Bless Her Heart

Some of the comfort foods that made this list require a lot of ingredients…or a long time to cook…or are not exactly the favorite of kids, even ourselves back when we were kids how many years ago?

But there is one simple, quick and kid-friendly comfort food that I have loved ever since I could hold my own hamburger bun…even if all the drippings did fall all over the place…kinda like tacos, right?!

Sloppy Joes…

Making Sloppy Joes, as if you don’t already know, involves smothering ground beef in a sauce and then serving it on toasted hamburger or brioche buns.

Sure, you could open a can and have a Manwich.

But do you really know what’s in that can?

And if you already have the ingredients on hand, why not make your own Manwich sauce. And honestly, homemade Sloppy Joe sauce just tastes better.

Ground Beef: Most of us who ate Sloppy Joes back when we were little probably had Sloppy Joes made with ground beef. But feel free to use ground chicken, ground pork, ground sirloin, ground turkey or even a meat alternative (like Beyond or Impossible) for a meal that’s just as delicious.

If you do decide to use ground beef, look for lean ground beef…preferably 90% lean. The lower fat content means that there will be fat and grease to drain off of the cooked ground beef. It also gives your Sloppy Joes a better texture.

Vegetables: Many people like to add vegetables – bell pepper, carrots, celery, kale, mushrooms, spinach, squash, zucchini – to Sloppy Joes. Honestly, I don’t. This is supposed to be a “kids’ meal.” So don’t try to convince your kids to eat Sloppy Joes packed with extra vegetabls. Kids are not stupid.

Occasionally, I will add a good Vidalia onion into the mixture. Just make sure that it cooks enough that it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb and totally make your Sloppy Joe disgusting.

I also add garlic…probably because garlic, much like salt, is expected to be in there.

The Sauce: Making homemade Sloppy Joe sauce is like making homemade barbecue sauce. You can pretty much put anything and everything in there…and then carefully “adjust seasoning” until you come up with exactly the taste that you’re looking for.

Ingredients that can be used when making the Sloppy Joe sauce include ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, Tobasco, mustard and  apple cider vinegar

Seasoning: Seasonings that could be used in making Sloppy Joe sauce include chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, cayenne, smoked paprika, dry mustard, chives. I have shown you what spices I use, but I’ve gotten where I don’t like spicy foods any more. So you might want to kick it up a notch or two or seven.

Hamburger Buns: Some people like to get all fancy like Applebee’s with their foods, even with choosing the bread to serve Sloppy Joes on anything – brioche, homemade hamburger buns, loafbread,  pretzel buns, and even hot dog buns.

I say stick to the hamburger buns. After all, your mom probably did.

• 12Tbsp butter
• 2# ground beef
• 3 minced cloves garlic
• 1 finely diced onion (1-1/2C)
• 1 finely diced red bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (mine always comes from a jar…ha ha)
• 1-1/2C ketchup
• 2Tbsp brown sugar
• 2Tbsp tomato paste
• 15oz tomato sauce
• 1Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1tsp chili powder
• 1/2tsp Italian seasoning
• 1tsp smoked paprika

Cook the meat: Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Stir in the beef. Cook about eight minutes, until there is no longer pink in the middle. Drain in a colander. Pour the drained meat onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain even more.

Cook the vegetables: Add the onion, green bell pepper and garlic to the now-empty hot skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Add beef back to the skillet

Make the Sauce: The sauce is what either makes or breaks this recipe. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer.Cover.Simmer 10 minutes. Now stir in whatever spices you have chosen to use: chili powder, onion powder, pepper, salt. Remove from heat. Serve over toasted buns.Taste the Sloppy Joe sauce. Adjust seasonings according to personal preference.

Serve: If your meat mixture seems too thin at this point, uncover the Dutch oven and cook the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency, stirring frequently. You could try combining 1Tbsp cornstarch with 1Tbsp water and then stirring this into the sauce before simmering until thick.

Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

To store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

To make ahead: After making the entire recipe, let the mixture cool to room temperature. Store in fridge for up to four days…or in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat thoroughly on the stove or in the microwave.

To make in the crockpot: Brown the beef. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours…or HIGH for 2-3 hours. 

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in the microwave om on the stovetop until hot.