Sloppy Joes is one of those old school dinners that fed a large family and was enjoyed by most in the brood. In fact, when my mom told us we were having sloppy joes we rejoiced! Which rarely happened when associated with my mom’s cooking. Sorry Mom. But she would make my Grandma’s recipe for Sloppy Joes and my grandma was a great cook and baker! This recipe is adapted from my Grandma’s which is full of flavor, quality ingredients and tummy and heart-warming goodness, sure to become a staple during the long cold winter months.
This is one of the few recipes I have of my grandmothers. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was young, so I couldn’t bake with her or get many of her recipes. I do have one of her specialties she made every year for Christmas, her Coffee Toffee Bars, although I had to tweak the recipe, we think she gave my mom and aunt the wrong measurements on purpose! Ha-ha, no one was going to steal her star recipe! But I cracked it. She would be proud!
Any who, back to these Sloppy Joes, I was a very picky eater as a child, like most children, but I always loved these! I did tweak my version a little bit and these are Paleo friendly too. I didn’t change much to Grandma’s original recipe, just a few additions and some higher quality ingredients. My Grandma was a single mother of 5 who worked her butt off. They didn’t have much, five kids, one mom, two bedrooms and one bathroom in their tiny house! But, my grandma always provided and there was always good food on the table!
I do love me a good garnish! Kind of like a mini app before your meal! 🙂
My trusty lodge cast iron Dutch oven. I love this. I don’t own a crockpot or instapot or anything like that. I prefer this cast iron beauty. Can go from stove top to oven and the cast iron cooks evenly and retains the heat like nobody’s business.
As I was saying, these Sloppy Joes are AMAZING! They are nothing like that dog food like stuff that comes in a can! Like I said, I made this paleo friendly and for this version I used grass fed ground beef and Primal Kitchen Ketchup. I have done with a combo of ground turkey and pork, ground beef and spicy Italian sausage, and just straight ground turkey. Any way you like it, it works!
This makes a ton, so you can have it for a couple nights and portion out the rest and freeze so you can have whenever you need some warm comfort food to get you through the frigid nights. In the words of the creepy lunch lady in Billy Madison, “have some more schloppy joes!”
I hope you will give my Grandma’s Sloppy Joe a try. You won’t be disappointed and it may even become a family staple in your home!
Enjoy,
Diane
- 2 lbs. Grass fed ground beef (1 pound 85% lean, 1 pound 93% lean)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped green pepper
- 3- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped or grated
- 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp. date nectar or coconut sugar
- 2 tsp. of salt ( more to taste)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2½ cups ketchup (I used Primal Kitchen)
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire
- 2 tbsp. coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce if not paleo)
- 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (tabasco or Cholula or your fav)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups water w/2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- In a Dutch Oven or large heavy bottom pot cook the meat until no pink is left. You can drain the fat if you want. There won't be that much in there. I left it in.
- Add the onions, garlic, tomato paste and spices, stir to combine. Add in the green peppers.
- Stir in the ketchup. Add the bouillon cubes to water to dissolve. Add the rest of the ingredients and the stir in the bouillon water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Enjoy immediately and store leftovers in the fridge covered for up to three days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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