Think of this Italian Style Sloppy Joe recipe as spaghetti, without the noodles and garlic bread on the side. We pondered on how was best to eat this, and we decided that a fork and knife was the easiest way. I will definitely make this meal, again– and the garlic bread was super easy and delicious to make.
The men in my life (aka: my husband and adult son) are so easy to please, when it comes to what I cook for them. They lovingly express their appreciation for my culinary achievements with more “sophisticated” fare, such as “Osso Bucco” or classic “Beef Bourguignon with homemade egg noodles“.
Yet, one of their favorite recipes that I still make for them is “Sloppy Joe’s“. It’s certainly not fancy, but it’s comfort food that never fails to please them. There’s something about ground beef, tomato paste, tomato sauce, bell pepper, onion– and a few other goodies– served atop a hamburger bun that they sink their teeth into with gusto. While my son no longer lives here, officially, he is a frequent guest for meals– and I’m absolutely fine with that.
The meat sauce is quite simple to make– it’s really just a thick spaghetti sauce, with bell pepper added to it.
Instead of making the “Joe’s” with hamburger buns, I used thick-sliced French breads, slathered with a butter blend of Parmesan cheese, garlic and other herbs. Holy Moly!
They were baked for about 15 minutes, while the meat sauce was simmering on the stove. We love garlic bread, so I had a hunch my men would really enjoy this dinner.
Yep, I was right! They thought the dinner presentation was impressive, and I have to admit, it’s not too shabby– for a weeknight dinner that didn’t take a lot of work to do. I sent my son home with the rest of the filling (there was plenty leftover, as I think this can feed 6-8 hungry folks).
TASTING NOTES: Red bell pepper is something I keep in my refrigerator, but this time, I only had a yellow bell pepper. No problem, it worked out just fine. Think of this recipe as spaghetti, without the noodles and garlic bread on the side. We pondered on how was best to eat this, and we decided that a fork and knife was the easiest way. I will definitely make this meal, again– and the garlic bread was super easy and delicious to make.
Italian Style Sloppy Joe’s – Another Manly Dinner
Ingredients
MEAT FILLING:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (6-ounccan tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounccan crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
- 1 splash white or regular balsamic vinegar optional, my variation
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley plus extra for garnish
GARLIC TOAST
- 8 slices French bread
- 8 tablespoons butter 1 stick, softened
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then remove the beef and drain off the fat.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and cook the peppers and onions until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano and basil and bring to a simmer.
- Return the beef to the pan and simmer until the mixture is nice and thick, about 10 minutes. If it gets too thick, thin it with a little water. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Optional: I added a splash of white balsamic vinegar, and that gave a little extra acidity to the sauce.
Garlic Toast:
- Preheat the oven to 400°Place the bread slices on a baking sheet.
- In a bowl, mix together the butter, Parmesan, oil, parsley, garlic powder, paprika and oregano until it forms a paste. Season with salt and pepper, then spread the mixture on the bread.
- Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- To serve: Spoon a nice portion of sauce over each of 4 slices of the Garlic Toast. Let the sauce cascade over the sides, then prop a second piece of Garlic Toast over to the side of each. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
Saw this on Facebook and have been looking forward to reading the blog post. It looks and sounds delicious, but I would have had to have both pieces of bread topped with the sauce- yummy.
Oh yes! A sloppy Giuseppe. Delizioso.
One complaint I always had about traditional sloppy joes is that they are too sweet. This is right up my alley. It doesn't seem to have that sweet, watered down, kid friendly (or so they say) flavor to it.
I really enjoyed sloppy Joe's as a kid. I know I would still enjoy them. Love that you added a parmesan butter spread-delicious. A definite adult version.
Velva