Homemade Sloppy Joes
Gloriously messy and worth every napkin, these homemade sloppy joes are baked between buttery, toasted buns with saucy, beefy filling and melty Colby Jack. A big upgrade from the cafeteria classic.
Servings: 6 sandwiches
Ingredients
Sloppy Joe filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste*
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 ounces passata or tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup water
For assembly
- 6 hamburger buns
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 7 ounces Colby Jack cheese, freshly shredded
Garlic butter
- 3 tablespoons butter, partially melted
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- Brown the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles as it browns. Season with the Montreal steak seasoning, brown sugar, and salt.
- Add the Worcestershire. When the beef is nearly cooked through, stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper and stir them into the beef. Pour in the red wine vinegar and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion and pepper have softened.
- Build the sauce. Add the tomato paste and stir until thoroughly incorporated into the beef. Pour in the passata. Add 1/4 cup water to the passata container, swirl it around to release any remaining tomato, then pour it into the skillet.
- Simmer until thick. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened and coats the beef rather than pooling in the skillet. Taste and adjust the salt or Montreal seasoning as needed.
- Toast the buns. While the beef cooks, line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange the top and bottom buns cut-side up. Lightly spread the cut sides with the 5 tablespoons of softened butter.
- Broil. Set the oven to HIGH broil. Broil the buns until the cut sides are golden and toasted, watching them very closely to prevent burning. Remove from the oven.
- Preheat the oven. After toasting the buns, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Make the garlic butter. Combine the 3 tablespoons of partially melted butter, minced garlic, and dried parsley in a small bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Assemble the Sloppy Joes. Divide the hot beef mixture evenly among the six toasted bottom buns. Sprinkle the Colby Jack evenly over the beef, then add the toasted top buns.
- Add the garlic butter. Generously brush the tops of the buns with the prepared garlic butter.
- Bake. Loosely tent the sandwiches with foil and bake at 375°F for 10–15 minutes, or until the sandwiches are heated through and the cheese is completely melted. Serve hot.
Notes
- About the salt. Montreal steak seasoning varies considerably in sodium depending on the brand. Start conservatively with the additional salt, then taste the finished filling and add more if needed.
- Passata OR tomato sauce. Passata gives the filling a smooth tomato base, but regular tomato sauce works well as a substitute.
- Don’t skip toasting the buns. Toasting the cut sides before assembling the sandwiches creates a barrier between the saucy beef and the bread, helping the buns hold up better
- Watch the broiler. Hamburger buns can go from golden to burned very quickly under a high broiler, so stay close to the oven
- Cheese selection. Freshly grated Colby Jack melts especially well over the hot Sloppy Joe filling.