Hands down this the Best Sloppy Joe recipe (aka wimpies)! This is my grandma’s recipe and my family has been making it for years. It’s been a staple at every party and is always a hit.
Why These Healthy Sloppy Joes Works
Whether you know this iconic sloppy joe mix from your school days, (the Adam Sandler Lunch lady song keeps playing in my head) or it was a staple in your home growing up, my mom’s recipe was always the best sloppy joe! And it is the best comfort food.
For a dish that is this simple and easy to prepare, you need your flavors to be on point. Therefore, this sloppy joe casserole recipe has the best flavor and it is very quick to prepare on a busy weekday or great for parties and get-togethers because it can be made in large quantities to feed a crowd.
You can make sloppy joe mix ahead of time and freeze it for later. You can make them and keep them warm in slow cooker parties. And, you can even substitute ground turkey for the brown ground beef for a lighter version. This recipe is very flexible.
How to Make this Sloppy Joe Mix – Step by Step
For a fast meal that is nutritious and comes together quick, nothing is better than my Best Sloppy Joe recipe.
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- Step One: First, in a large skillet or large pot, place your green bell pepper, red onion and brown beef.(Photo 1 below)
- Step Two: Next, prepare your seasonings celery seed, dry mustard, sugar, and then salt and pepper to taste (Photo 2 below)
- Step Three: Then cook together over medium heat, breaking up the beef as you go. I love my ground beef chopper for this task. (Photo 3 below)
- Step One: Then drain the fat from the skillet. Next, after the ground meat has browned and the vegetables are tender add the seasonings and cup ketchup to the skillet. (Photo 1 below)
- Step Two: Then add the vinegar to the skillet. (Photo 2 below)
- Step Three: Finally, simmer for 15 minutes and serve on your favorite roll or hamburger buns. (Photo 3 below)
Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
This is also a great crockpot Sloppy Joe’s original recipe. Similarly, brown the beef, with the onions and peppers, and add it to your slow cooker with all of the other ingredients! Then set it and forget it. When dinner time rolls around, you’ll have delicious Crock Pot Sloppy Joes! Serve classic sandwiches or make an open face style sandwich. The crock pot sloppy joe is one of my family favorite easy meals.
Recommendations for What to Serve with Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
I usually serve my Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes with my homemade Bread and Butter Pickles. It’s just one of those classic combinations — like peanut butter and jelly. I can’t have one without the other. I regularly like to make my homemade Baked Sweet Potato fries alongside these instant pot sloppy joes. 
Expert Tips for Making the Best Sloppy Joe Recipe
Versatility in my recipes is the key to keeping my family interested. So try these handy tips for making the healthy sloppy joes and the best wimpie recipe:
- Spice it up: Try putting a little hot sauce, chili powder and jalapeno pepper or green pepper into the simple for a spicy twist.
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and you can freeze half or serve to the team, church group, or family reunion. It is the best family food and an easy homemade sloppy joes recipe.
- Sneak in other Vegetables: If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat their veggies, try sneaking in some finely chopped vegetables to your sloppy joes. They will never know! It is recipe magic!
- Serve Over Rice: If you are gluten-free, serve over rice, rice cauliflower, or even mashed potatoes to make a hearty meal.
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- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Sloppy Joe Puffs
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The Best Sloppy Joes Ever!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown beef with onions and peppers in a large skillet.
- Drain well and return to skillet.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve on your favorite sandwich roll.
Expert Tips
- Spice it up: Try putting a little hot sauce and some jalapeno peppers into the wimpie for a spicy twist.
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and you can freeze half or serve to the team, church group or family reunion.
- Sneak in other Vegetables: If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat their veggies, try sneaking in some finely chopped vegetables to your sloppy joes. They will never know!
- Serve Over Rice: If you are gluten free, serve over rice, rice cauliflower or even mashed potatoes to make a hearty meal.
We love sloppy joes! Thanks for the recipe.
