The Very Best Sloppy Joe Recipe

A family favorite, this is the BEST Sloppy Joe Recipe ever! Secretly packed with healthy ingredients, your veggie haters will have no clue that you’re pulling a fast one.

School’s out, officially, everywhere (I think) now. The buses are long gone and the kids are hanging out in the cul-de-sac playing kickball, basketball, and, surprisingly, not on their phones.  It’s kind of nice to see.  We set up the waterslide, again, in the yard since Father’s Day was a bit of a scorcher around here.  It didn’t help that we “brunched” al fresco at the only table NOT in the shade, so I was already wilted by the time my bloody mary arrived.  Plus, there was a car show in the village so my husband wanted to walk around a bit to check things out. Did I mention I was wilting. But it was Father’s Day and I wanted him to be able to do whatever he wanted without having to hear me cackle about it. *wilting*  I needed any kind of relief to cool off…even if it was a 10 foot inflatable spewing water all over the place.  Works for me.

After my body temperature returned to normal, I started my usual prep for the week….the planning what I’m going to make for all of you and share here on the blog….and our own weekly meal plan….and trying to figure out when the heck I’m going to be able to get back to the shore….and what gifts I’m going to buy all the grads that I know. (Suggestions on that last one are welcome!)  And, of course, dinner for Monday night.  I admit, I’ve been holding out a little bit on you….I’ve been keeping a secret and it’s how I get my kids to eat things like mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and onions.  They’re not real big fans so I try to sneak them into things like meatloaf and burgers.  And this….the Very Best Sloppy Joe Recipe.  I’m not even lying…it’s the best…and they’ll never know what hit ’em.

This thing is loaded….I mean, LOADED with vegetables. And what they think is ground beef…is, actually, a blend of ground beef and heavily minced mushrooms.  A ton of them.  It’s like almost half mushrooms. And the thing about mushrooms is…they don’t have much flavor when they’re tossed around in a sauce with ground beef.  You don’t even know they’re there.  My kids had no idea and the older one may know NOW because sometimes she’ll read my post but most of the time….not.  So, hey…Katie…if you read this…..HA!!!

The Very Best Sloppy Joe recipe is super easy to make and is ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s great to make ahead since the flavors have more time to develop and it freezes beautifully too!  It’s wonderful piled on a soft fluffy hamburger roll.  Serve with a little tortellini salad and you’re in business!

The Very Best Sloppy Joe Recipe

Course: Dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sloppy joe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 154 kcal

Author: Kellie

Hidden veggies are my secret ingredient to the BEST Sloppy Joe Recipe ever. 

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced sweet onion
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 1 cup matchstick cut carrots
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes I LOVE Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes!
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 14 ounces finely minced mushrooms

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium/high heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened. Add the bell peppers and carrots to the pan. Continue cooking until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the mixture turns a deep burgundy in color, approximately 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the dijon, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture to combine thoroughly.
4. Stir in the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn off the heat.
5. Carefully, transfer the mixture to a blender and cover with the lid. Hold the lid with a towel (to prevent burning yourself, pressure will build up from the hot ingredients) and puree until smooth. Set aside.
6. Return the skillet to the heat and brown the ground beef over medium/high until no longer pink, approximately 10-15 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl and drain off the fat.
8. Return the skillet to the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms over medium/high until softened and most of the moisture has evaporated.
9. Return the beef to the skillet and toss to combine.
10. Pour the sauce over the beef mixture and stir.
11. Bring the mixture to a boil, the lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
12. Serve on hamburger buns.

Recipe Notes

If you're more of a chunky veggie sloppy joe fan, puree only 1/2 of the vegetable mixture and create the sauce that way. You may need a bit of canned tomato sauce to make it more saucy but it's just as tasty!

Nutrition Facts

The Very Best Sloppy Joe Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 154 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 35mg 12%

Sodium 357mg 15%

Potassium 661mg 19%

Total Carbohydrates 12g 4%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 7g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 67.1%

Vitamin C 67.9%

Calcium 4.2%

Iron 14.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.