Healthier Sloppy Joes (with Pantry Staples)
Create a veggie-filled sloppy joe with this easy recipe with pantry staples already in your kitchen.
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 10" saute pan
- 1 small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1 celery rib finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves finely diced
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅛ tsp salt (only if using no salt added tomato sauce)
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce no salt added
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce low salt version
Instructions
- Heat pan on medium high heat. Add canola oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and black pepper to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until they start to soften, stirring occasionally.
- Add ground beef, salt (if using) and cumin. Break up beef into small pieces and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes depending on how soft you want your vegetables.
- Serve with your favorite buns or mini slider buns. Whole wheat and sweet bread are some favorites. Mini hoagie rolls would taste great, too.
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Other protein options?
This recipe calls for ground beef but you can easily swap it out for ground turkey. Turkey is a great alternative if you need to watch your cholesterol.
Can I use red bell pepper instead of green bell pepper?
Yes, you can swap a different color bell pepper. However, the green bell pepper is the least sweet of the bell peppers. The colored bell pepper has more natural sugar in it, so your sloppy joe filling will taste sweeter. If using a different color bell pepper, use a low sugar ketchup or 1 Tbsp of tomato paste instead of ketchup.
How do I keep the sloppy joes from falling apart?
While the sauce is simmering, toast the buns in a toaster oven or heat them in the oven under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes. It helps to keep the buns from getting too soggy and falling apart. You can also swap the bun for lettuce and eat it like a lettuce wrap for a “less sloppy” joe.
How can I make this healthier?
If you’re trying to introduce ground turkey to those you love and they're not a fan, try mixing half ground beef and half ground turkey. I find that slowly adding a new or lighter ingredient to a recipe makes it easier for people to try new things.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can make this the day before and store it in the refrigerator overnight. You can also cut your veggies and measure your sauce ingredients the night before or morning before you plan to cook and store it in the refrigerator.
Feel free to double this recipe and freeze the leftovers for a meal up to three months later. Use a Ziploc-type bag, fill the bag when the filling is cool, and seal and flatten to maximize your storage space.