Sloppy Joes to Feed a Big Family on a Budget


Growing up one of my favorite meals was Sloppy Joes. There's just something about the tangy, juicy meat barely staying in between the hamburger bun. I'd have to lean over my plate to catch any of the meaty goodness that fell so I could pop it in my mouth later.

Now that I have a big (some would say huge with 11 children) family to feed, it's a joy to share this classic crowd pleaser that is easy to make, good for a big family budget and whips up in half an hour.

 This has become a regular favorite at our home and my teenage sons, who do the weekend meals as part of our stress free big family chore system , request it regularly in the cooler weather season (which lasts about 6 months where we live in Canada).

The game changer tip that keeps your hamburger buns from quickly becoming Soggy Sloppy Joes is to toast them breifly before serving. I place the dozen burgers face up over two cookie sheets and broil them on the top rack for 2 minutes or less. Then I can scoop a generous dollop of Sloppy Joe awesomeness for the whole family to enjoy.

I love that it is also dairy free since we have that food sensitivity in my big family home as well. You can adjust this meal to be sugar free by using sweetner alternatives (I like Kal Stevia concentrate). It can also be gluten free by serving it on a low to no carb bun or serving over a bed of steamed cauliflower.

To keep the meal rounded with a side of vegetables the sloppy joes pair nicely with a garden salad, coleslaw, steamed brocolli or any other vegetable side dish your crew enjoys.

If you test out this recipe to feed your big family on a budget I'd love to hear what you think! Feel free to join my Big Family Moms community on facebook where I help moms grow in grace & skill right here.

Feel free to check out my growing list of big family friendly recipes neatly stored on Pinterest here.

Without further ado, here is the ad free recipe for you to feed your big family on a budget.

Sloppy Joes

This classic meal is a messy yet delicious crowd pleaser that helps stretch the budget.

  • 4 tbsp butter or other fat
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 lb ground beef (or mix of pork & beef)
  • 2 chopped bell pepper (any color)
  • 1 clove minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 c ketchup or substitute
  • 1 c water
  • 2 TB brown sugar or alternative (Alternative: 1 shake stevia concentrate)
  • 3 tsp yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¾ red pepper flakes (optional)
  • dash hot sauce (eg: Franks or Sriracha)
  • 12 hamburger buns
  1. Heat butter & oil in large frying pan or skillet over medium high heat.
  2. Add meat and brown and keep chopping it occasionally to crumble it.
  3. Drain off excess liquid and set meat aside.
  4. In the same pan, add onion and pepper then fry for 3-4 minutes, until soft.
  5. Add garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Return meat to pan and add tomato paste. Stir well until all is covered.
  7. Add ketchup, water, sugar (or sweetener), mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper and optional red pepper flakes. Stir well.
  8. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until thickened to your liking
  9. Serve over toasted hamburger buns & enjoy!

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