It’s dinner time and I need to prepare something that everyone will eat and doesn’t take very much time. My kids love Sloppy Joes. But my hubby is not a fan of the taste, and I’m not a fan of the extra sodium and preservatives that are included in the canned stuff. Enter my quick and easy Sloppy Joes from scratch recipe! The post contains tips for cooking, but the full recipe is at the bottom of the page.
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I have tried many times to make a Manwich-like Sloppy Joe flavor that pleases everyone in my family. I have hit on several recipes that have been ok or even good. But they just haven’t been “it.” Oftentimes, I have made something that my family has enjoyed but that I haven’t felt was exactly what I wanted it to be.
Then one day, inspiration struck and I found the one! I am very excited to share my Quick and Easy Sloppy Joes From Scratch Recipe with you! I know your family will love it!
The hardest part about this recipe is remembering to set the meat out of the freezer to thaw. Or is that just me?
With my family of 7, I look for the cheapest prices available on meat (and everything else) and try to buy as much as will fit in the budget right then. I separate it into meal-sized portions and freeze it. Then I can pull out a pack each day and have what I need for supper. That is, if I remember to pull it out of the freezer in time!
This recipe uses 1-1.5lbs ground beef. If you are on a tight meat budget, feel free to use less beef and bulk up the recipe with beans, corn, and/or veggies.
Also, I really don’t like adding sugar to savory recipes if at all possible. I believe we have way too much added sugar in our diets! That is one reason I try to make things from scratch as much as possible. Less sugar, less sodium, fewer preservatives!
However, the brown sugar in this recipe is very necessary for the proper flavor. Feel free to leave it out if you wish. Just know that the flavor won’t quite be the same. If you do not have tomato paste and need to use ketchup, then make sure to leave out the brown sugar as ketchup adds sweetness on its own.
We put ours on hamburger buns (gluten free rolls or sliced bread for those who need it). I like mine with a slice of cheese on top, but some of my family prefer it without cheese. To each their own.
Serve these Quick and Easy Sloppy Joes From Scratch with a side salad, french fries, sweet potato fries, or my zucchini fries (check back soon for the recipe). Yum!
Quick and Easy Sloppy Joes From Scratch
Ingredients
1-1.5lbs ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced.
1/2 bell pepper, diced.
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can tomato paste (or 1/2 cup ketchup)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp packed brown sugar (leave out if using ketchup)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions
- Preheat frying pan to med/high heat. Drizzle olive oil in the pan to heat with it.
- Add in diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Begin to sauté.
- As they begin to soften, begin to brown beef.
- Once browned, add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste (or ketchup), and water and turn heat down to low.
- Add in the rest of the seasonings and simmer until most (but not all) of the liquid has cooked away.
- Enjoy!
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