of ground beef. Simply brown the ground beef in a skillet and then drain off any excess fat before adding the sauce. If you like green peppers and onions in your Sloppy Joes, add diced ones to the meat after it begins to brown.

Note to Dieters: If you are counting calories or trying to cut down on your red meat consumption, you can use ground turkey instead of ground beef, or use a half and half mixture of ground turkey and ground beef.

Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning Sauce

While the ground beef is cooking, start putting your Sloppy Joe sauce together. One batch of this recipe will work for up to 1 1/2 pounds of cooked meat. If you are cooking more meat, simply adjust the recipe proportionally for each additional pound of meat.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 Teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup catsup
• Salt to Taste
• Pepper to Taste (black or cayenne)

Instructions:

Simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Stovetop Simmering

To finish cooking your Sloppy Joes on the stove, simply pour the sauce over the cooked meat and simmer for twenty minutes.

Slow Cooker Simmering

If you would like to come home from work to find a Sloppy Joe meal ready and waiting, simply place the browned meat and sauce in the your Crock Pot or other slow cooker appliance and set the dial on low. They will be ready to eat within a few hours, but you can leave them simmering for up to 10 hours.

Serving Your Sloppy Joes

Simply spoon the prepared meat on a fresh hamburger bun, and you’ll have a hearty, homemade meal that tastes great and is good for you.

Credit: mgwhite