How do you make Sloppy Joes look pretty? Asking for a friend…ha!
Here’s the thing, I wasn’t going to post a new recipe this week at all. I’m a part-time 5th grade teacher, I have a son starting college, I have a daughter starting high school, another daughter in junior high and it’s “back to school” week for ALL of us. So much excitement and stress! However, when I was making my dinner plan for the week I added my Classic Sloppy Joes. I realized that I hadn’t shared them yet and if I can fit these into my crazy week then so can you!
Recipe History
I have to tell y’all where this recipe came from! My mother-in-law made these just after my husband and I were married and I immediately loved them. She told me they were called “Ellis School Barbeques” so of course I had to know why. Ellis is the elementary school that my husband went to in Logan, UT and somehow she got the recipe for the “barbeques” (or “sloppy joes”) that the lunch ladies served. I have been making this recipe for 20 years but my husband has had them since he was a kid. Of course, I couldn’t leave the recipe alone! Over the years, I have changed the ingredient amounts but haven’t added anything. The original recipe included flour to thicken them but I think it’s unnecessary. I like my sloppy joes sloppy!
How do Classic Sloppy Joes taste?
These Classic Sloppy Joes are the perfect combination of ground beef, onion, tomato based sauces, and spices. The tomato soup and curry powder make them so unique but at the same time, you still get the classic taste that you grew up on. My mom always made sloppy joes with sauce from a can. Remember that stuff? If you use that, you have to try this easy homemade version that is so much tastier!
This recipe uses 2 lbs of ground beef and serves about 8 people. I like to double it and use 4 lbs then freeze what we don’t eat. A quick thaw on a busy weeknight has saved our dinner many, many times. Like I’ve said before, I love to cook once and eat twice!
Sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Items on sale the week of August 25-31: ground beef, ketchup, white onions, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, hamburger buns
Classic Sloppy Joes
Charlotte Hancey
Quick and easy homemade sloppy joes! Full of classic, delicious flavors with everyday ingredients.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow or white onion, diced
- 1 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons steak sauce (A-1)
- 1/2 cup tomato soup concentrate
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Hamburger buns, for serving
Instructions
Heat a large, non-stick skillet to medium-high. Add ground beef and onion then cook until meat is browned. Drain excess grease.
Add ketchup, Worcestershire, steak sauce, tomato soup, curry, sage, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir until combined well.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
Serve on buns.
Notes
- We like to add sliced dill pickles to ours.
- Freezes well! I like to double this and freeze excess for an even easier future dinner.
Keyword easy dinner, family dinner, ground beef, sloppy joes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Reader Interactions
Comments
These have been one of my favorites since I went to Ellis Elementary.
I lived across the street from Ellis Elementary ‼️
Because of that, I didn’t get to eat school lunch very often, but the sloppy joes were a favorite 😋
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FAQs
Some attribute the original Sloppy Joe to a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, where, many years ago, in 1930 a cook named Joe added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. Voila: a new between-the-bread offering, and the sandwich's official name.
What can I add to sloppy joes to make it better? ›
If it seems too sweet try stirring in a spoon of fresh squeezed lemon or a spoon of vinegar. This was a hit in our house! My husband loved it and the bell peppers and onion just made everything come together. I may just add some more peppers, or even a red pepper for a kick next time!
What are Manwich slogans? ›
Manwich's slogan is, "A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal." Manwich Heat & Serve was introduced in 2004. It contains both the seasoned tomato sauce and ground beef in a microwavable bowl.
How do you jazz up sloppy joes? ›
Canned chiles can also add loads of flavor and texture to your sloppy joes. Mild Hatch chiles are perfect for people who don't want their sloppy joes too spicy, while chipotle chiles add some heat and some lovely smokiness. You could also opt for fresh chiles like fruity (and super spicy) habaneros or milder Anaheims.
What was the Sloppy Joe in the 1930s? ›
Many believe the Sloppy Joe is the namesake of a Sioux City, Iowa cook, who in 1930, combined the regionally popular loose meat sandwich with tomato sauce. It's less messy predecessor, the loose meat sandwich is a Midwestern favorite of steamed or sauteed ground beef, onions, mustard and pickles.
What is the difference between sloppy Joe and sloppy Jane? ›
If you're aiming to eat a lower-fat diet, then consider fixing yourself a sloppy jane. This variant on the sloppy joe swaps out regular ground beef for leaner beef. It also places a higher focus on vegetables and other low-calorie ingredients.
What are nicknames for Sloppy Joes? ›
Some other names for sloppy joes include: barbecues, dynamites, gulash, sloppy janes, slushburgers, steamers, wimpies, and yum yums. What do you call sloppy joes where you live? Just like the many names for sloppy joes, you'll also find all sorts of variations on the recipe.
What is the difference between Manwich and sloppy joe mix? ›
What is the difference between Manwich and Sloppy Joes? Sloppy Joes are the sandwich, while Manwich is the store-bought canned sloppy joe sauce, produced by ConAgra Foods and Hunt's. While the brand markets this product as a quick and easy one-pan meal, I strongly recommend you make the sauce from scratch.
What is the difference between original Manwich and bold? ›
The majority used ground beef in the sauce - a concoction of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic and spices - and made it into sandwiches. Food scientist Bill Skinner occasionally buys Hunt's Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce and described the bold version as being a little sweeter with more tomato flavor.
What is a sloppy joe slang? ›
a man or youth whose appearance is habitually slovenly.
Worcestershire Sauce and Hot Pepper Sauce: These condiments add umami and a heat, deepening the flavor of the dish. Hamburger or Brioche Buns: The vehicle for the Sloppy Joe mixture, offering a soft and slightly sweet contrast to the flavorful beef filling.
What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? ›
What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? It's made with ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, garlic, dry mustard, and a little Tobasco (if you want). That sauce coats the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to make the filling.
Where is the original Sloppy Joes? ›
Sloppy Joe's Bar is a historic American bar in Key West, Florida located at the corner of Greene and Duval Street since 1937.
Is sloppy joe made of pork or beef? ›
Ground beef is the traditional meat for this recipe. Choose more lean meat for less fat during cooking, I use 92% lean when making these. Ground pork is a unique addition to a Sloppy Joe recipe.
What are the ingredients in a can of manwich? ›
TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, SUGAR, CARROT FIBER, DRIED GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS, CHILI PEPPER, GUAR GUM, SPICES, XANTHAN GUM, DRIED GARLIC, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID.
Charlotte Hancey
