Baked Bean Sloppy Joes

Baked Beans
Lauri Patterson / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 sandwiches

A sloppy joe is a classic sandwich made of ground beef and a sweet tomato-based sauce, and because this sandwich has been around since the 1930s, you can bet there are a variety of renditions. This recipe includes baked beans, which not only add a wonderful roasted flavor and texture to this popular hot sandwich, but also stretch the meal to feed more people.

Created by a cook named Joe in Sioux City, Iowa, sloppy joes began as a combination of ground beef and tomato sauce that was served on a soft bun. As you can imagine, the loose meat dripping in the sauce was messy to eat, hence the name. This simple combination is a good base for adding other ingredients, such as canned baked beans, onion, and garlic, and the sauce used here is a mixture of barbecue sauce, ketchup, and mustard. When choosing a bottled barbecue sauce, keep in mind that the signature taste of sloppy joes is sweet; and when it comes to the mustard, brown or Dijon will do just fine.

Once the saucy beef is nice and thick, it is placed on hamburger buns and topped with a slice of American cheese. Serve these baked bean sloppy joes with potato chips, mac and cheese, tater tots, roasted sweet potatoes, or potato or macaroni salad, as well as coleslaw or a fresh green salad on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (16-ounce) can baked beans, undrained

  • 2 tablespoons mustard

  • 1/4 cup ketchup

  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

  • 6 slices American cheese

  • 6 hamburger buns, sliced

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In ​a large skillet, cook the ground beef with the chopped onion and garlic until the meat is browned, stirring to break up the meat. Pour off any extra fat.

  3. Add the baked beans, mustard, ketchup, and barbecue sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until thickened.

  4. Divide the meat mixture evenly between the hamburger bun bottoms, add a slice of cheese to each, and cap off with the top of the bun.

  5. Serve immediately and enjoy.

What Is Considered Lean Ground Beef?

Ground beef is labeled with a ratio on the package; these numbers refer to the amount of lean meat to fat meat. Certain recipes, such as hamburgers, are better with ground beef that has a decent amount of fat, but others are best with a lean mixture. The leanest ground beef is 96/4, and the "fattiest" lean ground beef is 73/27. When making sloppy joes, or any recipe calling for cooked loose ground meat, choose one that is on the leaner end of the spectrum, like 90/10.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
519 Calories
16g Fat
59g Carbs
35g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 519
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 1245mg 54%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 22%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 420mg 32%
Iron 6mg 31%
Potassium 742mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)