Make Dinner Fun.
I love, love, love Sloppy Joe. It holds so many nostalgic memories and is one of the few foods that you can get messy, look ridiculous, and not get in trouble for. However, as an adult, I realize that it could use a big boost in the nutrition department while still being delicious. So, I’ve created a mouthwatering and healthier sloppy joe recipe that you’ll want to try immediately!
Look for the Lil’ Steps symbol throughout this post for ideas on how kids can help out!
Detailed instructions for beginner cooks are written below or…
Sloppy Joe is the perfect weeknight dinner because it’s quick to make, contains many household staple ingredients, is highly customizable, makes fantastic leftovers, or can be frozen! The key to a great sloppy joe is really a delicious sauce. While I wanted to make a healthier sloppy joe recipe, I felt it was important not to drastically alter a classic homemade sauce. This sauce is tangy and sweet, with just a hint of spice to take it over the top. We follow a pescatarian diet in our house (which you can read about here), so I use Impossible meat as my base “meat” ingredient, but you could also use ground beef, ground turkey, beans, or even go all veggies!
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Meat vs. Vegetarian Sloppy Joe
My mom used to make sloppy joe dinners quite a bit when I was growing up, and once I stopped eating beef 10 years ago, I kind of forgot how much I love those tangy, messy sandwiches. However, once I was able to purchase impossible meat near me, my brain screamed at me to try and make a healthier sloppy joe recipe immediately.
Traditionally speaking, sloppy joes are made with ground beef, which you can still use in this recipe if you prefer. I’ve increased the number of veggies greatly so that you’ll end up with about a 35/65 “meat” to veggie ratio. However, even if you do eat red meat, for the sake of making these as healthy as possible I would suggest swapping out ground beef for either ground turkey or ground chicken.
If you’d like to ditch the meat, and don’t mind a processed alternative, I really love Impossible Meat for this recipe. However, if you’re looking for a whole food diet option kidney beans would make a great alternative.
Whether you decide to make this completely meatless or not, I guarantee you’ll love the results!
Why I Love This Healthier Sloppy Joe Recipe and So Should You
- It’s packed with veggies! My husband and I absolutely love veggies and this recipe proves that they can shine in your main dish. If you think you don’t like vegetables, in my opinion, you’re just eating them wrong. In fact, I eat vegetarian meals 85% of the time, and I hate eating my veggies in boring ways (i.e. on the side of my plate with just a little salt and butter, no thank you!).
- Nutritional Value
- Carrots have Vitamin A carotenoids to fight off infections and are great for your eyes, heart, and waistline.
- Peppers are one of the best sources of Vitamin C, an essential nutrient. In fact, one medium pepper contains 169% of your daily needs!
- Mushrooms are rich in potassium and their anti-inflammatory effects help give your immune system a boost.
- The veggies “hide” easily. If you don’t particularly like a certain vegetable (ahem, mushrooms for me), this recipe is great at hiding them with its delicious sauce and blended ingredients.
- Versatility – You can alter the specific vegetables used and even the base meat to suit your specific tastes.
Let your child pick out the veggies to use in this recipe. They can even choose which color of pepper or carrots they like.
Ingredients and Equipment You’ll Need
- Your Choice of “Meat” – I use Impossible meat, but you can use other meat alternatives, kidney beans, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
- Onion – Large white or yellow onion
- Bell Pepper – 1 large yellow, red, or orange pepper
- Carrots – 3-4 carrots
- Portobello Mushroom
- Vegetable Oil
- Ketchup
- Tomato Paste
- Mustard
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Water
- Buns – Whole Wheat Buns, Brioche, or Lettuce. You can choose how healthy you want to be here.
- 12” Skillet with Lid – I love stainless steel cookware.
- Vegetable Peeler
- Knife
- Grater
- Cutting Board
- Spatula
- Measuring spoons – Or eyeball it, it can be our secret
- Optional Food Processor – Rather than chop all the veggies you can use a food processor with a grater attachment to make quick work of everything.
How to Make Healthier Sloppy Joes
Step 1. Prep and cut the vegetables
- Remove the skin from 1 whole onion and dice.
- Wash 1 whole bell pepper (yellow, red, or orange) and dice
- Wash, peel, and grate the carrots
- Wipe the mushroom cap with a damp paper towel or cloth and dice. The mushrooms will cook down greatly, so these can be cut to twice the size of the onion and pepper.
