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Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes

Source of Recipe

From "Dinner Then Dessert" by Sabrina Snyder


Recipe Introduction

"On the sloppy joe spectrum, things can go from sloppy fun to a big sloppy mess pretty quickly. To achieve that perfect equilibrium of fun enough for kids to eat without losing total structural integrity, you need to cook the meat just long enough so it is tender but not turning to mush. Also, and importantly, you need to toast the buns to create a barrier for all of that juicy meat and keep them from becoming soggy. The filling for these sloppy joes spends all day simmering in a perfectly balanced brown sugar and garlic tomato sauce that will make your whole house smell delicious. And because it's a slow-cooker recipe, it just takes a few minutes of prep work in the morning. However, the truest testament to its deliciousness came from my youngest son, whose first word, 'sloppy,' was inspired by this dish."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
â—¦ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
â—¦ ½ yellow onion, chopped
â—¦ ½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
â—¦ 1 clove garlic, minced
â—¦ ¾ cup ketchup
â—¦ 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
â—¦ 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
â—¦ Buns, for serving


Recipe

Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef in one chunk and brown until a deep brown crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then, break up the meat and continue cooking until it is completely cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan.

Add the vegetable oil to the pan, then add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Add the beef and vegetables to the slow cooker, along with the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Cook on low for 4 hours.

To serve:
I love serving sloppy joes on brioche buns. Spread both halves of the split buns with a smear of butter or mayonnaise and sprinkle with some shredded cheddar cheese before toasting to create a crispy, cheesy moisture barrier between the buns and the filling.

Serves 4