Easy Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe

Homemade Sloppy Joe is one of the easiest and yummiest recipes on the planet!  I’ve never been a fan of a Sloppy Joe before, but I think that’s because we always used the canned sauce, like Manwich.  There’s just something about that sauce that I wasn’t particularly fond of.  

I would make them when my kids were younger because it was so quick to scramble the meat, dump the canned sauce in and boom!  Dinner was served!  

Once the kids left home, that was the end of making Sloppy Joe!  

Well, recently I came across this “homemade” version and thought “What the heck!”  I’m going to give it a try and see if it was worth sharing with you, my dear reader.  And…you know what??  It is!!

It’s made with the most basic ingredients that just about everyone has in the pantry/frig.  Ground beef/chuck, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar are all it takes!  Onion is totally optional but I love it, so I throw a little bit of that in with the ground chuck, too!

I think the best thing about this recipe is that it uses basic ingredients and if you’re needing a quick, filling meal but don’t want to run to the grocery store, you can have one.

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Let’s make some homemade sloppy joe!

All you need is a pound of ground chuck or beef, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and an onion, if desired.  You’ll also need hamburger buns, but even these aren’t totally necessary.  You can use toasted bread as well.

Brown your meat in a skillet.  If you like onion, chop it up and add it when you begin to brown the meat. Be sure to drain any excess grease off once it’s browned and before you add the rest of the ingredients. 

Add the brown sugar, mustard & ketchup to the beef and stir to combine.  Simmer on low for about 10 minutes, then it’s ready to serve!

Tips:

• For an extra special Joe, put a pat of butter in skillet and toast both sides of the buns before loading them up.  
• If you like cheese, put a handful of shredded cheddar or Colby Jack on top before putting the top bun on.
• Make extra (double the recipe) and freeze for another quick dinner! All you’ll have to do is warm it up!
• Serve with potatoes chips, French fries (we use seasoned fries), coleslaw or corn on the cob to complete your meal!

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