Sloppy Joes

Is there anyone who doesn't love Sloppy Joes? Maybe. But for those of us who love them, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Smoky White Bean and Beef Sloppy Joes, the Super Sloppy Joes, and the rest of today's yummy recipes. Enjoy!

BULGOGI SLOPPY JOES WITH SCALLION SALSA

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Sam wrote, “The dish is the Korean barbecue standard known as bulgogi — ‘fire meat,’ is the literal translation — transformed into a sandwich filling, a sloppy Joe for a more perfect union. (File under ‘Blessings of Liberty.’) Fed to children with a tall glass of milk, the sandwiches may inspire smiles and licked plates, rapt attention and the request that the meal be served at least monthly — they are not at all too spicy for younger palates. Given to adults accompanied by cold lager, cucumber kimchi and a pot of the fermented Korean hot-pepper paste known as gochujang, they can rise to higher planes.

“Bulgogi sandwiches are a taste of the sort of home cooking that can lead to more home cooking. They serve as fragrant hamburger crushers, elegant vanquishers of pizza. They are an enemy of takeout.

“To cook them, you can follow the instructions slavishly, as if working for Hooni Kim, the chef and owner of Danji, on the edge of the theater district in Manhattan. Bulgogi ‘sliders’ are a hallmark of his menu and by far the restaurant’s most popular dish. This recipe is his.”

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration.

This recipe was featured in “The Bulgogi Slider Is a Delicious Curveball”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014203-bulgogi-sloppy-joes-with-scallion-salsa.

Ingredients

For the Bulgogi

1 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon peeled and grated garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons mirin

1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and puréed in a food processor

1 small carrot peeled and sliced into julienne

1 medium white onion peeled and sliced into julienne

1 cup apple juice

2 pounds beef brisket, chilled slightly and sliced thin

For the Spicy Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons hot chili sauce, ideally Sriracha

For the Scallion Salsa

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 bunches scallions, cleaned, dried and sliced on the bias

Unsalted butter

6 soft hamburger buns

Preparation

For the Bulgogi

In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sake, mirin, pear, carrot, onion and apple juice. Add the sliced brisket, stir to combine, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least six hours.

Meanwhile, in a small, nonreactive bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and hot chili sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you are ready to make the sandwiches, set one very large sauté pan (or two large ones) over high heat. Using tongs, lift meat from marinade in batches, allow to drain well, then cook, turning occasionally until the excess liquid has evaporated and the edges of the beef have started to crisp.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the salsa except for the scallions, then stir to combine.

Toast and butter the hamburger buns. Spread spicy mayonnaise on the buns, and using tongs, cover one side of each set of buns with bulgogi. Add a large pinch of scallions on top of each burger and drizzle with the dressing. Serve with cucumber kimchi (see recipe).

SLOPPY JOES

This is from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Active Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 8 servings; Level: East

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/sloppy-joes-2120434.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

1 1/2 cups ketchup

5 cloves garlic, minced

Hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 kaiser rolls

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder, or more as needed

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more as needed

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Chips or salad, for serving, if desired

Ingredients

Start by browning the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat.

Add in the green peppers and onions. Stir, and then add 1 cup water, the ketchup and garlic. Stir it around to combine, and then add the brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, and then cover and simmer over medium-low heat, about 20 minutes.

To serve, spread the rolls with the butter and brown them on a griddle or in a skillet. Spoon a good amount of the meat mixture onto the bottom roll, and then top with the other half. Serve with chips, salad or just enjoy it by itself.

MEATLESS TEX-MEX SLOPPY JOES

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Meatless Mondays just got a new star recipe. Impossible™ Burger is made from plants and makes this vegetarian sloppy joe recipe a delicious new addition to your meatless repertoire. These Meatless Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes use Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce and Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix. Meatless sloppy joes are as fast and easy as the original, taking just 20 minutes from start to finish."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/meatless-tex-mex-sloppy-joes.

Ingredients

1 package (12 oz) Impossible™ Burger

2/3 cup water

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce (from 9-oz bottle)

4 burger buns, toasted

1 cup Old El Paso™ Shredded Mexican Style 4 Cheese Blend (from 8-oz package)

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Preparation

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook Impossible™ Burger over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until crumbles are browned and cooked through.

Stir water, taco seasoning mix and taco sauce into Impossible™ Burger mixture; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Place about 1/2 cup mixture over bottom of each bun; top with cheese, lettuce, avocado and tomatoes, then top of bun.

Expert Tips

Cooking Vegetarian? Always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is vegetarian. Products and ingredient sources can change.

Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce plays the role that tomato sauce would play in a traditional sloppy joe recipe, with the added benefit of loads of taco flavor for these vegetarian sloppy joes.

We call for Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce in this recipe, but if you’d prefer a bit more heat in your meatless sloppy joes, feel free to substitute Old El Paso™ Medium Taco Sauce.

Buying a whole head of lettuce and slicing it thinly yourself, as opposed to buying it preshredded in a bag, will help to guarantee a fresh, extra-crisp topping for your sloppy joes.

