When I was a kid I didn’t really like the typical Sloppy Joe from a can. My dad, who was the family cook, always made me something else when Sloppy Joes were on the menu. I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to bring back a “classic”, but make it how I would like it.

The key to a successful Sloppy Joe is patience! Really take your time and let the ingredients stew in a nice Dutch oven to reduce and soak up all the liquid will make all the difference in the world. I feel like with a recipe like this you can make as custom as you’d like. I’m not a fan of soggy bread, so I reduce mine down for a few hours and I also like to toast up my bread a touch to keep it from getting too soggy. As always try to invest in good ingredients for the best results. I hope you enjoy my take on this classic recipe!

Sloppy Joe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s with the mother)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup pickles, chopped
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Directions:

• Cook turkey and beef with onion in a Dutch oven until browned; drain well.
• Stir in tomato sauce, broth, ketchup, vinegar, salt, sugar and pickles until well combined with meat mixture.
• Cook on med-high heat until fully simmering, reduce heat to low and cook until sauce has been mostly absorbed into the meat. (I cooked mine for about 2 1/2 hours on low.)
• Serve on toasted buns with a handful of cheese on each sandwich and enjoy!

This recipe serves 6.