Italian Sloppy Joes

Using Ground Turkey or Italian Sausage

My family often prefers ground turkey to ground beef. If your family is the same, that is an easy swap to make in this recipe. If you are using a low fat content turkey (such as 93 percent or lower), you may want to add a little bit of olive oil to your pan before you start browning the meat.

This recipe would also be amazing with Italian Sausage. It can often yield more grease than the ground beef we are using here, so you may need to drain the fat off after sautéing the vegetables.

Shredding Cheese

This recipe calls for shredded mozzarella cheese. While it is a bit of a time saver to use slices of mozzarella, you should know that freshly shredded cheese melts much better. That is because when cheese is prepared as slices and shreds to be sold, it is coated in a preservative that keeps it from melting well.

Adding Sugar and Honey

As yo know from my homemade spaghetti sauce, sometimes canned tomatoes can make a dish really acidic to the taste. This is less about pH balance and more about what it does on your tongue. This is why brown sugar is such a common ingredient in Sloppy Joes. At the end of the simmering time, taste the recipe. If you can taste that touch of bitterness, just add a little brown sugar or honey. If you do it right, it will eliminate the bitterness without making the Sloppy Joes taste sweet.

Tips and Tricks

• One pot supper. All you need is a good knife to do some dicing and measuring spoons for your spices, and it all comes together in one pan! Nothing complicated or confusing here.
• Use ground turkey or pork. I like using low fat ground beef but, as mentioned above, you could easily swap other types of ground meats for a different flavor, or a combination of meats.
• Change up your cheese. If you don’t have any mozzarella on hand, try melting provolone, Monterrey Jack, or white cheddar cheese on top. You can’t go wrong!
• Add more veggies. Diced onions and green bell pepper give the Sloppy Joe mixture added bulk and flavor. But why stop there? You could dice up carrots, yellow or red bell pepper, zucchini, squash, or whatever you have on hand. Dice them all the same size to ensure they cook evenly.
• Double the batch. This recipe easily feeds four adults, but it takes very little time and effort to double it for a larger family or if you want leftovers.

Storing and Freezing Leftovers

Leftover Sloppy Joe Mix can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. To freeze leftovers, place it in an air tight container that allows for expanding. It should only be thawed once, so you may consider freezing it in individual serving sizes. As with all recipes, use your best discretion when it comes to leftovers.

More Quick Dinner Ideas

Need more quick dinner ideas? Try some of these delicious dinners that can be made and served in no time! You can find even more here: 30 Minute Dinner Recipes.