Note – To speed up prep time GREATLY, you could use a food processor to give a rough chop to all the veggies. Simply add your veggies and pulse until they reach your desired size. Mine also comes with a grating attachment that I love to use for the carrots. While this will result in a different final texture from hand chopping, with this healthier sloppy joe recipe you really don’t need everything to look perfect and uniform. This sandwich is about being a delicious mess, not about looking perfect.
A food processor is also a great way to involve your kids. They can add the veggies to the container and press the buttons for the chopping. Just make sure they are prepared for the noise.
Step 2. Add a large skillet to your burner and set the heat to medium. Once warm, add 1 tbsp of oil to the skillet and add the onions, peppers, and carrots to the pan.
Step 3. Sprinkle ½ tsp of salt over the veggies, stir in all together, and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook the veggies until the onions are translucent, which should take around 5-8 minutes. You’ll want to stir everything every 2 or 3 minutes during this time.
Step 4. Next, add the thawed impossible meat to the skillet and begin to break it up with a spatula. Cover the skillet with a lid, while returning to stir and breaking up the meat every couple of minutes until it is cooked through. This should take around 5 minutes.
Step 5. Now add the mushrooms to the mixture and gently stir them in.
Step 6. After the mushrooms have cooked for 2-3 minutes, make the sauce by adding the tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, chili pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes (optional), and water to the skillet. Stir everything together until homogenous.
Step 7. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The final consistency of the sauce is up to you and your preferences. If you think it’s too thin, continue cooking the mixture until it reduces. If it seems too thick, add a little more water.
Have your child scoop the mixture onto their plate. They can also decide what they want to add it to; a bun, chips, fries, baked potato, lettuce, or even on its own!
Tips
- Toasting your buns will help protect them from getting too soggy. You could toss them in the toaster oven or regular oven at 425°F until golden (3-5 minutes). Or place them on a skillet, cut side down, and set the burner to medium heat until crispy.
- I mentioned this above, but a food processor will save you around 10-15 minutes of prep work. If you are super short on time, go with this tool for preparing your vegetables!
- Freeze your healthy sloppy joe mixture in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Once you are ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat it in a skillet or in the microwave.
- Buns can be frozen too! I like to keep sandwich buns in a freezer-safe bag and store them for up to 6 months. I thaw them on the countertop in a plastic bag at least one hour before I need them. In a pinch, I’ve defrosted them in the microwave too, but this can dry them out if you overcook them.
- Serve sloppy joes with a fork, tortilla chips, or fries to scoop up everything that falls on your plate. Don’t forget a napkin either.
Healthier Sloppy Joe Recipe
Equipment
- 12" Skillet and Lid
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Food processor (optional)
- Grater (If you aren't using a food processor)
- Peeler
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion 175-200 grams
- 1 large Bell Pepper (yellow, red, or orange) 175-200 grams
- 3 medium Carrots 200 grams
- 1 Portobello Mushroom
- 1 package Impossible Meat 340 grams
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 3/4 cup Ketchup 185 grams
- 3 tsp Yellow Mustard
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
- 1/3 cup Water
Instructions
- Prep the veggies. Wash and dice the onion, pepper, and mushroom, and grate carrots.
- Add a large skillet to your burner and set the heat to medium. Once warm, add oil to the skillet and add the onions, peppers, and carrots to the pan.1 large Onion, 1 large Bell Pepper (yellow, red, or orange), 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil, 3 medium Carrots
- Sprinkle salt over the veggies, stir together, and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook the veggies until the onions are translucent, around 5-8 minutes. Stirring every 2-3 minutes.1/2 tsp Salt
- Add thawed impossible meat to the skillet and break it up with a spatula. Cover the skillet with a lid, returning to stir and break up the meat every couple of minutes until it is cooked through.1 package Impossible Meat
- Add the diced mushrooms and cooked for 2-3 minutes.1 Portobello Mushroom
- Make the sauce by adding the tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, chili pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes (optional), and water to the skillet and stir together.3 tbsp Tomato Paste, 3/4 cup Ketchup, 3 tsp Yellow Mustard, 2 tsp Chili Powder, 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder, 1/3 cup Water, 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Enjoy!
Looking for more veggie-filled recipes? Check out my 5-Ingredient Sweet and Spicy Glazed Carrots
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below!