The Covered Dish - Sloppy Joes

Feels like I’m on a football theme these last 2 weeks. A week ago I shared my favorite cheese ball and this week, one of my favorite sandwiches, sloppy joes! I grew up enjoying this messy yet yummy sandwich. Another sandwich we had in Northeast Missouri were maid rites or a ‘loose’ burger, as they call them in Leavenworth, KS. This was steamed beef with mustard, mini onions and dill pickles. Absolutely no sauce. I’m sharing this information to make sure folks don’t get the two types of sandwiches confused.
Every family has their base recipe for sloppy joes. Mine is based upon canned tomato soup, but I’ve had so many different versions through the years. My mom, Betty, never had a recipe for sloppy joes, she just made them. Once again, we’re looking at a dish that can be made ahead, frozen and re-thawed. The featured recipe is going to serve quite a few sandwiches. My favorite way to serve them is to use a crockpot, (with a liner). What goes well with a sloppy joe? Well; it’s not super healthy, but tater tots or french fries, of course a side salad works too. I’d steer clear of additional sides with a tomato base, as it would be a bit overwhelming.
Here in the Ozarks we can save a bit on the cost of beef by using a blend called, Boston burger. It has a blend of about 1/3 fresh ground pork and 2/3 lean beef. It makes good burgers and meatloaves too. The cost currently is around 3.99 a pound. You could create your own blend of meats too.
I’ve only met a handful of people who don’t care for the sloppy joe, or as I call them, ‘sloppies’. The addition of the tomato sauces, ketchup or tomato soup all aid in stretching the budget. Sloppy Joes became an iconic food in school cafeterias through the years.
And yes, they were served with fries or tater tots! There are 2 different stories about how the recipe was created. One says it came from Iowa, yet the second philosophy says it came from a bar where Joe, the bar owner, created them to help sober up the clientele.
It’s a ‘fall’ thing, a gathering dish, a comfort food that has stayed around for a lifetime.
I remember my son, Phillip, using Frito scoops to eat the sloppy joe meat. I’ve also taken large amounts of sloppy joe meat added sauce and turned it into an Italian dish. I ‘always’ put on a large napkin when I enjoy these yummies.
The last time we moved I made these in advance and then served them to all the movers.
They become versatile, satisfying and just plain fun. I wish I were sitting with all of you as you recount your sloppy joes stories. I do have one more good one. My sis, Judy’s daughter, Ashley, was around Junior High or 9th grade when she had to do a ‘how-to’ speech. She chose to show how to prepare a hamburger bun for sloppy joes, so the filling didn’t fall out everywhere. She pinched out a well in the top and bottom so the meat was  in a cup like fashion. It was a hoot to watch.
Toasted or untoasted buns? Hm..I’m not sure how I feel here. Most times I have not had the bread toasted, but I also don’t think it would hurt either. Cheese on the sandwich, not a ‘no’, but also not something you see much. Most of the time you will find them being served in pubs and local cafes. Some even suggest serving sloppy joes over pasta with a bit of cheese on top. It all works, enjoy this down-home sandwich with a few friends or colleagues and be sure and invite me along! Simply Yours, The Covered Dish.

Sloppy Joes
2 pounds burger or chuck
1 large onion, very finely diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10.5 ounce) can tomato soup
1⁄4 cup Hickory BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1⁄2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar
Fry the burger and onion, drain thoroughly through a sieve. Return meat to the skillet and
add the minced garlic, sauteing lightly. Stir in the remaining ingredients mixing for a good
blend. Cook the dish down for 15-20 minutes resulting in a thick mixture of beef.
Consider making for a large event and then reheating in a crockpot! Serves between 10-14 sloppy joes, depending upon how big you make them. Meat freezes well.