Sloppy Joes are one of our very favorite dinners. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I too was raised in the 50 ties Scranton, Pa. My mom worked the Wimpy Stand at Rocky Glenn on Polish Day
The difference between Sloppy Joes and Wimpies is this: Sloppy Joes are made with only ground beef. Wimpies are made with a mixture of ground beef and ground “SPAM”. Yes, you read it right…. SPAM! I have the original recipe, that was sold at Rocky Glenn. I have made this for very large groups, e.g. graduations, street fairs, etc. People always wonder about the unique taste, yet can’t identify it. I brought a portion of ‘Scranton’ to a little mountain town in CA (Coarsegold)
Bill Snigar
snigar@sti.net — Coarsegold, CA
WOW! I never knew that! Thanks for sharing your story with me. It’s fascinating. I remember going to Rocky Glen when I was little. I just may give SPAM a try in the recipe! 🙂
Just made these tonight for dinner and they are excellent! They are nice and mild. Not too much of a red sauce or bite to them. Thanks for publishing!
I’m so glad you liked them!! They are a family favorite for sure!
Love it! Looking forward to enjoying them during the game today!
I hope you liked them! 🙂
This was my dads famous dish we make always!! The recipe is very close he uses one different ingredient which is hard to find ….so I HAVE PRINTED YOUR’S OUT .
Thank You for this new one we will try I’m sure its yummy…..
YAY! Glad I could help!
I am from Central PA originally and we call them Barbeque sandwiches….I’ll never forget moving to St. Louis and inviting people over for Barbeque!!!! They thought they were getting pork steaks! haha Moved to Texas and they thought they were getting beef steaks….we always get a laugh out of it! Your recipe looks good…not quite the same as mine, we use Heinz chili sauce and yellow mustard…no celery seed.
We called them Hamburger Shortcake in our family. That is what my mother’s family called it, growing up in Nebraska. And, they were what they always ate on Christmas Eve!
We are having 13 people over for Easter. I wanted something easy and fun that would not require a lot of time in the kitchen. Last night I decided on Sloppy Joes and Banana Pudding. I am going to make the SJ mixture in the crock pot so it can simmer a couple hrs. Everyone will be able to help themselves. I love carrot sticks with my SJ. I remember them in our school cafeteria when I was a kid. Just remember the SJ and the carrot sticks. Not sure what else was served. I chop up all my peppers in all colors and then freeze them in gallon bags. When I need them I just take what I need. Cuts down prep time. I do this when the peppers are on sale. Same with my onions.
Oh my!! Those look amazing. I will have to make these for sure. Thanks!
I can’t wait to try this ! We would call them untidy Joseph’s when we were little 🙂
That is an awesome name! I love it!
We love sloppy joes, especially for family parties. Yum!
We love sloppy joes. I never heard them called Wimpies before.
I was just talking to my oldest about making sloppy joes!
Looks yummy- and easy, too- can’t wait to try it 🙂
cant find “print”
The Print Link is right under the photo in the recipe.
When I grew up in the 50’s ,Wimpies weren’t party food; this was (especially in the colder months in Scranton,Pa.) a staple menu favorite! Pasta, potato soup, wimpies, scallops & taters from Phillips Seafood on Fridays (Catholic upbringing) got us happily through the winter months. Thanks for sharing!!
You are so very welcome! As a fellow Scrantonian, I know how popular they are — most people from out of the area don’t even know what a wimpie is! I’m so glad you like the recipe and thanks for stopping by!
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I like the sound of this recipe. And need to make for a crowd. 20 pounds of burger at least. Would chopping the pepper and onions in food processor affect the recipe? Thanks!
I don’t think so. I would drain off any excess liquid that you get when it comes out of the food processor and I wouldn’t chop them too fine, either. I hope you like it! And thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Thanks! Was thinking the same thing about the extra liquid. Guess we’ll just have a ‘chopping’ party…lol.
I made the whimpies….they were easy and delicious!!!!
Thanks, Cathy! I’m glad you liked them!