Crock Pot Sloppy Joe's made with lean ground beef in a tangy tomato sauce are tasty sandwiches the entire family will love. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners or outdoor gatherings.
Today is National Sloppy Joe Day and since I've never made Sloppy Joe's at home before I decided to whip up this easy batch of Crock Pot Sloppy Joe's to share with you.
Sloppy Joe's weren't something we ate a lot of growing up. In fact, the last time I remember eating them was probably 30 or so years ago as a teenager.
Even then it wasn't the homemade kind like this, but rather made from Manwich sauce where you just mix the contents of the can with some browned ground beef. Back then I didn't care so much about all of the extra additives in my food.
As for my kids, as far as I know they've never even tasted Sloppy Joes; that is unless it was served as a hot meal during school lunch.
So when I made this recipe recently at home, my thirteen year old went nuts for it. Sloppy Joe's are really quite tasty and only take about 10 minutes to prep before allowing it to simmer in the crock pot.
How do you make Sloppy Joe's?
Simply brown some ground beef; then add chopped onions and garlic until they start to soften. You can also add some chopped green peppers, but my family doesn't like them so I left them out.
Next, add the beef mixture to your crock pot and add some tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar and mix well.
Allow to to simmer in your crock pot on warm or low for 6-8 hours or high 2-4 hours. Because the meat is already cooked, you can leave it in there for quite a while to get all of those flavors melded together. When you're ready to eat, place some of the mixture on your favorite roll and dig in!
I used a smaller sized potato roll because it was nice and soft which made 12 sandwiches; a little bigger than a slider, but smaller than a hamburger bun.
What are some alternative suggestions?
- Brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic in a large saucepan on the stove; then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- Substitute ground chicken or turkey for the beef.
- Add fresh green, red or yellow chopped peppers.
- Use slider rolls to serve for a group gathering or larger rolls for a hearty sandwich.
- Leftovers? Serve the Sloppy Joe mixture over rice or egg noodles, mix in with your favorite pasta or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Crock Pot Sloppy Joe's were delicious, fun and a little messy to eat, but it was worth being a kid at heart again with my daughter as we took our first bites and the meat was falling off the bun.
We were trying to see how many bites we could eat "neatly" and didn't do a great job, but we had fun and isn't that what cooking in the kitchen with your kids is about? ~Enjoy!
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Crock Pot Sloppy Joe's
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb. Lean Ground Beef
- ¼ c. Chopped Onions
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- ½ c. Tomato Paste
- 1 ½ c. Water
- 2 tbsp. Worcestshire Sauce
- 2 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 12 Potato Rolls (or hamburger buns)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; then add chopped onions and garlic until they start to soften.
- Add the beef mixture to your crock pot; then add the tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and salt; mix well.
- Allow to to simmer in your crock pot on warm or low for 6-8 hours or high 2-4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
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What are some recipes you like to make at home with your kids?
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Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Shared at Simple Supper Tuesday 10/13/15
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Audrey Stewart says
My mother made us homemade Sloppy Joe's when were growing. This is almost her recipe. She also made homemade french fries. That was our Saturday afternoon lunch. One of my favorites.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
My kids love homemade french fries with these also.