Italian Sloppy Joes -- fun and easy dinner idea
Published: Wed, 03/19/25
Updated: Mon, 03/24/25
Good day, Slow Cookerers!!
It's Wednesday ---- the week is half-over but you still need to feed yourself... ;-).
Let's see if we can get you motivated with an easy dinner that tastes wonderful.
And that dinner is: SLOPPY JOES.
Sloppy Joes need to stage a comeback. They are a fun and easy way to stretch a pound of ground beef or turkey.
Most recipes call for using a bunch of ketchup in the base, but we find that a bit too sweet for our liking.
This is a good mix of savory with just a touch of sugar to offset the strong onion and garlic flavor.
I serve our Sloppy Joes on toasted hamburger buns (we use the Trader Joe's gluten free hamburger buns) with a slice of cheese -- Adam likes Pepper Jack, and the kids ask for cheddar.
Because these are "Italian" Sloppy Joes, traditionally so you should technically use Mozzarella cheese.
but we've never been all that "traditional..."
:-)
Italian Sloppy Joes
365 Slow Cooker Suppers, page 246
serves 6
1 1/2 pounds lean turkey or ground beef (see below for vegetarian option)
1 onion, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
6 toasted hamburger buns (we use gluten free buns)
sliced cheese for serving
The Directions.
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Place the ground meat into your insert, and stir in the onion and garlic.
Add mushrooms, Italian seasoning, and sugar.
Stir in the tomato sauce.
Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours.
Stir very well to break the meat up completely before serving.
The Verdict.
I usually have everything in the house to make this recipe and make some kind of variation of it every few weeks.
It's easier than making hamburger on a bun because I can toss everything into the cooker and leave the house for the day.
Our evenings are quite busy with kid sports and meetings so this way everyone can serve themselves when they are home and ready to eat.
Can this be made vegetarian?
YES. You can goof around with using riced cauliflower or broccoli instead of ground meat.
You can also use your favorite meatless ground substitute the same way.
If you are gluten free, be sure to read packages of meat-substitutes carefully. (this is why I go straight to the broccoli or cauliflower "rice.")
enjoy!!
happy slow cooking! steph
PS -- If you don't already have these pages bookmarked, here is the Table of Contents for all the recipes (over 1000!) on the website.
and here is the 2008 Flashback, all 366 (leap year!), in order.
🍲 🍲 🍲 🍲 🍲
thank you!!
Stephanie O'Dea
1534 Plaza Lane #256, Burlingame California, 94010-3204
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Stephanie O'Dea
1534 Plaza Lane #256, Burlingame California, 94010-3204
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