These sloppy joes can be made on the stovetop or in the crockpot. I perfer to use the crockpot because it allows all the flavors to merry while slowly cooking through the day. Serve up a sloppy joe with some mac n’ cheese & you have a simple, warm fall meal!

Although this recipe is super quick to throw together, it does not mean it’s lacking in flavor. Because let me tell ya, the flavors are all there! You’ve got a little kick from the fire roasted tomatoes, some sweetness from the brown sugar & some tanginess from the ketchup & mustard.

When Fall comes rolling in, here in Michigan, my mind always goes to crockpot recipes & soups. There’s something about throwing a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot & letting it cook all day long. It warms up the house & just floods the inside with the perfect Fall aroma! Sloppy Joes is definitely one of those types of meals. With all the seasonings you put into them, the smell makes you drool!

The Ingredients Needed for the Sloppy Joes

I like to use a leaner ground beef just to keep things a little healthier. You could definitely use ground beef with more fat in it if that’s what you like.

As far as vegetables go, again you can do what you like. I use onion, celery & canned tomatoes (I consider tomatoes a vegetable but I know some consider it a fruit). But I think carrots would add some fun to your sloppy joes – plus more veggies is always better!

For the seasonings, most of them should be right in your pantry! If there’s something you don’t love, omit it! Definitely think these sloppy joes need everything that’s in them because it makes for such a flavorful sloppy joe. So if you omit something, maybe substitute it for something similar that you like more.

Tips

As far as meat goes, if you don’t like red meat, you could use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.

Or if you’d like to fancy it up, use 1/2 lb. ground beef & 1/2 lb. Italian sausage. Have fun with it!

If you are in a time crunch & need a quicker recipe, you could totally make your sloppy joes on the stovetop! Follow the directions the same but allow the onion & celery to cook down a little bit so they are soft.

You could serve these sloppy joes with mac n cheese, french fries or tater tots, coleslaw or salad or a roasted vegetable – potatoes or green beans.