This yummy Sloppy Joe recipe is straight out of my Grandma’s recipe box. Full of flavor, easy to make and freezer friendly too!

Does your family have any famous recipes that have been passed down through the years? These oh-so-easy Sloppy Joes were my grandmother’s specialty, and although she has been gone for ten years, I still can’t make this recipe without thinking of her and our Sunday afternoon family gatherings. I love that they have now become a favorite for my own family!

The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I make it vegetarian friendly (and much lower in calories) by using vegetarian crumbles instead—it is delicious either way! I like serving it with some store-bought coleslaw on the side, but that is just a personal preference. The recipe whips up fast with just a few basic ingredients and makes enough to feed a crowd. It also freezes beautifully which makes it the perfect recipe to include as part of a freezer cooking day, or simply divide it into bags to eat some now and save some for later!

Grandma’s Sloppy Joes

Grandma’s Sloppy Joes | Vegetarian Sloppy Joes recipe ingredients.

Here is what you need:

4 lbs. ground beef or vegetarian crumbles
1 can chicken gumbo soup
1 or 2 cans tomato rice soup
1 large onion
1½ tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
deli coleslaw (optional)
hamburger buns
 

Chop the onions into a small dice for the sloppy joes.

Step 1: Chop onions.

Brown the ground beef, or use vegetarian crumbles to make this a meatless recipe.

Step 2: Brown ground beef (or vegetarian crumbles) and then set aside.

Mix soup, sauces, and seasonings together in a bowl - this makes the sloppy joes sauce.

Step 3: Whisk together soups, brown sugar, chili powder, vinegar and ketchup. If you are making the vegetarian version, you can skip the chicken gumbo and double up on the tomato rice instead.

Add the chopped onions into the sauce mixture and stir together.

Step 4: Add chopped onions and whisk well.

Add ground beef to sauce mixture and mix until fully incorporated.

Step 5: Then add ground beef (or vegetarian crumbles) and mix well.

This sloppy joes recipe is freezer friendly. Divide the sloppy joes into two gallon sized freezer bags and label.

Step 6: Label freezer bags and then divide mixture into 2 bags.

When ready to cook, let thaw and simmer on medium to low heat for about 30 minutes.

Step 7: Let thaw. Heat mixture on stovetop, let it come to a boil then lower and simmer for 30-45 minutes (or heat on low in crock-pot for 3-4 hours).

What recipe has been handed down in your family?

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Grandma's Sloppy Joes

This is my Grandma's recipe and brings back such great memories. This will soon be your family's new favorite as well!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Sloppy Joes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Author Ruth Soukup

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. ground beef or vegetarian crumbles
  • 1 can chicken gumbo soup
  • 1-2 cans tomato rice soup
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup ketchup

Instructions

  1. Chop onions.

  2. Brown ground beef (or vegetarian crumbles) and then set aside.

  3. Whisk together soups, brown sugar, chili powder, vinegar and ketchup. If you are making the vegetarian version, you can skip the chicken gumbo and double up on the tomato rice instead.

  4. Add chopped onions and whisk well.
  5. Then add ground beef (or vegetarian crumbles) and mix well.
  6. Label freezer bags and then divide mixture into 2 bags.

  7. Let thaw. Heat mixture on stovetop, let it come to a boil then lower and simmer for 30-45 minutes (or heat on low in crock-pot for 3-4 hours).

Recipe Notes

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes on stovetop or 3-4 hours in crock-pot

Number of servings (yield): 16

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PIN FOR LATER:

Need a new family favorite meal? This delicious recipe is straight out of my Grandmother's recipe box. Full of flavor, it whips up in minutes to serve a crowd and is freezer friendly too! It can also be made vegetarian, check it out! #vegetarian #easyrecipe #freezermeals #sloppyjoes

 

Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup

Founder at Living Well Spending Less
Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.
Ruth Soukup

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