Bougie A$$ Sloppy Joe Recipe

Sloppy Joes, Manwich Sandwich - whatever you call them - have always been kind of a guilty pleasure of mine as an adult. They are so basic but delish. But ya know what, sorry not sorry I will never break up with them!⁠

I wanted to make a version with a little razzle dazzle. Something with more kick and flavor! What I landed on was DYNAMITE good! Seriously, my recipe tasters first words after taking a bite were “OH MY GOD”.

⁠My version of a sloppy joe has a little bit of opulence to it. We’ve got freshly made toppings, buttery brioche and a semi-scratch made sauce 💅🏾 Of course, I had to serve this on the the old fine china. Yes, I really broke out my grandma’s 40 year old vintage plates for a sammich. Now some may say, is this doing the most for a sloppy joe? YES. But do I care? NO. Proceed.

Here’s what we will do:

• Make our sauce

• Make a homemade slaw for a crunchy, cool topping

• Make a batch of pickled red onions (this is sooo easy, and you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it before)

• Cook your ground meat (beef, turkey, etc)

• Build our sandwich!

(Side note: I’ll be adding proper recipe cards to the blog soon for easier printing and exporting! In the meantime, thanks for following along)

Ingredient Lists

SEMI SCRATCH SAUCE

• 1 Can Tomato Sauce (or fresh tomatoes, stewed and blended)

• 3 tbsp Brown Sugar

• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder

• 1/4 tsp Ancho Chile Pepper

• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1/4 tsp Cumin

• 1/4 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Honey

• 1 lb Ground Meat (Beef, Turkey…Lamb if you’re feeling spicy)

SLAW TOPPING

• 1 cup Thinly Sliced Cabbage

• 1 tbsp Mayonaise

• 1 tsp Sugar

• 1 tbsp White Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar 

• Dash of Black Pepper 

PICKLED RED ONIONS

• 1 Whole Red Onion Thinly Sliced 

• 1 cup Red Wine Vinegar 

• 1 cup Water 

• 2 tbsp Sugar 

• 1 tbsp Honey 

• 1 pinch Sesame Seed

• 1 pinch Fennel Seed

• 1 dash Coriander 

Brioche Buns

Cheese

Recipe Instructions

Make your Semi Scratch Sauce

1. In a sauce pan, combine tomatoes, spices and honey and simmer on Medium heat for about 20 minutes until well blended

2. In a separate skillet, prepare 1 lb of Ground Meat until thoroughly cooked, and browned. Feel free to add a dash of salt or seasoning here if needed, but don’t over do it.

3. Drain any oil. Combine your Sauce with the Ground Meat and set to the side.

Make your Slaw Topping

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and pepper.

2. Thinly slice your cabbage, and toss into your dressing until evenly coated, and set to the side

Make your Pickled Red Onions

1. In a saucepan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, honey and your favorite spices (you can really get creative here, and add just about anything you like!)

2. Heat until boiling, and reduce to a high simmer.

3. While your pickling mixture is heating, prepare your thinly sliced red onion and place the slices into a mason jar.

4. Pour the pickling mixture over the onions, in your mason jar and let rest about thirty minutes. Conversely, you can simply add the onions into your mixture on the stove and remove the sauce pan from heat while the onions rest. Then, place the pickled onions into an air tight container.

Make Your Sandwich!

I recommend toasting your buns with some good ole’ butter, then build that thang to your liking! Slap some cheese on while your sauce is hot, and watch it melt!

This makes a fun sandwich bar for dinner, and you can have your toppings and fixins set out for family or guests. Or, you can keep it all to yourself!

What I love about this recipe is the balance of sweet and crunchy toppings, with the savory sauce. Have fun with this and let me know what you think. Be sure to enjoy each bite with ya pinky rang in the air!