Classic Sloppy Joes Recipe: Quick and Tasty Comfort Food (Better than Manwich)

#SloppyJoes #ComfortFood #ClassicRecipe #Homemade #EasyRecipe #FamilyDinner
#manwich #manwichrecipe
Delicious! and easy to make! It freezes very well for another quick weeknight meal. This can be doubled, for a smaller amount, simply half the recipe. Please NOTE: Some ingredients are to your personal taste. You can always adjust as needed. Great served with sliced cheese, bread and butter pickles, and home fries or wedges!
2 lbs ground beef
1-1 1/2 onions minced finely (I used my sautéed frozen onions)
1-2 bell peppers, green, red or both (this time I was out of my sautéed frozen bell peppers)
2-4 Tablespoons of tomato paste, as needed to thicken up at the end of cooking
8-14 oz can of tomatoes - crushed, diced or sauce, obviously use less if recipe was halved
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup WHITE vinegar (you need the vinegar, you may reduce down to 1/4 cup but make note that it won't be quite as close to Manwich)
2-3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
1 1/2 cups Ketchup
2 Tablespoons of mustard, optional (Dijon, yellow, or creole mustard)
Note* The following can be adjusted to your taste, this is just an average guide:
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
ground SWEET red bell pepper
minced garlic
Optional: you may add the following to your taste. Remember, if you are new to cooking and not used to the following ingredients add them a LITTLE at a time, you cannot take the hot back out! My suggestion is to let folks add it to THEIR own plate!
Red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper
Tabasco Sauce
Louisiana Hot sauce
In a skillet:
Make sure that your skillet can hold all ingredients without spilling over. Brown the hamburger meat, making sure to not have huge hunks, you want a fine "crumble", drain and set aside. Using the same skillet, sauté the onions and bell peppers until tender. Add the meat back into the skillet. Add in the additional ingredients. Bring all ingredients up to heat, then cover and reduce down to a simmer for 20-25 minutes or until reduced down to your desired thickness.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container. Will last in the refrigerator 3-4 days. This recipe freezes very well. Simply cool down and place into meal sized airtight containers or freezer bags. Stores well for 2 1/2-3 months.
In a crockpot:
Brown the hamburger meat, drain and set aside. Sauté the onions and bell peppers. Transfer the meat, onions and bell peppers to the crockpot/slow cooker. Add in the additional ingredients. Set on high for 2 hours or low for 3 hours. Towards the end of the cooking time, set on high, remove the lid to allow it to reduce down to your preference, approximately 30 minutes.