Crockpot Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small white onion, minced
• 1 small red bell pepper, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Hamburger buns

Instructions:

1. Prepare: Gather a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, a large skillet, a colander, and a small mixing bowl.
2. Cook beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart into crumbles, for 5-8 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a colander to drain.
3. Add to slow cooker: Transfer the cooked beef from the colander to the slow cooker insert. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir well.
4. Make sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine the tomato paste, ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
5. Combine and cook: Pour the sauce into the slow cooker on top of the beef mixture. Stir well, then cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours. Stir the mixture every hour or two to prevent burning.
6. Serve: Before serving, stir well, breaking up any clumps of beef. Serve hot over hamburger buns, or as desired.

Chef Tips:

• This recipe serves about 6, but you can divide it up into as many servings as you'd like.
• Any color bell pepper will work for this recipe.
• Yellow mustard can be substituted for the Dijon, and additional spices may be used.

Stovetop Directions:

1. Add 1/2 cup of water, beef broth, or beer to the ingredient list.
2. Cook beef as directed, and after draining, add another drizzle of oil and sauté the onion and pepper in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
3. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low, and add the beef back to the skillet. Stir in the tomato paste, stirring well to coat.
4. Add in the ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and the 1/2 cup water. Stir well to combine.
5. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until mixture has thickened to your liking.
6. Serve as directed.

Enjoy!