SHLOPPY JOES, SHLOPPY JOES!
I cannot even think of eating sloppy joes without a bit of nostalgia from my childhood and my love of SNL in the 90’s. Adam Sandler and Chris Farley were a dream team. I still sing the lunch lady land song every single time I make these. If you have no idea what I am rambling about look up lunch lady land/Adam Sandler and Billy Madison.
Okay now on to the sandwiches.
My recipe takes the tragic school lunchroom sloppy joes and turns them almost, if I dare say, gourmet! I like to simmer the mix in a Dutch oven for about 15 minutes. Now there are a few key secrets that make my homemade mix better than the rest and I’m going to share them with you.
- Add a dash or so of a flavorful hot sauce. It makes a world of difference. I love Tucker’s Pepper Company- Whiskey Ghost hot sauce. (You can buy online) or any brand of hot sauce that you fancy will do.
- The bun. The key to taking this meal to the next level is to use a brioche or ciabatta bun, drenched in butter and grilled/toasted. Do not skip this step! I love Tillamook Sea salted butter.
With these little tips I think you will be incredibly pleased Okay, Let’s get started!
Sloppy JOES
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp butter, divided I love Tillamook sea salted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste PRO TIP: You can buy squeeze tube tomato paste and keep it in the fridge. It comes in handy when you just need a small amount.
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- ciabatta buns
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter to a medium Dutch oven or in a skillet with a lid. Turn heat to med high.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 2-4 minutes. Then add the ground beef. Cook until the meat has browned and no longer pink. (Don't overcook)
- Drain the meat and vegetables in a strainer. Then move back to the Dutch/skillet.
- Add the paste and mix. Next goes the hot sauce, ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and spices. Mix well. Let it come to a simmer, put on a lid, and turn the heat to low.
- Simmer the mix on low for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it and mix a couple times in between.
- The mix will be cooked down but still saucy.
- Put the lid back on and turn the heat off.
- Slather the buns with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and pop them on a griddle or in a cast iron pan. When the buns are all golden and toasty it's time to fill them.
- Fill each bun with the sloppy mixture. I like to serve it with tater tots or ruffles chips. It's a bite of childhood.
- ENJOY!
