Italian Sloppy Joes -- fun and easy dinner idea
Published: Wed, 03/21/18
Good day, Slow Cookerers!!
I've got a sick 8 year old home with me today. She's got a fever and sore throat, which means that we are going to cuddle on the couch and watch movies.
This also means that in about 5 days, I'm going to have a sore throat....
It's worth it!!
:-)
Alright, let's talk 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 with a slice of cheese -- Adam likes Pepper Jack, and the kids ask for cheddar.
Because these are "Italian" Sloppy Joes, traditionally you should 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, this is a good brand to look for in your grocery store.
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.
🍲 🍲 🍲 🍲 🍲