I have never been a big fan of plain old sloppy joes - ground beef in a seasoned sauce on buns. However, my family just loves sloppy joes. I’ve found that when I play around with the sloppy joe base and either add other ingredients to it or use it in other dishes, I like it just as much as they do. This has also proven to be a great way to stretch ground beef because the flavor of the sauce is so strong that any additions are hardly noticed. For that reason, I always have plenty of sloppy joe base and its variations on hand in the freezer. It also freezes and reheats really well.

Here is the basic recipe I use when making sloppy joes:

Sloppy Joes

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c. ketchup
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T. yellow mustard
• 2 t. cumin
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 1/2 t. allspice
• 1/2 t. pepper

1. Cook the ground beef, onions, green pepper and garlic in a large skillet until meat is browned. Drain fat.

2. Add all remaining ingredients to the pan, bring to a slow boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This base is really easy to throw together, and very adaptable depending on tastes and preferences. It is also a wonderful base for “hiding” other flavors.

One of my favorite ways to stretch the ground beef is with veggies. This past week I made some sloppy joe meat to have on hand in the freezer. I reduced the amount of ground beef to one pound and added 3 cups shredded cabbage and one cup diced zucchini. My family doesn’t mind the extra chunks of veggies, but if they did I would just shred the zucchini. The cabbage cooks down enough that it softens and is hardly even noticeable. The top picture shows it all cooking together and the bottom picture is after I have added all the sauce ingredients.

When I am stretching the ground beef in the basic recipe, I almost always cut the amount of meat in half and still get enough for 2 meals. Here are some other ways I have stretched the basic sloppy joe:

• 2 c. cooked beans, whole or slightly mashed
• 2 c. cooked lentils
• 1 c. diced or shredded carrots, 1/2 c. finely diced celery, and 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 c. bulgur, barley, or brown rice, and 1 c. vegetable of choice
• 1 c. cooked beans and 1 c. corn

In the second picture above, the sloppy joe meat is in a casserole. That’s because I put a layer of mashed potatoes over it to make a “sloppy joe shepherd’s pie.” It is so delicious and one of my current favorites in the sloppy joe variation department. Some other variation ideas are:

• Over baked potatoes
• Stirred into macaroni and cheese
• Thinned with 1/2 c. tomato sauce and tossed with spaghetti noodles
• Covered with lots of cheese on a pizza crust
• Covered with cheese and rolled up in a tortilla for a sloppy joe burrito
• Placed into biscuit cups (biscuit dough pressed into muffin tins) and baked with cheese on top

I’m always looking for more sloppy joe variations, so if you have a favorite, please share with me.

You can find more Kitchen Tip Tuesday here and more Tightway Tuesday here.

Also, make sure you check out the giveaway we are hosting this week for a Precious Girl’s Club book.

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