Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a hearty sandwich filling recipe made from scratch with robustly seasoned ground beef, sausage, and tomatoes. Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a comforting, heart-warming meal anytime.
One of the biggest challenges that I face as a food blogger is to make a delicious recipe look appealing in a photograph. Let’s face it, some recipes are out-of-this-world-tasty, but they aren’t all that appealing to the eye. Bacon Slayer calls such instances “brown food” or “the brown plate special” because, well, the food is just so brown. The food photographs that I struggle with the most with can usually be attributed to the fact that the food is primarily brown in color.
Take these Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes, for instance. There’s brown filling. and a brown bun. Brown on brown.
Now, I don’t know who Joe is or whether or not he was an unattractive slob. Heck, I don’t even know if this sandwich was really named after a guy named Joe. I mean, did Joe have a brother named Dainty Dan whose sandwiches were always neat in appearance and tidy to eat? Were Joe’s sandwiches deemed sloppy in comparison? We may never know for sure.
What I do know is that Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are not pretty food. In fact, not only are they unattractive, they’re anything but dainty to eat. If you’re lucky, biting a Sloppy Joe causes the filling to slop down your arm and back onto the plate. If you’re like me and lack a certain grace, the filling will surely slop out and land in squarely your lap–likely leaving a trail down the front of your shirt along the way. Hence the name, Sloppy Joes.
But if you can get beyond the first glance and thoughts of impending laundry, your taste buds will be rewarded. As with people, the true beauty of this recipe is found on the inside. Despite his outward appearance, Sloppy Joe was probably a really nice guy. Dainty Dan may have been good looking, but a turd of a human being. Looks can be deceiving.
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are made from scratch, with robustly seasoned ground beef, crumbled Italian sausage, and diced tomatoes. The combination is simmered in a slow cooker, giving those flavors time to mingle and get to know each other.
When flavors have a chance to get friendly, tasty things are destined to happen. Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a great recipe for busy days, or days when you just can’t turn on the oven. As an added bonus, the recipe makes enough sandwich filling to freeze half of it for a rainy day.
Even better still, Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are easy to make in large batches to feed a crowd or tote along to a pot luck. Regardless of how they look, Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a flavorful and satisfying meal. Your family will love them, and your friends and neighbors will be thrilled that you shared a sandwich full of comfort with them. Just be sure to bring along extra napkins.
I hope that you enjoy this slow cooker sloppy Joes recipe!
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 12
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a hearty sandwich filling recipe made from scratch with robustly seasoned ground beef, sausage, and tomatoes. Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are a comforting, heart-warming meal anytime.
25 minPrep Time
6 hrCook Time
6 hr, 25 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- For the Sloppy Joes:
- 4 lbs. Ground Beef
- 1 lb. Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage Links, casings removed
- 1 C. Diced Onion (1 medium)
- 2 (14 1/2 oz.) Cans Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 C. Quick Oats
- 1 Tbs. Chili Powder
- 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbs. Prepared Yellow Mustard (such as French’s)
- 2 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp. Seasoned Salt (such as Lawrey’s)
- 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
- For Serving:
- 10 to 12 Hoagie Rolls (or Hamburger Buns), lightly toasted
- Cheese Slices
- Zesty Pickle Slices
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef with the turkey sausage and the onion, breaking up the meat into crumbles, until cooked through; drain the meat. Transfer the meat to the crock of a 6 quart slow cooker (or larger).
- Whisk chili powder, garlic powder, prepared yellow mustard (NOT dried mustard!), Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, and pepper until combined. Pour the seasoning mixture, diced tomatoes, and quick oats over the ground meat. Stir well to coat.
- Put the lid on the crock and cook it on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve on lightly toasted buns with cheese and pickle slices.
Notes
This recipe, while scaled to feed a crowd, is easily halved. The Sloppy Joe filling freezes beautifully, so don't be afraid to make the whole batch and freeze half for later. The recipe directs the meat to warm in the slow cooker for 6 hours, but I've left it warming for 8 hours without a problem.
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