Lunch Lady Sloppy Joes - Plain Chicken (2024)

Lunch Lady Sloppy Joes Recipe – quick and easy homemade sloppy joe sandwiches that are a childhood school cafeteria favorite. Ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato paste, ketchup, water, vinegar, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt & pepper. SO simple and super delicious. Ready to eat in 30 minutes. I am pretty sure my lunchroom never served something so yummy!

School Lunchroom Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are a weeknight favorite at our house. I came across this sloppy joe recipe in my government school cafeteria cookbook and couldn’t resist giving it a try. Ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato paste, ketchup, water, vinegar, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt & pepper. SO simple and super delicious. I am pretty sure my lunchroom never served something so yummy!

How to Make Lunch Lady Sloppy Joes

As I said, this recipe is very easy to make. Start with browning ground beef in a large skillet. Drain. Add onion, garlic, tomato paste, ketchup, water, vinegar, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve the meat mixture on buns and enjoy!

• You can substitute ground turkey for ground beef.
• Sometimes I add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture.
• Feel free to use fresh onions and add bell peppers to the mix. Cook the fresh vegetables with the ground beef so that they soften.
• Are sloppy joes gluten-free? Yes! All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free.
• Can Sloppy Joes be made in advance? Yes! You can make the meat mixture ahead of time and reheat it before serving.
• Can Sloppy Joes be frozen? Yes! Prepare the meat mixture and let it cool completely. Transfer the meat to a freezer bag and freeze. To reheat, thaw completely and reheat in the microwave or the stovetop.

What to Serve with Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

We like to serve the sloppy joe mixture on top of hamburger or slider buns with a squirt of mustard. Feel free to add some cheese, pickles, and/or coleslaw. YUM! You can also serve them on top of some Texas Toast or garlic bread for a yummy open-faced sandwich. Either way, they will be delicious. We usually serve these sandwiches with some chips, fries, or some pasta salad. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with these lunchroom favorites:

Steph