Sloppy Joe Fest

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Sloppy Joe Fest is all your favorite classic comfort food recipes in one post.
Five recipes using one sauce recipe!

It’s Sloppy Joe Fest this week, and I’ve created four recipes using one Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce recipe.

Sloppy Joe Fest is exactly what comfort food looks like.

First, where did Sloppy Joes come from?

Rumor has it that Joe was creating ‘loose meat sandwiches’ in Sioux City, Iowa. There are all kinds of variations around the country, but America loves this classic comfort food recipe!

Next, what’s in Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce?

tomato sauce
chili sauce (the kind you use for shrimp cocktail!)
Worcestershire sauce
yellow mustard
apple cider vinegar
brown sugar
garlic powder
onion powder
seasoning salt

Let’s breakdown the sauce…

The ONLY chili sauce you can buy for this recipe is Heinz. You’ll use the whole bottle. But, don’t throw it out – we’re going to add some things to the bottle…
Into the chili sauce bottle, add the apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Shake it up really well, then dump into a mixing bowl with the brown sugar on the bottom.
Whisk your brown sugar really well with the apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining chili sauce. (This way you don’t end up with clumps of brown sugar)
Add your can of tomato sauce, mustard, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix it up and pour it into browned ground beef and onions.

Homemade Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Now, let’s chat about these sandwiches…

You’ll brown ground beef and onions together – I like to plop the meat in and let it hang out for a bit until a nice crust forms.
Then using this nifty tool, break up the beef. I’ll add the onions to the meat and let them saute right in the pot.
You’ll pour in your sauce until it to your desired ‘sloppy’ consistency. I like it fairly saucy, so I add about a cup and quarter of the sauce.
I like to serve on a toasted Hawaiian bun.

Sloppy Joe Sauced Grilled Chicken Thighs

When coming up with this recipe it was a major afterthought. I had made all the other recipes, but still had a bit of sauce left. So, I dumped the sauce over some chicken thighs, covered them overnight in the fridge, and grilled the next day. What a winning combo!

Sloppy Dogs

Sloppy dogs are the all-American classic that takes a hot dog and sloppy joe mix and create a match made in heaven.

It’s a simple concept, but the perfect addition to any tailgate party!

Sloppy dogs are a simple fall recipe idea. You can make the sloppy joe mix ahead of time, then grill the dogs outside.

Put out all the toppings for a hot dog bar, including a crockpot of sloppy joe mix!

Do you need some hot dog bar topping ideas?

ketchup, mustard, mayo
relish, onions, jalapenos
cheese, sour cream, salsa
chili, sloppy joe mix

Sloppy Joe Tot-Chos

This is the ONE recipe you’ll want to make the sloppy joe sauce for. It’s the one you can serve over and over – to crowds of people. It’s super simple and easy to assemble if you’ve prepped your ingredients ahead of time. <— Which might be my number one party planning tip. PLAN AHEAD.

These sloppy joe tot-chos are topped with MELTED pimento cheese. Just make this pimento cheese, and melt it over a double boiler, or in the microwave in 20 seconds intervals. When the fall weather is here, you’ll want a giant sheet pan of this sloppy joe tot-chos recipe, ready for game day!