Perfect Sloppy Joes

Who doesn't love sloppy Joe's? I would hazard a guess to say that's very few individuals indeed. Sloppy Joe's are universally loved for their ease of preparation and family friendly vibe.
Everyone goes for a Sloppy Joe no matter how unkempt this sandwich may appear.  To the contrary, juices oozing down your chin and making you question if you should have used a fork is probably part of its allure.  Comfort food in its finest hour.

This delectable version lightens things up with a mixture of good grass fed lean ground beef and ground turkey. I also go for natural sweetness as opposed to sugar that is often added in many recipes. I'll even use a minimal amount of the lowest sugar variety ketchup I can find. For this recipe I'm using Primal Kitchen ketchup which comes in at 1 g of sugar per serving.  Check the labels on some of the other brands of ketchup in the store. You'll be shocked. No wonder kids eat this ruby condiment on everything. 

I also add a yellow bell pepper instead of the typical green bell pepper. That yellow bell pepper equals additional sweetness.

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LETTING THE ONIONS AND BELL PEPPER SAUTE A BIT

Also using tomato paste and a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes adds even more sweet goodness and extra savoriness without processed sugar. Just naturally fabulous flavor.

TOMATO PASTE ADDS SUCH A DEEPER COLOR & TOMATO FLAVOR. GOOD STUFF!

A handful of spices, namely chili powder and smoked paprika along with a couple cloves of garlic are all you need. After combining everything and browning the ground turkey and beef, I cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Voilà! The best sloppy Joe's.  You have to try these for yourself.

I LIKE A BIT OF PURPLE CABBAGE ON MINE FOR COLOR & CRUNCH

While I love mine open faced on a toasted slice of good sourdough bread, a beautifully fluffy bun like potato or brioche is the more familiar route.

I also add finely shredded purple cabbage on my sandwich to amp up the veg, color and texture factors, but that's totally up to you.

The only thing that can make this any better is a night in the fridge.  It's one of those things that is just better the next day, like good chili.

Enjoy!

Some of my favorite affiliate items used for this recipe:

Perfect Sloppy Joes
8 sandwiches


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white or amzn.to/43xqMndyellow onion
1 yellow bell pepper, stem and core removed and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
16 ounces  ground beef (90/10). I used good grass fed beef
16 ounces ground turkey (light and dark meat mix)
1 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes (and 1/2 the can of water)
1/2 cup low sugar ketchup such as Primal Kitchen
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Aleppo chili flake (optional)
1/4 teaspoonsmoked paprika
Shredded purple cabbage (optional for serving)
8 buns or your choice of bread




I like to make my sloppy Joes in a dutch oven, but a large skillet with a lid will work also. 
Turn the heat to medium and add in the olive oil, chopped bell pepper and onion with half the salt.  Saute about 5 minutes until the veggies become translucent.

Add in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to slightly toast the paste.  Add in the ground beef and turkey, the remaining salt and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes until the meats begin to brown.
Add in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and can of tomatoes, then fill the empty can half way with water and add that in as well, trying get out as many of the tomato juices as you can.

Add in the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, pepper and Aleppo chili flake if using.

Stir well, then cover and simmer 20 minutes, turning the heat down to low if it starts to bubble too aggressively.

Serve with your choice of bread and the optional purple cabbage for crunch.


Great the next day, or freeze for later use if you have a lot left over.  It will keep a good 3 months in your freezer.