My grandma absolutely loves Italian food, so I decided to make a twist on classic sloppy joe sandwiches just for her. The mozzarella and tomato sauce are classic, and red peppers make it fun. —Kristen Heigl, Staten Island, New York
Italian Sausage Sloppy Joes
Can you freeze Italian Sausage Sloppy Joes?
Freeze cooled meat mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.
Italian Sausage Sloppy Joes
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
4 hours
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
- 2 cans (8 ounces each ) no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
- 16 slices smoked mozzarella cheese (about 3/4 pound)
- 8 hoagie buns, split and toasted
- Pickled hot cherry peppers, optional
Directions
- In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage with red pepper and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker.
- In same pan, cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add beef to slow cooker. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic powder and, if desired, liquid smoke. Cook, covered, on low until flavors are blended, 4-5 hours.
- To serve, place cheese on bun bottoms; top with meat mixture and, if desired, peppers. Close sandwiches.
Nutrition Facts
1 sandwich: 661 calories, 35g fat (14g saturated fat), 121mg cholesterol, 1231mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 42g protein.
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