It’s no wonder busy parents have been whipping up batches of Sloppy Joes for their families for ages. They’re tasty, inexpensive and easy to make, creating the perfect meal for busy nights filled with after-school activities throughout the year. But what if we told you we’ve created the perfect Sloppy Joe recipe – not from prepackaged spices, but with fresh, healthy ingredients? With just a few more ingredients and a couple of extra minutes of your time, you can make mouth-watering Sloppy Joes that your entire family will love – AND feel good about the ingredients you’re using. Filled with fresh veggies, herbs and spices, these are definitely NOT your Mama’s Sloppy Joes!
Ingredients
SECTION 1
1 cup of finely diced red onions
1/2 cup of finely diced celery
SECTION 2
1/2 cup of diced (roasted) poblano peppers
1 cup of finely diced (roasted) mini sweet peppers
4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
SECTION 3
1 T of ancho chile powder
SECTION 4
1 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (we love chipotle & honey infused)
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of organic ketchup
SECTION 5
1 T of dijon mustard
1 T of honey
1 T of packed brown sugar
1 T of molasses
1 t of Worcestershire sauce
SECTION 6
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
2 T of apple cider vinegar
OTHER:
1 pound of ground beef (80/20)
1 pound of ground pork
1 T of canola or sunflower oil
salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1-2 t of cayenne pepper (optional for added heat)
6 toasted rolls
PREPPING TIPS:
- Ground beef and pork should be at room temperature when you begin cooking, so let it sit for approximately 30 minutes before starting.
- When you’re prepping ingredients, group into small bowls and section them based off of when they’re added.
- Preheat broiler to low (approximately 500 degrees)
- Brush peppers with a light coating of oil, salt on all sides, and place on a baking sheet. Place on top rack of oven. Roast for 6 minutes, then carefully turn peppers over and roast for an additional 4 minutes until skin is blistery and partly charred. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before handling and chopping.
HOW TO:
- In a large high-sided sauté pan, heat oil over high heat
- When oil is hot, add all meat, breaking it into small pieces
- Season meat with salt and pepper
- Cook meat until golden brown
- Remove meat with a slotted spoon
- Remove and discard all but one T of fat from the pan
- Place pan back on heat (lowering heat to medium)
- Stir in SECTION 1 ingredients (onion and celery)
- Cook until soft (about 3 minutes)
- Stir in SECTION 2 ingredients (poblano, mini peppers and garlic)
- Cook for approximately 1 minute
- Stir in SECTION 3 ingredients (chile powder)
- Cook for about 30 seconds
- Add SECTION 4 ingredients (BBQ sauce, water, ketchup)
- Bring to a boil by raising heat, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes)
- Reduce heat to medium/low
- Stir in SECTION 5 ingredients (mustard, worchester, honey, brown sugar, molasis)
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
- Return meat to the pan
- Continue cooking without cover until thickened (about 10 minutes)
- Stir in SECTION 6 ingredients (vinegar, cilantro)
- salt and pepper to taste
This recipe makes between 6-8 fully stuffed sandwiches. It pairs well with spicy sweet potato fries. It’s the perfect dish for family dinner on busy weeknights or all-day snacking on Football Sunday!
Photo credit: Danielle Kowalski