Sloppy Sophisto Joes

These Sloppy Sophisto Joes are a sophisticated version of a classic simmered ground beef sandwich!

We have had a wet Spring here. Good for the grass, but not good for the grill or my craving for beef between a bun. The first time I made these, they were good, but they just needed something. I made a big batch, so I put the rest in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal. When it was time to pull out that frozen batch, I warmed it on the stove and kept tasting it, trying to figure out what was missing.

It turns out that the meat mixture wasn’t missing anything, but the sandwich was. I like texture, not just flavor, in my food, so the meat sauce in a bun just wasn’t doing it for me. My husband and son suggested onions and mustard. That helped it a bunch, but it still needed something. My son suggested one more thing — bread-and-butter pickles. I gave him a funny look. Unfortunately, I lost my taste for bread-and-butter pickles after eating too many at “Happy Hour” as a kid, but I do keep them in the house for the rest of the family. Since he was right about the onions and mustard (a little mayonnaise doesn’t hurt either), I went with it. End result– “winner winner weeknight dinner,” and I can now enjoy bread and butter pickles again!

This freezes beautifully, so make a double batch. Also, use a sturdy bun to sandwich the “sloppy” meat sauce. I use my White Bread recipe to shape 6 big buns. I highly recommend you do the same. 

Sloppy Sophisto Joes

By Nicole Prep: 10 minsCook: 25 minsTotal: 35 mins Servings: 6 A sophisticated version of a classic simmered ground beef sandwich!

Equipment

• 12-inch heavy-bottom skillet

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 celery rib, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14 ½-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 6 buns, sliced

Accompaniments

• Mayonnaise
• Yellow mustard
• Sweet onion, like Vidalia or Georgia, sliced into rings
• Bread and butter pickles

Instructions 

For the Meat

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the carrot, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, remaining salt, and black pepper and cook, stirring every few moments, for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for another minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar and boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with additional salt and black pepper if needed.

To Serve

1. Slather each bun half with mayonnaise. Spoon some meat sauce onto the bottom of each bun, top with a few onion slices, some bread-and-butter pickles, and a drizzle of yellow mustard. Add the top half of the bun. Smoosh together and take a big bite. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutritional values do not include accompaniments. You can freeze Sloppy Joes in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 905mg, Potassium: 520mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 2388IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 14mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.