How to Make Bun-less Sloppy Joes

Take a bread-less spin on classic Sloppy Joes and learn How to Make Bun-less Sloppy Joes! This timeless recipe tastes just like the old but with a healthier twist without the canned sauce and buns. Ready in under thirty minutes, have this tasty, nostalgia meal on your dinner table and watch your family devour this tasty weeknight meal!

If you like this easy but tasty weeknight approved recipe, you will love Supreme Baked Pizza Casserole, Philly Roll Sushi Bowl or Quick Thai Creamy Coconut Shrimp.

WHAT ARE SLOPPY JOES?

A Sloppy Joe is an American classic sandwich consisting of ground beef, onion and seasonings, mixed with a classic "ketchup" sauce. If you were raised in the 80's and 90's like me, you have vivid memories of having Sloppy Joe's made with Manwich at least once a week or every other week. Sloppy Joe's date back to the 1940's bac to the 1940's.

Sloppy Joe's taste similar to meatloaf but has a chopped meat consistency. If you like hamburgers or meatloaf, trust me, you will love Sloppy Joe's if you have never tried it. There is a slightly different "zing" to the sauce but paired with sweet bread or in this case, sweet potatoes, it is the perfect mix of sweet-heat and salty!

ARE SLOPPY JOES HEALTHY?

Are Sloppy Joe's healthy? Technically no but besides the ground beef, tomatoes or tomato sauce is the second most ingredient. Tomatoes provide a good source of vitamin c and potassium so for starters, this classic recipe is "ok". In addition, if you are preparing traditional Sloppy Joe's and using one of the famous canned sauces, that is where the "healthy" word can be placed to the side. With this intention, while the canned sauce is arguably, absolutely delicious, it is filled with a lot of sugar, high fructose corn syrup and quite a bit amount of sodium.

But have no fear, while I am not here to be a health coach, I do believe in eating whatever you like in moderation. I also think it is ok to try new ways to reinvent your favorite meals using whole and fresh ingredients. If you are apprehensive about trying this bun-less recipe, I urge you to keep reading. I think you will be surprised at how tasty this recipe is.

WHAT IS SLOPPY JOE SAUCE MADE OF?

This skillet sloppy joe recipe tastes very similar to the traditional canned version. You will need one pan to prepare the chopped beef mixture and a sheet pan to prepare the sweet potatoes. That is, it! To explain, let us take a quick second to talk about what is in this homemade sauce.

What ingredients are in this Sloppy Joe sauce?

• Tomato Paste
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Yellow Mustard
• Honey
• Water

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS BUN-LESS SLOPPY JOE RECIPE?

As mentioned, this recipe will surprisingly shock you in the flavor department. The flavors taste very similar to the traditional version-in my opinion, better but who asked?! With just a handful of household ingredients, you will have a fun and tasty meal on your dinner table in under thirty minutes!

Here are the ingredients you will need.

• Ground Beef
• Onion
• Red Pepper
• Tomato Paste
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Ketchup
• Yellow Mustard
• Honey
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• Water
• Salt and Pepper
• Sweet Potatoes
• Olive Oil (or Coconut Oil)
• Parsley (optional)

IS SLOPPY JOE KETO?

In this instance, this recipe is not keto. There is a small amount of ketchup that is added. However, you can certainly substitute the ketchup for crushed tomatoes. Honey is also not considered keto friendly, but you can also omit this ingredient or add stevia to help tie the flavors together.

While I served this recipe with sweet potatoes, if you are wanting a low carb option, you can serve this meat mixture with a side salad-with the meat mixture as a main. To explain, you can also serve it with these low carb friendly options as well:

• Zucchini Boats or Zucchini Noodles
• Stuffed inside a Bell Pepper
• Lettuce Cups

HOW TO MAKE BUN-LESS SLOPPY JOES

First, begin by prepping the ingredients. This makes for a smoother and faster cooking experience if you are pushing for time. If you are preparing this meal as listed in this recipe, preheat your oven at 425 degrees. Second, begin by cleaning and dicing the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Third, place the sweet potato pieces on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for up to twenty minutes until fork tender.

Next, begin preparing the chopped meat mixture by placing the ground beef in a medium to large sized skillet on medium heat. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and add the chopped onion and red bell pepper. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through ensuring the beef is broken down to tiny bits, this step takes about eight to ten minutes.

Next, after the ground beef mixture is cooked through, drain any access grease/fat and return to heat. At this instance, add in the tomato paste and stir. Then, add the ketchup, mustard, honey, crushed red pepper, and water. Allow the mixture to cook down and thicken, this step takes about five minutes. Continue stirring until the mixture is well mixed and reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

HOW TO PLATE BUN-LESS SLOPPY JOES

Now, it is time to plate the recipe! First, evenly distribute the sweet potatoes into two to four bowls depending on your family size. Next, plate about ½ cup to ¾ cup of mixture in each bowl. Top each bowl with fresh parsley and you are ready to serve and enjoy the meal.

CAN YOU FREEZE SLOPPY JOES?

Ultimately, this recipe feeds two to four depending on your family size and because this recipe is absolutely delicious, I am certain you will not have leftovers. However, if you have leftovers and would like to safely store the mixture, you can freeze the mixture in a freezer safe container or Ziploc bag.

With that said, if you like this easy but tasty weeknight approved recipe, you will love:

Supreme Baked Pizza Casserole

Philly Roll Sushi Bowl

Quick Thai Creamy Coconut Shrimp.