It’s “National Sloppy Joe” day – the perfect time to revisit something that has become a source of great entertainment on the show. I have given out this recipe on the air thousands of times, but every week or so, without fail, there is a reference or an inquiry asking for the deets.
The humor lies in the simplicity of the recipe. Though not nearly as simple as a can of Manwich, this one is close. It’s just two more cans. I have posted about this before, but for the life of me cannot locate the post to share, so in a poetic fit of irony, I now find myself in the same “what is that recipe again?” headspace as everyone who has ever texted in. Good thing it’s easy.
So here we go…
Before the “jump” to the recipe, just a quick aside: this is OUR family’s favorite. I’m not advancing this as the “best” Sloppy Joe recipe or even the easiest to prepare. It’s just another easy option. If you’ve got a favorite, stick with it. If you’re looking for something else to test out, maybe this will work its way into your rotation. For us, it’s a perfect middle-of-road on depth and zestiness, and when one is trying to please 4 unique palates, I’ve found it’s always best to target the middle. I’m not aiming to blow anyone’s mind – just trying to get dinner on the table and satisfy all. This one does it for us, and it’s basically the Sloppy Joe version of a dump cake:
- Brown 2 pounds of ground beef
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- Drain off the fat (or leave it in there if you like it extra sloppy and greasy)
- Stir in one can of condensed tomato soup (10.75 oz), one can of condensed French onion soup (10.5 oz), and one small can of tomato paste (6 oz)
- Simmer for as long as you’d like to your desired thickness
- We usually go about 30 minutes
You do not need to season anything – the sodium and seasonings in the soup are all you need. If you’d like to control that better on the back end, go with low sodium soup varieties and season to taste.
That’s it. From the Vitrano test kitchen to yours…enjoy!
