These Smokey Joes put the smoke in classic sloppy joes. Ground beef is seasoned perfectly with a kicked-up barbecue seasoning blend and simmered until the ingredients have become full-flavored. It makes a tasty budget-friendly 30 minute meal and for a timesaver it freezes well, too.
Smokey Joes
When you’re thinking about gourmet dishes, sloppy joes probably don’t come to mind. However, they’re a fantastic and tasty way to feed a family on a budget, and they’re really a taste of childhood, aren’t they? My Mom made homemade sloppy joes for us often when we were kids. There’s just something about them that kids seem to really love and my brothers and I were no exception. I realize the sauce in a can is inexpensive and easy to find but, I don’t buy it because most of the items you need to make a tasty sauce are already in your pantry. The beauty is, you can also personalize them to your taste. At times I make these Sloppy Joe Pizza Sliders with an Italian flavor twist for our gameday party eats.
Serving Suggestions
My family loves barbecue so, it same as no surprise when I had to put a smokey spin on my ‘Joes dubbing them “Smokey Joes.” They’re super tasty serve on toasted kaiser rolls with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, if you’re so inclined. At times we’ll also eat this as a meat sauce over a steamy bowl of cheddar grits or cooked pasta. It’s honest, down home good eats, that keeps my family happy and my budget on track. For a chicken twist, you may like to try these Chipotle Chicken Sloppy Joes from Culinary Hill.
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Smokey Joes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 small red or green bell pepper finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 2 lbs extra lean ground beef
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar [or to taste]
- 2 tsp liquid hickory smoke flavoring
- 2 tsp barbecue seasoning i.e. Barbecue Magic or similar
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a stove top pan, heat a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Saute the diced onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat until translucent, softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic cooking for one minute longer. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add ground beef. Cook until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan then add all of the remaining ingredients.
- Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro or parsley at the end, if desired
- Serve on toasted kaiser rolls
Notes
If you prefer the tomatoes to have a a finer texture, pulse the tomatoes a few times in the food processor prior to adding them to the pan.
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Melissa says
lol I totally get the blonde thing..thanks so much!
Linda says
Melissa, I commented earlier but just realized I didn’t sign in. It’s Friday, and I’m a blonde, lol. Fab recipe, I’ll be making this for sure!