With the exception of snacks- and dear Lord do my kids know how to snack- we have cut down tremendously on the amount of processed foods that we buy and eat. For the most part, I don’t think that this reduction was intentional. It’s more that non-processed foods (and making stuff from scratch) is just so much more damn tasty. And also, I’ve found that a lot of things that I was buying simply for convenience isn’t all that more convenient than to just make from it scratch. Take for example, these Homemade Sloppy Joes. Holy smokes is the homemade, made-from-scratch version so much tastier. And let’s talk about how simple it is… you literally chop a few things and throw it into a big skillet with a handful of other ingredients and that’s it! And most of the ingredients I usually have on hand.

Did you have sloppy joes as a kid? I sure did. It was one of my favorite meals. I don’t know why. There’s really nothing special about them, but maybe that’s it. The simple, delicious, and comforting. This recipe for Homemade Sloppy Joes is slight sweet, slightly spicy, and so darn good. It makes a pretty big batch- for me, it was about 12 decently sized sandwiches. We usually eat the leftovers as lunch for the next day or so and they are JUST AS delicious as leftovers as the night they’re made.

If you haven’t made Homemade Sloppy Joes from scratch, you really have to give it a try. I know that it’s tempting to buy a can of the sauce and throw it in a skillet with some ground beef, but I really can’t stress to you enough how much more delicious they are from scratch. If I’ve convinced you, let me show you how to make them then…

Let me show you how to make this Homemade Sloppy Joes 👇🏻

In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced large bell pepper, 1 diced sweet onion, and 1 diced (and seeded) jalapeño.

Note: For a spicier sloppy joe, add one or two more jalapeños.

Cook until the veggies are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then add 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Now add 2 lbs of lean ground beef. I used 90/10 beef. Break up the beef as it cooks.

When the beef is fully cooked, drain off any excess fat. With lean beef, you shouldn’t have much to drain, but make sure that there is no more than 1 tbsp of fat in the skillet.

Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet. Add a 15 oz can of tomato sauce, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp ground mustard, and salt and pepper (to taste).

Stir everything together really well.

Cook the sloppy joe meat at a low simmer for 10-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and reached your desired “sauciness”.

Serve the Homemade Sloppy Joes in bun by itself or with desired toppings.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Enjoy!!

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

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Homemade Sloppy Joes

Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and totally delicious! These Homemade Sloppy Joes will convince you to never buy the canned stuff again! So easy and ready in about 30 minutes!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings 12 Servings

Author Maggie @ Cupcakes and Sarcasm

Ingredients

1 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Large Bell Pepper, diced
1 Sweet Onion, diced
1+ Jalapeños, seeded and diced For more spice, use 2-3 jalapeños
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Lbs Lean Ground Beef
15 Oz Canned Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp Ground Mustard
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño and cook until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the lean ground beef and break it up as it cooks. Once the ground beef is broken up and completely cooked, drain off the excess fat so that there is no more than 1 tbsp of fat in the skillet.
Now add the remaining ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, worchestershire sauce, brown sugar, and seasonings. Stir until everything is well combined.
Cook the meat and sauce at a gentle simmer for 10-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and reached your desired sauciness.
Serve the sloppy joe meat in a bun by itself or with desired toppings. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Enjoy!