Sloppy Joe Bowls (Paleo or Non-Paleo)

Do you have childhood memories of hamburger buns piled high with Sloppy Joe filling? And of course, there were also crunchy dill pickle slices on the side along with a heaping mound of potato chips. 

If that's what you remember (or even if you don't), get ready to welcome back the classic and comforting Sloppy Joe with a new twist - the Sloppy Joe in a bowl. This tasty new presentation of the Sloppy Joe can be either a Paleo option (with sweet potato slices, or not, with either spaghetti noodles or mashed potatoes). Whatever your preference, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy this new and deliciously modified version of the traditional Sloppy Joe. 

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato Slices (for Paleo):

1 large sweet potato cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Or (for non-Paleo), serve cooked spaghetti noodles or mashed potatoes instead of sweet potatoes (skip numbers 1-3 if using spaghetti noodles or mashed potatoes)

Sloppy Joe Mix:

2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

1–2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/2 – 1 green bell pepper, diced

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Toppings/Garnishes:

more Dijon mustard

sliced pickles (I like this brand)

pickled red onions or sliced green onions

sliced green olives

shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese

sliced avocado

steamed broccoli

sliced jalapenos

grape tomatoes

sour cream

sprouts or greens

salad dressing of choice (if desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.

2. Place your sweet potato slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and massage to coat both sides. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.

3. Place in the oven, middle rack, and let roast 10-12 minutes or until firm, but tender.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add ghee or oil and swirl to coat the pan.

5. Add garlic and move around the pan until fragrant, about 10-20 seconds.

6. Add onions and diced bell pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, allowing onions to soften.

7. Add ground beef to the pan. Move around the pan until beef is cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Drain excess grease.

8. Add Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, ketchup, coconut aminos, kosher salt, pepper, tomato paste, chili powder and apple cider vinegar.

9. Stir to combine.

10. Taste and adjust: if you want more sloppy joes more “saucy” simply add additional ketchup and tomato paste. Otherwise, adjust any salt or pepper, as desired.

11. Serving: Place a few slices of roasted sweet potatoes (or spaghetti noodles) into a bowl and place some of the sloppy Joe mixture next to it (or, if using spaghetti noodles, place Sloppy Joe mix on top of the noodles). Top with desired garnishes and enjoy!

Variations: 

Some other ideas for the starch in this bowl include: 

Paleo: 1) spaghetti squash; 2) sweet potatoes, cut in half (crosswise) and baked, slightly hollowed out and then filled with the Sloppy Joe mixture; 3) cauliflower rice; 4) zucchini noodles.

Non-Paleo: 1) regular white or brown rice; 2) baked potatoes (regular), cut in half (lengthwise) and then filled with the Sloppy Joe mixture; 3) flour tortilla bowl filled with the Sloppy Joe mixture.