Sloppys are a savory, sweet & tangy meat & vegetable mixture, served up on buttered & toasted hamburgers buns, just like your Sloppy Joe’s. Best of all, it yields 15 Sloppy burgers/sandwiches on average, depending on your serving size. Making this a really cheap meal, with follow-up meals with the leftovers. Which you’ll want to do, the stuff is so good.
It’s an incredible meat mixture that can be served on hamburger buns with a side of chips or fries, to scoop up some of the filling. It can also be used to make Sloppy Dogs, Sloppy Baked Potato or Fries with cheese, Sloppy Pasta Melt or Bake, even a Sloppys Chip Dip with melted cheese on top. Whether you make it a fresh Sloppy meal or Lunch, or use leftovers for the followup meals, It’s just sloppishly good stuff!
Sloppys Ingredients
Ground Beef, Onion, Garlic, Bell Peppers (optional), Homemade Beef Tomato Soup (Water, Tomato Paste, Pimento Paste, Beef Bouillon, Fat, Lemon Juice, Paprika, Chickpea Flour, Salt & Pepper), Ketchup, Mustard, Chili Powder (optional), Black Pepper, Hamburger Buns, Butter.
While Chili powder is optional, it does an excellent job at elevating the flavors. Hot Sauces or Chili Flakes can be added for a Spicy Sloppy.
Beef Tomato Soup
The Beef Tomato Soup is what is used as a base sauce. Instead of just Tomato sauce, the Beef Tomato Sauce adds a viscosity through the thickening agent of chickpea flour, beefy tomato flavors with a touch of smokey paprika and some zest from the lemon juice and pimento paste that just adds that something extra and color.
The other cool thing about this recipe is that it requires only 1 C of the Beef Tomato Soup, which leaves you leftover Beef Tomato Soup that can be used just by itself for a Bowl of Tomato soup and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich or use the leftover Beef Tomato Soup to make to make Shepherds Pie or GMT (Goulash). So not only can Sloppys provide followup meals. But the leftover Beef Tomato Soup used to make the Sloppys can be used to make more follow up meals, and you got delicious choices too. That’s what I’m talking about!
Hamburger Buns
Just your standard hamburger buns, Buttered and toasted before making the filling. You can even go fancy here with the Cheese Bun or other specialty buns. Just heat the skillet up over medium heat and toast the buns. After the buns are done, start the Sloppy Filling. The bigger the buns the more filling you will need.
Sloppy Filling
The Sloppy filling combines ground Beef, Onion, Garlic, and optionally Peppers, Carrots & Celery as the meat filling. The Sloppy Sauce is a combination of Beef Tomato Soup, Ketchup, Mustard and optionally Chili Powder. Although, Chili powder really does elevate the flavors.
Beef Tomato Soup
The Beef Tomato Soup is easy enough too! Just combine all the ingredients together and bring to a boil, that’s it. It can then be measured out and combined with the other ingredients to make the Sloppy Sauce. You only need about 1 Cup of Beef Tomato Soup for every 1 lb (ca. 454 g) of Ground beef.
Sloppy Sauce
The Sloppy Sauce is made from an equal amount of Beef Tomato Soup & Ketchup with Mustard to enhance that Tang and Chili Powder to add depth with Black Pepper. This is tossed into the pan after the ground beef has been browned with the Vegetables.
With the Beef Tomato Soup made up, you can now make the Sloppy Sauce by combining the below ingredients together for every 1 lb (ca. 454 g) of ground beef.
- 1 Cup Beef Tomato Soup
- 1/2 C Ketchup
- 1 Tbl Yellow Mustard
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper or more for spicy
Sloppy Vegetables
The Vegetables added for Sloppys is Onion & Garlic. Almost always with Bell Peppers. Although shredded and chopped Carrots & small diced Celery can be included too, and will add sweetness and earthy herb flavor respectively. You need a good amount of Onions, so dice up a large one, along with 3 Cloves of Garlic. Added Peppers, Carrots or Celery will fill it out more and yeild more Sloppys.
Sloppy Serving Size
A single serving being about 65g or 1/4 C of the Sloppy filling with a side dish is a decent serving. For a Small Sloppy use just shy of a 1/4 C of filling per Bun, about 45-50g. A large Sloppy uses about 80-90 g per bun and optionally switching out the hamburger buns for larger ones.
With 1 lb (ca. 454 g) of ground Beef, along with the Sloppy Sauce (approx 400 g) and Vegetables, should yield about, 1000g+ of Sloppy Filling. At 50 g per Sloppy, this is enough to make 20 small sloppy burgers/sandwiches from a single pound of ground beef. At 65 g it is enough for about 15 Sloppys and at 80-90 g enough for 11-12 sloppy burgers/sandwiches.
The standard hamburger buns weigh 55 g with a medium Sloppy filling at 65g and a side of Fries at 100-114 g (medium fries), this is a meal that makes just over 200g for a single serving.
How to make Sloppys
With the Beef Tomato Soup made up or using leftover Beef Tomato Soup, Sloppys come together in no time at all, about 20 minutes. Even if you have to make the Beef Tomato Soup from scratch, that only takes an additional 10-15 minutes. It’s pretty straight foward and the oven can be used to mkae your sides.
