Italian Sloppy Joes are a delightful twist on a the classic recipe and come together super fast. Dinner is on the table in half an hour and everybody is happy!
Want sloppy joes in the slow cooker? Make my Crock Pot Sloppy Joes!
Comfort food isn’t just about hearty, tasty, feel good ingredients; it’s about ease and convenience. Luckily this Italian Sloppy Joes recipe has every element of good old fashioned comfort food. Traditional sloppy Joe ingredients meet Italian flavors and seasonings to create a meal that sticks to your ribs and comes together in just about half an hour! We serve them with potato chips or french fries and a side of fruit. Kids love this meal!
WHAT MAKES THESE SLOPPY JOES “ITALIAN”?
This recipe is made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Basil, garlic and oregano gives this recipe that Italian flavor that we all love so much. Pair that with bell peppers, onions, rich tomato paste and ground beef. And cheese. Oh yes the cheese! I mean, Sloppy Joes are good but melty mozzarella cheese turns them from an ordinary recipe to an Italian feast!
SUGGESTIONS FOR ITALIAN SLOPPY JOES
- One pot supper! All you need is a good knife to do some dicing and measuring spoons for your spices and it all comes together in one pan! Nothing complicated or confusing here.
- Use ground turkey or pork. I like using low fat ground beef but you could easily swap other types of ground meats for a different flavor. Or a combination of meats!
- Change up your cheese! If you don’t have any mozzarella on hand, try melting provolone, Monterrey Jack or white cheddar cheese on top. You can’t go wrong with cheese, glorious cheese!
- Add more veggies! Diced onions and green bell pepper give the Sloppy Joe mixture added bulk and flavor. But why stop there? You could dice up carrots, yellow or red bell pepper, zucchini, squash, whatever you have on hand. Just make sure to dice them all the same size so they cook evenly. If you chop them really small your kids may never even know they’re eating healthy vegetables!
Take a sec to comment below and let me know how you jazz up your Sloppy Joes!
EASILY DOUBLE THE BATCH
This recipe easily feeds four adults, but it takes very little time and effort to double it and for a larger family or if you want leftovers. It freezes well too! Just store the leftover mixture in a freezer safe bag or container and it’ll stay nice and fresh in the freezer for up to two months. To thaw, simply put it in the microwave or warm it up on the stove.
MORE QUICK DINNER IDEAS
No need to spend hours chopping and cooking each night. We’re all busy and we need dinner on the table in a snap. Try some of these delicious dinners that can be made and served in no time!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this Italian Sloppy Joes recipe! Please leave a comment below. Happy cooking!
Italian Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef I used 90/10
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1/2 a green bell pepper diced
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsps oregano
- 2 tsps basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 slices of mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a large nonstick skillet brown the meat with the vegetables until no longer pink and the vegetables wilt. Drain off the extra liquid.
- Add in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and dash of pepper.
- Put the bottom halves of the hamburger buns on a baking sheet. Top with sloppy joe mix. Top each with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Put the sheet into the oven (leaving the tops of the buns out) for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, top with the tops of the buns and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Sassy says
These were amazing and loved by the whole family. I made only one change and that was to swap out the beef for green lentils as most of us are vegetarians. My husband, who still eats meat, said this was so good he wouldn’t mind eating the lentil version anytime. The herbs really made this meal sing, I can’t thank you enough. It has also made me think about other herb changes we can use to make them different again…such as rosemary, thyme and fennel for a Greek version, etc.
Lisa Longley says
I’m so glad you liked them!