Quick Bites: Stress-Free Recipes From Bite Me More

Aug
21
2014

A Great Dinner Twist: Easy Italian Sloppy Joes Recipe

How to Serve Up (Sloppy) Smiles

Italian Sloppy Joes Recipe
Looking for an excuse to dig in? These scrumptious Italian Sloppy Joes might be a mess-of-a-meal (three napkins required), but they're also chock full of richly flavored beef that's sandwiched between crisp garlic buns and topped with cheese (three kinds!) and basil. Yes, this Italian twist on the American classic is guaranteed to serve up (sloppy) smiles!

Ingredients

Sloppy Joes

1½ lbs ground beef
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp herbs de Provence
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup red wine
¼ cup whole milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce

Garlic Rolls

6-8 bread rolls
3 tbsp butter
1 large garlic clove, minced 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ricotta cheese
Provolone cheese slices
Fresh basil leaves

Directions

 For the Sloppy Joe filling, in a large skillet, sauté ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook the beef for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain in a colander and set aside. Wipe out skillet and heat vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and cook stirring until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, herbs de Provence, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute and add ground beef back to the skillet, stirring well to combine. Stir in red wine and milk and cook until wine and milk are almost completely absorbed. Add chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

 For the garlic rolls, preheat broiler to high. Place bread rolls cut open on a baking sheet. In a small saucepan, melt butter with minced garlic. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Spread on both sides of bread rolls and place under broiler until lightly toasted. 

 To assemble Sloppy Joes, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the base of each roll. Spoon meat over Parmesan, followed by a spoonful of ricotta cheese and finish with another spoonful of meat. Top with a slice of provolone cheese. Place back under the broiler briefly to melt cheese. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil leaf and the top of the roll. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

If you prefer your chili on fries (try these Chili Cheese Fries) or vegetarian (Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili recipe), we've got you covered.