Dressed Up Sloppy Joes

This is another great recipe from the amazing gals at Our Best Bites.  The whole family loved these.  Even Katelee ate it despite the fact that it contains green peppers - something she usually avoids like the plague!  :)  I thought these were better than the other sloppy joes I've tried in the past.  It was nice for something a little different on a busy night!  I tried the crockpot version, but I love that you can prepare this in a variety of ways depending on your schedule and what works for you.  Enjoy!

One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s versatile–you can make it in about 30 minutes, it can be semi-prepared and frozen and then cooked in the crockpot, or it can simmer in the crockpot for a few hours, whatever works best for you.

Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• Seasoning salt to taste
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1/2 green pepper, minced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 3/4 c. ketchup
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 hamburger buns 

Stovetop Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Freezer Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low to 3-5 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.

We ate these with Our Best Bites sweet potato fries.  I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of the fries.  Something about the texture of the sweet potatoes was gross.  For me, they were a flop and I won't try them again, but we are going to have the leftover sloppy joes tonight and I'm going to try the steak fries.  I'll let you know if they turn out yummy!

Update: We loved the steak fries!  These sloppy joes go great with them.  For the recipe, click here.