• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Flour Child logo

  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Privacy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Classic Cocktails
  • Dinners
  • About Us
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Dinners » World's Best Sloppy Joes From Scratch

    Published: Oct 7, 2020 · Modified: Feb 26, 2022 by Nancy · This post may contain affiliate links.

    World's Best Sloppy Joes From Scratch

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The World's Best Sloppy Joes are healthy, delicious, easy and fast. Both kids and adults love this mid century creation. What more could you ask for!

    Close up of a sloppy Joe on a bun

    If you're like me, anytime you make sloppy Joes you brown up a pound of ground beef or turkey and grab a can from your cupboard to mix in. Well, not anymore! Give up the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup and make tastier ones from scratch -- in a snap!

    A Mid Century Meal That's Still a Favorite Today

    Sloppy Joe on a bun, sitting on a plate with potato chips and a fork

    Sloppy Joes are thought to have originated in Sioux City, Iowa at a corner joint called Ye Old Tavern. Supposedly a cook named Joe combined the popular loose meat (ground hamburger) sandwich with tomato sauce, and the sloppy joe was born. It first appeared in cookbooks in the 1940's and has remained a casual family favorite ever since.

    The 1950's recipe shown on this vintage card tastes very similar to the popular canned sloppy joe mixes, only better. The freshly chopped onion, celery and green pepper make a world of difference in the taste of this dish.

    Mid century sloppy Joe recipe card
    1950's Recipe Card for Sloppy Joes

    I used to dread it when a recipe called for chopped items like onions and peppers. Not only are the vapors too much for my eyes, but it took me a long time to chop and dice. And even though I have taken knife skills classes, I'm still dangerous when I wield a knife. Kevin has had to come running with a bandage more times than I care to remember. I have since graduated to an onion chopper to make this task faster and easier, and tearless!

    Sloppy Joe Ingredients laid out in individual bowls
    Ingredients for World's Best Sloppy Joes

    Here's What You'll Need to Get Cooking

    The ingredients you need to make the World's Best Sloppy Joes from scratch are:

    • Ground beef or ground turkey
    • Yellow onion
    • Celery
    • Green Pepper
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • Sea salt
    • Pepper
    • Sugar
    • White vinegar
    • Tomato sauce
    • Ketchup
    • Buns for serving

    Helpful Hints For Making Sloppy Joes

    • Measure and prep all of your ingredients in advance to make cooking go very fast.
    • Cook beef or turkey in skillet until almost, but not quite, fully browned. Then add vegetables and simmer for 5-7 minutes while meat continues to brown and vegetables tenderize.
    • Cook ahead of time then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months, and reheat for a fast meal.
    Close up of a sloppy Joe on a bun

    World's Best Sloppy Joes From Scratch

    Nancy Blackstone
    The World's Best Sloppy Joes are healthy, delicious, easy and fast. Both kids and adults love this mid century creation. What more could you ask for!
    4.56 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 -6 Servings
    Calories 355 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
    • 1 cup diced yellow onion
    • ½ cup diced green pepper seeds removed
    • ¼ cup diced celery
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
    • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
    • ¼ cup ketchup

    Instructions
     

    • In a skillet, cook the meat over medium heat until it is almost browned, then add the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook on medium-low until onions are clear and vegetables are crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. 
    • Add all remaining ingredients to the skillet and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over hamburger buns, or store in refrigerator or freezer for re-heating later.

    Notes

    Meat mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or in freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months. 
    Serve on slider buns for appetizers. Kids also love sloppy joes on slider buns for their meal!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 21gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 917mgPotassium: 671mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 378IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword 1940's recipes, 1950's recipes, 1960's recipes, From Scratch Sloppy Joes, Mid Century Dinners, Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Classic Mid Century Dinner Recipes

    • Boneless apple cider pork chops on a serving platter, topped with cooked apples and surrounded with fresh sprigs of parsley.
      Boneless Apple Cider Pork Chops
    • A stack of grilled beef ribs on a wooden cutting board.
      Grilled Barbecued Beef Short Ribs
    • Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
    • Creamed chipped beef poured over two slices of toast.
      Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Nancy and Bentley

    Hi, I'm Nancy! Welcome to Flourchild where I share classic mid-century recipes from the 1940's - 1970's. I feature many vintage handwritten recipes, and provide modern shortcuts and a variety of healthy and special diet-friendly versions whenever possible. Join me in exploring the delicious flavors and from-scratch cooking techniques of our past!

