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Italian sloppy Joes are a kid friendly dinner, with an Italian twist! This easy sloppy Joes recipe uses lean ground meat, Italian seasonings, and fresh herbs for the best sloppy Joes ever!
I have a confession to make: one of my favorite meals when I am really hungry is sloppy Joes. I don’t mean a pound of meat with a can of Manwich mixed in, but a nice meaty base with a flavorful and thick sauce.
I have made sloppy Joes many times, making many variations of them, but one of my favorite fast, family-friendly ways is to make Italian Sloppy Joes.
How to Make Italian Sloppy Joes
There are no hard and fast rules here, just add what you like in a marinara sauce with a nice ground meat, place it on bread of your choice with a nice sprinkling of cheese on top and toast in the oven for a bit. Simple, but yet a nice kid friendly meal just the same. You don’t have to toast the bread, but I like the end result. I try to stick with the same flavor profile of a marinara OR pizza sauce. Not too thin and with just enough seasonings.
This is one meal that you can modify SO many ways. Add cumin, chopped cilantro, diced onions/peppers and a bit of red pepper flakes and you have a ‘Taco Joe’, garnish with a bit of shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream and call it a day!
Italian sloppy Joes is not a gourmet meal…but frankly, I am not gourmet. This sloppy Joes recipe makes a regular appearance in my dinner rotation. If my oldest, Mr. Picky Pants, isn’t eating with us, I make a meatless meal, using cannellini beans in lieu of the meat. The choice is yours.
I like to serve the Italian sloppy Joes with a garden side salad, tossed with balsamic vinegar and oil dressing.
Total Servings 6 servings
Italian version of a kid friendly favorite sloppy Joes dinner.
10 minPrep (inc. refrigeration & rest time)
15 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground meat. I use sirloin. Use less if you like a ‘saucier’ base
- 15 oz can of tomato puree
- salt/fresh pepper to taste
- 1 TB Italian seasoning
- chopped fresh basil added at the end, optional
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- a pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like it spicy
- Ciabatta rolls, sliced, or bread of your choice
- shredded Italian Blend cheese
- 1 clove of peeled garlic, optional
Instructions
- Brown meat in a skillet over medium high heat, then drain. Add sauce and seasonings to skillet and heat through.
- Preheat broiler to low. Open the sliced rolls of your choice on a baking sheet. Rub a garlic clove over the open face of each rolls, if desired.
- Evenly distribute the saucy mix to each bun and dust with cheese. Place in oven under the broiler. Remove when just starting to brown and melt. Remove and enjoy!
Important Notes
This is also really nice with a bit of diced onions, peppers and mushrooms thrown in after the meat is done browning