Sloppy Sauce
First prepare the Beef Tomato Soup and use 1 C combined with Ketchup, Mustard, Black Pepper, and Chili Powder to create the Sloppy Sauce. Set this aside until needed.
Vegetables
Prepare the Vegetables you want to include and set these aside.
Toasted Buns
Butter the buns and toast them over medium heat, set aside to await the sloppy filling.
Sloppy Filling
Heat a pan up over medium high heat and brown the meat with Salt. Use 1 tsp of Sea Salt per 1 lb of meat.
Add the vegetables to cook for a minute or so, until softened. Then add the Sloppy Sauce and continue to cook until it’s thickened. About 10 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep it Saucy.
Sloppys with Ketchup & Mustard
Additional Ketchup & Mustard served on the Sloppys is incredible! Whether you make Sloppys on the Hamburger Buns or Sloppy Dogs, a bit more Ketchup & Mustard will make it pop.
Spicy Sloppys
Add some heat to those Sloppys for a Spicy version. Everything from Hot Sauces to various Chili Flakes. Optionally, keep it simple and just up the Black Pepper or add Cayenne to your preference. One such Chili flake I love to add, and it adds flavor and color too, staining the pot orange is Korean Chili Flakes or just Gochujang. Entirely up to you, but a decent heat to the Sloppy, takes it to another level.
Cheesy Sloppy
Add some cheese on top of the Sloppys! The one below was made with St. George Cheese (a Portuguese Cheese). But Old Fort Cheddar or White Cheddar can be used too. Use any kind you prefer, just pick a cheese that pairs well with the meat filling and for that Cheddar is pretty good.
Sloppy Side dishes
You’ve decided to make it a Sloppy meal, now what to serve as a side. There are a few options to choose from to complete the meal.
Chips
One of my favorites is a side of Chips. Maybe with a Dill Pickle to cleanse the palate. The refrigerator Pickled Cucumbers are nice too!
Fries
Oven Fries are also a very nice side for Sloppys and can be oven fried while you cook on the stove top.
Salt & Pepper them. Add some Cheese powder for Cheese Powder Fries to serve with Sloppys, Delicious! Just toss the cooked fries in Salt, Pepper, and Cheese Powder before serving.
Baked Beans
Spiced Baked Beans are quite nice too and complimentary.
Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetables utilizing the oven while you cook stove top are nice too.
Sloppys Recipes
There are a bunch of other ways to enjoy Sloppys too! Whether you use the Sloppy Filling freshly made or leftovers, it can be used to make the following dishes.
Sloppy Dogs
Steam the Buns and cook the Hot Dogs or Sausages. Then ladle some leftover Sloppys on top. Place them in the oven to toast up. Optionally add some Cheese and/or Ketchup & Mustard before serving.
Other ideas include using the Sloppy Filling as a Pasta Meat Sauce to toss with cooked short pasta right in the skillet and topping with Cheese for a Sloppy Pasta Melt. Optionally, empty into a casserole and top with cheese for a Sloppy Pasta Bake done in the oven. The Sloppy Filling can also be served over a Baked Potato or Fries with Cheese.
It also makes for a good chip dip by combining equal amounts of Sloppy filling & Pizza Sauce. Topping it off with cheese to bake for a bit and served hot with Chips.
With so many Sloppys this recipe can make. It really is an ideal party food or game night appetizers, prepared as Small Sloppys to yeild about 20-22 Sloppys or Sloppy Sliders. Spread the Sloppys on the buttered buns, sprinkle cheese and bake at 350 F until the cheese is melted.
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 Hamburger Buns
- As Needed Butter
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 Large Onion - diced
- 1 Small Bell Pepper - Optional – diced
- 1 Small Carrot - Optional – shredded and chopped
- 1 Stalk Celery - Optional – small diced
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Sloppy Sauce
- 1 C Beef Tomato Soup - prepared in advance or leftover
- 1/2 C Ketchup
- 1 Tbl Yellow Mustard
- 1 tsp Chili Powder - optional
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper - can exchange or include additional heat source
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef Tomato Soup and use 1 C combined with remaining Sloppy Sauce ingredients. Set this aside until needed. Prepare the Vegetables and set these aside.
- Butter the buns and toast them over medium heat, set aside to await the Sloppy filling.
- Heat a pan up over medium high heat and brown the meat with 1 tsp salt.
- Add the Vegetables to cook for a minute or so, until softened. Then add the Sloppy Sauce and continue to cook until it's thickened over medium or medium low heat. About 10 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep it Saucy.
- Top the Hamburger buns with about 1/4 C of the Sloppys filling, optionally top with cheese. Serve with Fries or Chips. Maybe a dill pickle on the side.
Notes
- Small Sloppy: 45-50 g | yields 20-22 Sloppys
- Medium Sloppy: 65-75g | yields 13-15 Sloppys, approx 1/4 C
- Large Sloppy: 80-90g+ | yields 11-12 Sloppys