    More about me →

      Summer Favorites

      • A stack of grilled beef ribs on a wooden cutting board.
        Grilled Barbecued Beef Short Ribs
      • Six ears of grilled, browned corn stacked on a wooden serving tray.
        Grilled Corn on the Cob (In the Husk)
      • A pitcher of old fashioned lemonade ready to pour into the 4 surrounding glasses that are garnished with a lemon wedge.
        Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade
      • A cast iron skillet full of barbecued beans, with a wooden spoon set on the edge of the pan.
        Fast and Easy Homemade Barbecued Beans
      • A serving of classic potato salad on a green salad plate. Paprika is sprinkled on top.
        Classic Potato Salad Recipe
      • A rectangular serving plate with 7 watermelon wedges stacked, with a large square serving plate behind it and one quarter of a whole watermelon on it.
        Sliced Watermelon Wedges

      Soups & Stews

      • A bowl of lasagna soup with shredded cheese on top and basil garnish. A glass of wine and a hot roll are pictured next to the bowl.
        Easy Lasagna Soup (Stovetop and Crockpot Methods)
      • Bowl of simple lentil soup served with French bread on the side.
        Simple Lentil Soup Recipe
      • A close up image of vegetable barley soup in a white bowl
        Old Fashioned Vegetable Barley Soup
      • Super Bowl Chili Is The Perfect Football Food
      • Two bowls of beef burgundy stew with a loaf of French bread sitting on a table
        Beef Burgundy Stew - Warm Comfort on a Cold Night
      • A bowl of baked potato soup topped with bacon, green onions, shredded cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream
        The Best Baked Potato Soup

      Popular Recipes

      • Two large cinnamon apple pancakes on a black plate with apple topping and maple syrup running down the sides.
        Cinnamon Apple Pancakes
      • Candy Apple Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
      • An apple butter old fashioned cocktail in a tumbler with apples and fall-related items in the background
        Sip into Fall: How to Make the Perfect Apple Butter Old-Fashioned Cocktail
      • Apple butter on top of a fluffy biscuit on a white plate.
        Homemade Slow Cooked Apple Butter

      • Email
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      Nancy and Bentley

      Hi, I'm Nancy! Welcome to Flourchild where I share classic mid-century recipes from the 1940's - 1970's. I feature many vintage handwritten recipes, and provide modern shortcuts and a variety of healthy and special diet-friendly versions whenever possible. Join me in exploring the delicious flavors and from-scratch cooking techniques of our past!

      More about me →

        Summer Favorites

        • A stack of grilled beef ribs on a wooden cutting board.
          Grilled Barbecued Beef Short Ribs
        • Six ears of grilled, browned corn stacked on a wooden serving tray.
          Grilled Corn on the Cob (In the Husk)
        • A pitcher of old fashioned lemonade ready to pour into the 4 surrounding glasses that are garnished with a lemon wedge.
          Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade
        • A cast iron skillet full of barbecued beans, with a wooden spoon set on the edge of the pan.
          Fast and Easy Homemade Barbecued Beans
        • A serving of classic potato salad on a green salad plate. Paprika is sprinkled on top.
          Classic Potato Salad Recipe
        • A rectangular serving plate with 7 watermelon wedges stacked, with a large square serving plate behind it and one quarter of a whole watermelon on it.
          Sliced Watermelon Wedges

        Soups & Stews

        • Split Pea and Ham Soup is an Old Fashioned Meal in a Bowl
        • Traditional Navy Bean Soup in a blue bowl with spoon.
          Navy Bean Soup is a Traditional Favorite

        Popular Recipes

        • Apple Brown Betty in a parfait glass, with a scoop of ice cream and a cinnamon stick on top.
          Apple Brown Betty: An Orchard to Oven Treat
        • Carmel apple with a wooden stick set on a piece of parchment paper, ready to serve.
          Easy Taffy Apples Recipe (Caramel Apples)
        • A garden salad on a white salad plate, with Thousand Island dressing being spooned over it.
          Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
        • Lipton California Dip inside a small dipping bowl with a potato chip on the top for garnish.
          Lipton California Dip (Lipton Onion Soup Dip)

        Footer

        ↑ back to top

        About

        • Privacy Policy
        • Accessibility Policy

        Newsletter

        • Sign Up! for emails and updates

        Contact

        • Contact

        As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

        Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme