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Homemade Sloppy Joes Over Sweet Potatoes are ridiculously easy to make and SO flavorful, too! They’re made with a few simple ingredients like lean ground beef or turkey, bell peppers, onion, tomato paste, and spices. I love to serve Sloppy Joes stuffed in sweet potatoes and loaded with toppings, but you can also serve on burger buns or on top of pasta!
Why You’ll Love These Sloppy Joes Over Sweet Potatoes:
- Easy Weeknight Meal – This recipe is super simple to prep and comes together quickly using just a few pans, meaning less cleaning up after dinner.
- Customizable – Adjust the sweetness, spice, or even swap the meat for a plant-based option if you prefer – whatever suits your tastebuds.
- Lighter Comfort Food – Sloppy Joes are the ultimate cozy food the whole family will love. And served over sweet potatoes makes it just a tad lighter and waist-friendly. It also makes this Sloppy Joe recipe completely gluten-free!
- Great For Meal-Prep – Make big batches of the Sloppy Joe filling and enjoy leftovers throughout the week.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Ground Meat — I usually use ground beef, but if you’re looking for a leaner option go for ground turkey to make these sloppy joe stuffed sweet potatoes.
- Sweet Potatoes — The other star of this dish, sweet potatoes are nutrient-packed and make the perfect hearty alternative to traditional buns.
- Bell Peppers — These add a pop of color, some crunch, and a bit of sweetness to balance the flavors. Red, green, or yellow peppers all work well!
- Ketchup — The key ingredient to that signature sauce, ketchup brings sweetness and tanginess to the dish.
- Soy Sauce — A little goes a long way in balancing out all those flavors! Try low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer.
How To Make Homemade Sloppy Joes:
Step 1: Prep The Ingredients. Rinse and chop the bell peppers into small, bite-sized pieces. Rinse your sweet potatoes too, and set them aside to dry. Once they’re dry, use a fork to poke them all around.
Place them on a baking sheet, and cook the sweet potatoes until they’re fork tender, for about 35-45 minutes.
Step 2: Make The Sloppy Joes. Saute the chopped onions and bell peppers. Add your preferred ground meat to the veggies and cook through.
Now add the sauce! Pour in the ketchup, tomato paste and a little bit of soy sauce into the meat mixture and cook all of that for a few minutes.
Serving + Storing:
Enjoy these Homemade Sloppy Joes immediately! You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
Top your Sloppy Joes with whatever you like — shredded cheese, sour cream and avocado, are some of my favorites. Also try sliced jalapeños for a bit of heat, and fresh chopped cilantro to freshen things up a bit. You can really customize the toppings to make this recipe dairy-free and whole 30 compliant!
If you want more traditional Sloppy Joes, serve the meat sauce over hamburger buns or pasta — kind of like a Cincinnati chili!
And wow, these Sloppy Joes over sweet potatoes pair well with SO MANY different side dishes! Serve with coleslaw, sautéed broccoli, Easy Garlic Knots, or even a simple Spinach Salad.
Expert Cooking Tips:
- Sweet Potatoes – Choose sweet potatoes that are all about the same size so they cook evenly.
- Prep Ahead – You can bake the sweet potatoes and make the Sloppy Joe mixture a day or two in advance and keep everything in the fridge. Then simply reheat the potatoes and meat separately in the microwave when you’re ready to stuff and serve!
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
FAQs:
Absolutely! You can use russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for a more neutral base.
Yeah! If you want your sauce a little less sweet, use a low sugar or no sugar ketchup or add a splash of vinegar to bring out the tanginess. But if you want to make the sauce even sweeter, stir in some honey.
Sure you can! As-is this recipe makes about 8 servings of Sloppy Joe stuffed sweet potatoes. Simply cut the ingredients in half to make a smaller portion. This is great if you’re not looking for leftovers or are just feeding 1-2 people.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Love:
- Sweet Potato Casserole With Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel Topping
- Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs With Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- Cornbread Taco Casserole
- Cozy Chicken Dumpling Soup
- Cozy Chicken Pot Pie
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Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 3/4 large onion, diced
- 3 medium bell peppers
- 2 lbs ground turkey or beef, both work great!
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 and 1/2 cups ketchup
- 5 TBSP tomato paste
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, I find low sodium to have a less overwhelming taste
For Serving:
- buns, pasta, or sweet potatoes!
Instructions
- Prep: Rinse and chop your bell peppers into small ish pieces. If using Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry sweet potatoes well. Poke sweet potatoes all around with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 35-45 minutes (depends on the size of them – mine were small to medium). When they’re fork tender, they’re done!
- Make the Sloppy Joes: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring until onions are translucent and bell peppers have reached desired level of tenderness. Add the meat and cook fully, until browned through. Add seasoning, taste, and add a bit more as desired. Add ketchup, tomato paste, and soy sauce and stir to combine well. Simmer for 10 minutes to develop the flavor.
- Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