SUPER SLOPPY JOES

This is from Rachael Ray on the Food Network. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 4 super sloppy sandwiches; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/super-sloppy-joes-recipe4-1949927.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Garnish: sliced ripe tomatoes, pickles, Deviled Potato Salad, recipe follows

Deviled Potato Salad:

5 all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced

Coarse salt

1/4 onion

3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise, eyeball the amount

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon hot cayenne pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. Serve with your favorite sides or sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, dill pickles and Deviled Potato Salad. Have plenty of napkins on hand!

Deviled Potato Salad:

Yield: 4 servings

Boil potatoes in water seasoned with coarse salt until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain cooked potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out. Let the potatoes stand 2 minutes, then spread potatoes out on to a cookie sheet to quick-cool them.

In the bottom of a medium mixing bowl, grate 1/4 onion using a hand grater. Add mustard and mayonnaise, paprika and cayenne pepper sauce to the grated onion and stir to combine. Add potatoes to the bowl and stir to evenly distribute dressing. Season potato salad with salt and pepper and taste to adjust your seasonings. Top servings of salad with chopped scallions.

SMOKY WHITE BEAN AND BEEF SLOPPY JOES

This is from Sarah DiGregorio in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. She wrote, "This update on the kid-friendly classic uses half the meat as a traditional sloppy Joe recipe, but retains the qualities that everyone loves: a tart-sweet savoriness and a quick cooking time. You can substitute ground pork, turkey, lamb or plant-based ground meat for the beef; the key is to use a protein that’s not too lean. A little fat helps carry the flavor of the meat through the entire dish. (If you use plant-based meat or you only have lean meat on hand, add another tablespoon of olive oil or your preferred fat.) The addition of adobo sauce from a can of chipotles imparts smoke, with just a hint of heat. (If you’d like a spicier version, by all means, chop up one or two of the chipotles and add them.) The leftover chipotles keep for at least two weeks in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer, and they are a welcome addition to many dishes, like chicken tacos or chili."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 20 minutes

to view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022280-smoky-white-bean-and-beef-sloppy-joes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 pound ground beef, preferably 85 percent lean

1 packed tablespoon light or dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 cup canned or jarred tomato purée

1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo)

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or pinto beans, drained

4 hamburger buns, preferably potato buns

Tomato slices and pickle chips, for topping

Preparation

Warm the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over high heat. Add the onion, season with 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the bell pepper, then spread out the vegetable mixture and let it cook undisturbed for about 1 minute. Stir well and repeat, letting the vegetables cook undisturbed for another minute or so at a time. You want the onions and peppers to get softened, seared and browned in spots, about 5 minutes total.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan, making an empty spot in the middle of the pan, and add the ground beef. Season the beef with a pinch of salt, and smash it flat with a spatula, letting it cook undisturbed for 1 minute until brown underneath. Break up the beef with the spatula and cook 1 to 2 more minutes, until completely browned with no visible pink spots.

Combine the vegetables and beef, then add the sugar and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute to toast the tomato paste. Add the garlic powder and cumin, then the tomato purée, adobo sauce and vinegar. Stir in the beans. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer to thicken slightly, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the buns.

With a fork, roughly smash some of the beans to thicken the mixture. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve on toasted buns, topped with tomatoes and pickles.

TURKEY LENTIL SLOPPY JOES WITH QUICK CABBAGE SLAW

This is originally from Oven to Table, by Jan Scott, and reprinted on Taste for Life. Prep Time: 55 minutes; Makes 8 in regular-sized buns, or 16 in mini-slider buns.

You can view this online at https://tasteforlife.com/healthy-recipes/appetizers/turkey-lentil-sloppy-joes-with-quick-cabbage-slaw.

Ingredients

For the Sloppy Joes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed

1 lb ground turkey

2 cups cooked green or brown lentils (or 1 19-oz can, rinsed and drained)

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

For the Slaw

4 cups chopped red cabbage (about 1 small cabbage)

1 large carrot, peeled

3 green onions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tsp liquid honey

1 tsp celery seed

Kosher salt

For Serving

8 whole-wheat dinner rolls or hamburger buns (split in half and toasted)*

Directions

In a large cast iron, stainless steel, or nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, season with a pinch of salt and sauté until onions are soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Crumble ground turkey into skillet and stir to combine, cooking until browned. Add lentils, chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, and tomato paste and stir, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes to infuse turkey and lentils with spices.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Check seasonings and add more salt if needed.

While meat mixture is cooking, make slaw. Place cabbage in a medium bowl and, using a vegetable peeler, shave carrot into ribbons. Add carrot and green onions to bowl and toss with clean hands to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, and celery seed. Pour over cabbage and toss to combine. Finish with a pinch of salt.

Spoon Sloppy Joes onto split and toasted rolls. Top with slaw and serve at once.

Notes

For more of a bite-size snack, turn these into sliders. Just replace the 8 hamburger buns with approximately 16 mini-slider buns.

You can easily double or triple this recipe for a large party. The slaw adds some crunch to this dish. Its simplicity lends itself well to customization, so feel free to play around with vegetables if you like, maybe adding some grated apple or green cabbage to the mix.