How to Make the Best Sloppy Joes from Scratch

Nothing takes me back to my childhood like a big ole Sloppy Joe.

I used to make them for my kids when they were little and in lots of after school activities.

It was easy to make and easy to clean up after. And that’s always a bonus, right?

Throw some frozen french fries in the oven and we had a fast, fun, kid friendly meal.

Gone are my days of opening up cans of things I can’t pronounce to feed my family. But where does that leave the beloved Sloppy Joe?

I’ve got you covered, my friend!

After lots of trial and error, I came up with a Sloppy Joe sauce recipe that tastes pretty great.

No artificial stuff, no preservatives, and WAY less sugar than you’ll find in the canned stuff from the grocery store.

In fact, the last time I made it, I left out the sugar entirely and you couldn’t tell a difference. So feel free to leave it out.

And because we all love and need convenience in our busy lives, I made a big batch and canned it.

So I can still open up a jar of sauce and get dinner on the table quickly. But now I know exactly what is and is not in said jar.

And if you happen to have a jar of home canned beef or venison you don’t even have to remember to thaw any meat! BONUS!

I usually make homemade french fries instead of buying the bags of frozen ones now, too.

Did you know you can cut up your own potatoes and freeze your own fries?

You can!

And just throw them in the oven. No muss, no fuss.

Or you can even cut up the spuds and can them.

Yup. That’s what I said. Cool, huh?

If you’re like me and you like to serve your Sloppy Joes on toasted buns, you can simply open the buns and place them cut side down on the cookie sheet your fries are on.

Or even on the oven rack. Just make sure the rack is clean first…

Not making fries? You can still have toasted buns if your toaster has a “bagel” option.

Either way, toasted buns or not, these Sloppy Joes are sure to be a hit!

The Best Homemade Sloppy Joes

This recipe will make 6 regular sized or 4 large servings

• 1 pint jar home canned Sloppy Joe sauce
• 1 pint jar home canned ground meat
• OR 1 pound of fresh ground meat
• 6 regular sized hamburger buns OR 4 large buns

First, heat a large skillet over medium heat. 

Now add the pint of home canned ground meat and heat it up, stirring frequently. 

OR if you are using fresh ground meat, fry the meat until no it’s longer pink. If there is a lot of fat, drain the meat and return it to the pan.

After the meat is ready, add the pint of Sloppy Joe Sauce to the skillet. Mix it into the meat.

Allow the meat mixture to come to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer until the sauce had thickened to you preferred thickness.

That will take about 5 to 10 minutes or so.

Spread your toasted buns (or not toasted buns) with mustard and pile on the Sloppy Joe mixture.

Serve with french fries and homemade fermented ketchup for a healthy, quick, week night meal that the whole family will love.

Did you have Sloppy Joes as a kid?

Blessings!