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Sloppy Joes

A classic American comfort food, made macro-friendly. Lean meat, tangy-sweet sauce, and a lightly toasted bun. As the name suggests, this is sloppy! I love food that fuels me and is also fun to eat.

Audrey

— 1 min read
Sloppy Joe with Potato Wedges

A classic American comfort food, made macro-friendly. Lean meat, tangy-sweet sauce, and a lightly toasted bun. As the name suggests, this is sloppy! I love food that fuels me and is also fun to eat. Plus, it sneaks a serving of vegetables into every sandwich!

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 500g (about 1 pound) minced/ground meat, less than 5% fat (I use chicken, but lean beef or turkey breast works great too)
  • 250g (1.5 cups) frozen or fresh soffritto mix (1 small onion, 1 medium carrot, and 1 celery stalk)
  • 400g passata (about 1¾ cups tomato sauce)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ tsp yellow mustard
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp chili powder (optional, skip if you're spice-sensitive)
  • ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 4 brioche or burger buns (about 150 kcal each)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the soffritto mix and cook until the onions are translucent and softened (about 5–7 minutes).
  3. Add garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then add the ground/minced meat.
  4. Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon until browned.
  5. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, cloves, brown sugar, chili powder (if using), and salt.
  6. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until thick and rich — it should be sloppy but not soupy.
  7. Lightly toast your buns. Pile the sloppy mixture high. Grab napkins.

Nutrition Info (Per Serving, including bun)

  • Calories: 391 kcal
  • Protein: 34g (35%)
  • Carbohydrates: 37g (38%)
  • Fat: 12g (27%)
  • Fibre: ~2g

Make it 40/30/30

It's pretty close already!

Make it 30/50/20

Serve with:

Notes

  • If you can’t find soffritto mix: finely dice 1 small onion, 1 medium carrot, and 1 celery stalk (~1½ cups total).
  • The cloves are subtle but give that authentic Sloppy Joe flavour
  • This reheats really well — just microwave or warm in a pan and toast the bun fresh.

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