EatingWell Sloppy Joes
Our updated Sloppy Joe takes lean ground beef and adds chopped cremini mushrooms and diced fresh plum tomatoes, all in a zesty sauce. Served on a whole-wheat bun, it's a hearty dinner sandwich that will please adults and kids alike.
Our updated Sloppy Joe takes lean ground beef and adds chopped cremini mushrooms and diced fresh plum tomatoes, all in a zesty sauce. Served on a whole-wheat bun, it's a hearty dinner sandwich that will please adults and kids alike.
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 12 ounces 90%-lean ground beef
- 2 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 5 plum tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup chili sauce such as heinz
- 8 whole-wheat hamburger buns toasted if desired
- Carbohydrate 7.9553373875 g
- Cholesterol 27.6407850225 mg
- Fat 4.508061045 g
- Fiber 1.28507794412605 g
- Protein 9.7251759375 g
- Saturated Fat 1.765293251347 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (160g)
- Sodium 143.074359035667 mg
- Sugar 6.67025944337395 g
- Trans Fat 0.593844460892499 g
- Calories 110 calories
Step-by-step
- Crumble beef into a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat until it starts to sizzle, about 1 minute.
- Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and the moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and flour; stir to combine.
- Stir in water, vinegar, chili sauce and ketchup and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the onion is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Serve warm on buns.
Allowing the finely chopped cremini mushrooms to cook alongside the lean ground beef until all expelled moisture completely evaporates is the single most critical step for building deep, concentrated flavor. Cremini mushrooms contain high levels of free glutamate, the amino acid responsible for umami savory depth, and driving off their internal water concentrates those compounds before any liquid thickeners are introduced. When raw flour is added directly to the hot vegetable and meat mixture alongside the diced plum tomatoes, the starch granules coat the solid ingredients and absorb free moisture during the subsequent simmer. Cider vinegar and ketchup supply acetic acid and concentrated sugars, creating a low pH environment that tenderizes the beef proteins while balancing the rich umami of the mushrooms through precise acid-sugar interplay. Simmering the sauce over low heat for eight to ten minutes activates the all-purpose flour fully, gelatinizing the starches to form a glossy, clinging matrix that prevents the heavy liquid from soaking through the toasted whole-wheat buns. Pairing this rich, acidic sandwich with crisp, raw celery sticks or a cool cucumber salad provides a sharp textural and thermal contrast that cuts through the concentrated tomato and vinegar sauce.
